I make fun (barely) of some who I think is too conservative, for example those who are too much enamoured by the smell of a paper book to imagine they could ever get the same pleasure from the same story in ebook form. But then I find that we all have mind inertia on some level, and usually we can't see it.
For example, it took me years of using digital cameras to really get used to the fact that I no longer had to pay for every frame I shot.
Similarly: a friend just mentioned a book she'd like to discuss with me if I'd read it. Well, I hadn't, but I looked at it and it was within my personal "easy-buy" range, the price limit under which I may buy a book just on the chance that I might like something in it. (This limit may change according to my current financial health and emotions.) So I just clicked Buy. I feel that if it turns out the book has nothing for me, well, basically nothing is wasted.
In contrast, the paperback was three times the price, plus shipping. But even if it had been as cheap, if I had been sitting there two weeks from now with a book which I'd gotten nothing from, holding a practically useless paper object in my hand, I would have felt a feeling of What a Waste.
Another example: I bought The Complete Virginia Woolf on a whim a few days ago. Earlier, it would have ballooned my already overflowing book shelves. Now it takes up no physical space and can be deleted in a second. Further, in case I hadn't liked it at all, who cares, because out-of-copyright books are free (or close to it if you want better formatting).
It also took me a while to get used to this. For a while, even after I "went over to" ebooks, I felt like I had to read every book I bought. And preferably pretty soon after I bought it. And preferably I should finish it too. In actual fact, neither of these things had been true for years, even with paper books, not since the even of online ordering. But it's only with ebooks, which are never a "waste", that I'm getting used to it, not caring how many unopened or unfinished books are on my device or in the cloud, and shamelessly hopping around between many books I'm reading or trying at once.
===
By the way, Woolf's The Voyage Out contains my second-favorite sentence ever (the first is in Gibson's Mona Lisa Overdrive. Amazingly, they both are descriptions of London!):
"In the streets of London where beauty goes unregarded, eccentricity must pay the penalty, and it is better not to be very tall, to wear a long blue cloak, or to beat the air with your left hand."
Saturday, May 11, 2013
Sunday, May 5, 2013
Piracy not an issue after one year of selling DRM-free ebooks, says Tor Books
Piracy not an issue after one year of selling DRM-free ebooks, says Tor Books, article.
After nearly a year of selling ebooks free of DRM copy protection, Macmillan subsidiary Tor Books UK said that it has seen no increase in piracy on any of its properties. The company's editorial director elaborated in an extensive reflection on the decision earlier this week, writing, "The move has been a hugely positive one for us, [...] we’re still pleased that we took this step."
(Big article here.)
I am very pleased indeed to see this report, since DRM is a plaque upon the land, and simply based on fear rather than data. And especially since Tor is far from an insignificant publisher, so this should have a positive effect on other publishers considering the move, this might nudge the snowball further along, and eventually we may actually arrive in a world where, gasp!, you will not lose your book collection if you decide you want to use a Kobo instead of a Kindle, and where your books are safe from even the demise of Amazon or server crashes or whatnot.
Admittedly the situation is complicated a bit by Amazon's 'delightful' decision to use and stick to a proprietary format (.mobi), and I would guess that other device makers would need their permission to enable their readers to read the Kindle books, even with no DRM. I'm not sure where that would go. Amazon already allow their books to be read on other devices (virtually all of them), but that is happening in an app made by Amazon, which means that Amazon still have control over the whole thing and could remove the app, remove books, and whatnot.
"Control" is a central button, probably even more important than money in this whole thing. People and especially corporations, have deep, morbid fear of letting anything get out of their control.
---
I've just bought a Tor book (Halo Silentium) to try this. But it's not really obvious how to download the file so I can transfer it to my host of devices. On the Google Play Book store, the book opens in the web browser, there's no Download button that I can see.
Update: I found a button which claims to download an ePub file, but typically, though it's supposedly DRM free, it download a .acsm (Adobe Digital Editions) file, which is like a ticket permitting you to download the book. And like usual (I hate Adobe's update processes) ADE won't let me run it without updating it, and when I click update, for some reason it just starts my HTML editor app!! So I'm stuck there and I give up. (Maybe I can get it via my Kobo or Kindle and get it to the computer that way. But really, the computer should be the most direct and flexible option, shouldn't it?)
After nearly a year of selling ebooks free of DRM copy protection, Macmillan subsidiary Tor Books UK said that it has seen no increase in piracy on any of its properties. The company's editorial director elaborated in an extensive reflection on the decision earlier this week, writing, "The move has been a hugely positive one for us, [...] we’re still pleased that we took this step."
(Big article here.)
I am very pleased indeed to see this report, since DRM is a plaque upon the land, and simply based on fear rather than data. And especially since Tor is far from an insignificant publisher, so this should have a positive effect on other publishers considering the move, this might nudge the snowball further along, and eventually we may actually arrive in a world where, gasp!, you will not lose your book collection if you decide you want to use a Kobo instead of a Kindle, and where your books are safe from even the demise of Amazon or server crashes or whatnot.
Admittedly the situation is complicated a bit by Amazon's 'delightful' decision to use and stick to a proprietary format (.mobi), and I would guess that other device makers would need their permission to enable their readers to read the Kindle books, even with no DRM. I'm not sure where that would go. Amazon already allow their books to be read on other devices (virtually all of them), but that is happening in an app made by Amazon, which means that Amazon still have control over the whole thing and could remove the app, remove books, and whatnot.
"Control" is a central button, probably even more important than money in this whole thing. People and especially corporations, have deep, morbid fear of letting anything get out of their control.
---
I've just bought a Tor book (Halo Silentium) to try this. But it's not really obvious how to download the file so I can transfer it to my host of devices. On the Google Play Book store, the book opens in the web browser, there's no Download button that I can see.
Update: I found a button which claims to download an ePub file, but typically, though it's supposedly DRM free, it download a .acsm (Adobe Digital Editions) file, which is like a ticket permitting you to download the book. And like usual (I hate Adobe's update processes) ADE won't let me run it without updating it, and when I click update, for some reason it just starts my HTML editor app!! So I'm stuck there and I give up. (Maybe I can get it via my Kobo or Kindle and get it to the computer that way. But really, the computer should be the most direct and flexible option, shouldn't it?)
Tuesday, April 30, 2013
BlackBerry CEO Thinks Tablets Are Dead Within 5 Years
BlackBerry CEO Thinks Tablets Are Dead Within 5 Years, article.
“In five years," he said, "I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore. Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”
Holy wow. I agree with TMO's Bryan Chaffin:
I was literally rendered speechless (I have a witness) when I first read this stuff. I even wondered if Bloomberg was punking us, so incredibly stupid are these pronouncements.
To look at the success of the iPad and conclude that tablets will have run their course within five years is the single most myopic thing I have encountered from a corporate executive.
Maybe he is trying the trick of the old greek, who reasoned that it was better to be famous for something really stupid than to be forgotten, so he went and smashed things in a temple. I've forgotten his name.
“In five years," he said, "I don’t think there’ll be a reason to have a tablet anymore. Maybe a big screen in your workspace, but not a tablet as such. Tablets themselves are not a good business model.”
Holy wow. I agree with TMO's Bryan Chaffin:
I was literally rendered speechless (I have a witness) when I first read this stuff. I even wondered if Bloomberg was punking us, so incredibly stupid are these pronouncements.
To look at the success of the iPad and conclude that tablets will have run their course within five years is the single most myopic thing I have encountered from a corporate executive.
Maybe he is trying the trick of the old greek, who reasoned that it was better to be famous for something really stupid than to be forgotten, so he went and smashed things in a temple. I've forgotten his name.
Monday, April 22, 2013
Kobo Aura HD: better screen than Kindle Paperwhite (updated)
[Update late 2013: the latest update to the Kindle Paperwhite brings it pretty much in line with the Aura.]
Just got my Kobo Aura HD today, and I really like the screen.
It's nothing dramatic, it doesn't show in photographs all that well, but to my eyes the Aura's screen is clearly:
The last being perhaps the big event, since everybody oooh'd and aaah'd about how the Kindle Paperwhite's screen with front-light was more evenly lit than the Kobo Glo's.
(Note: I think though that the Kobo screen's blacks are not *quite* as black as those on the KPW.)
I love the fine-tuning of the text you can do on the Kobo, much finer than on the Kindle, and it even includes the weight of the font (how bold it is), steplessly!
I think I will make one of my custom strap handles for the back of the Aura, and use that as my go-to reader for long text.
I'd say, though, that the differences are not so big that it makes changing over a clear choice. But if you want a new B/W ereader anyway, it's possibly the best one right now as screens go.
I'd have to say though, that this device joins all E-ink ereaders in being a bit slow, compared to, say, and iPad. I'm not really sure why, it's not like they are asked to play a 3D game. They approve a bit year over year, but it still takes a second for them to respond to a button push, etc. I think they will feel much nicer to use when they get this fixed.
Also on the downside, it's a bit heavier than the KPW, for bed reading you feel it.
Just got my Kobo Aura HD today, and I really like the screen.
It's nothing dramatic, it doesn't show in photographs all that well, but to my eyes the Aura's screen is clearly:
- A step bigger
- A step brighter (adjustable)
- A step sharper
- A step more evenly lit
The last being perhaps the big event, since everybody oooh'd and aaah'd about how the Kindle Paperwhite's screen with front-light was more evenly lit than the Kobo Glo's.
(Note: I think though that the Kobo screen's blacks are not *quite* as black as those on the KPW.)
I love the fine-tuning of the text you can do on the Kobo, much finer than on the Kindle, and it even includes the weight of the font (how bold it is), steplessly!
I think I will make one of my custom strap handles for the back of the Aura, and use that as my go-to reader for long text.
I'd say, though, that the differences are not so big that it makes changing over a clear choice. But if you want a new B/W ereader anyway, it's possibly the best one right now as screens go.
Kindle Paperwhite on the left, Kobo Aura HD on the right.
I'd have to say though, that this device joins all E-ink ereaders in being a bit slow, compared to, say, and iPad. I'm not really sure why, it's not like they are asked to play a 3D game. They approve a bit year over year, but it still takes a second for them to respond to a button push, etc. I think they will feel much nicer to use when they get this fixed.
Also on the downside, it's a bit heavier than the KPW, for bed reading you feel it.
Saturday, April 20, 2013
eReader comparisons
Interesting ereader comparison site: ReaderRocket.com. Set up to give you the basic facts in a compact format.
Here for example is one of the more interesting comparisons, between the Kindle Paperwhite and the new Kobo Aura HD. (Scroll down, the site is set up really well for easy overview.) Though at this date, 20.4.2013, it's limited because the AHD has only just been announced. But in many countries Kobo is bigger than Kindle, they have a very big selection (basically only missing what's published by Amazon themselves), and they are clearly going for good hardware here.
I also like that they both have a reader which is smaller than the Kindle, and now one which is larger. Because while the Kindle's 6-inch screen is good if you have to choose only one size, I think a 5-inch reader is much more portable, and a 7- or 8-inch one is much more flexible (re material) and readable, for home use and for graphical books. (Both ideally should be high-resolution.)
By the way, isn't it incredible how fast we get used to lower prices? The early, primitive Kindles used to cost $400, and not many complained. Now the bigger and superior Kobe Aura HD costs about $180, and people are calling it a "hefty" price tag, just because it's about $50 more than the aggressively priced Kindle Paperwhite (which is a bit scraped, it won't even play audio).
Here for example is one of the more interesting comparisons, between the Kindle Paperwhite and the new Kobo Aura HD. (Scroll down, the site is set up really well for easy overview.) Though at this date, 20.4.2013, it's limited because the AHD has only just been announced. But in many countries Kobo is bigger than Kindle, they have a very big selection (basically only missing what's published by Amazon themselves), and they are clearly going for good hardware here.
I also like that they both have a reader which is smaller than the Kindle, and now one which is larger. Because while the Kindle's 6-inch screen is good if you have to choose only one size, I think a 5-inch reader is much more portable, and a 7- or 8-inch one is much more flexible (re material) and readable, for home use and for graphical books. (Both ideally should be high-resolution.)
By the way, isn't it incredible how fast we get used to lower prices? The early, primitive Kindles used to cost $400, and not many complained. Now the bigger and superior Kobe Aura HD costs about $180, and people are calling it a "hefty" price tag, just because it's about $50 more than the aggressively priced Kindle Paperwhite (which is a bit scraped, it won't even play audio).
Thursday, April 18, 2013
Len's Waterfield Designs Indy bag
As a thanks for his nice work on The Kindle Chronicles over the years (it's the only podcast I know worth listening to more than once per episode), I gave Len Edgerly a Waterfield Designs new Indy bag.
He got it today, says it's very handsome, and: "I just took mine on its maiden trip outside home, to a coffee shop. It carried my iPad 3 and Kindle Fire HD 7" in great style!"
I got my own today also.
It's the smaller size (Len's is standard-sized, to hold a full-sized tablet), and in black leather instead of the distressed fuzzy brown leather of Len's. Both kinds really feel good in the hand.
It's a really nice, slim and light bag, designed to hold only a tablet (in my case, max a 8-inch model) and a couple of other slim items.
But even the small sized one can hold surprisingly much, of smaller items. For instance, mine could hold an iPad Mini in a slim case, a pocket-camera, a compact tablet stand, a paperback book, a phone, a small wallet, a pack of tissues, and a charger with cable!
He got it today, says it's very handsome, and: "I just took mine on its maiden trip outside home, to a coffee shop. It carried my iPad 3 and Kindle Fire HD 7" in great style!"
 |
| Len Edgerly with his new Kindle-home. Photo: Darlene |
It's the smaller size (Len's is standard-sized, to hold a full-sized tablet), and in black leather instead of the distressed fuzzy brown leather of Len's. Both kinds really feel good in the hand.
It's a really nice, slim and light bag, designed to hold only a tablet (in my case, max a 8-inch model) and a couple of other slim items.
But even the small sized one can hold surprisingly much, of smaller items. For instance, mine could hold an iPad Mini in a slim case, a pocket-camera, a compact tablet stand, a paperback book, a phone, a small wallet, a pack of tissues, and a charger with cable!
Tuesday, April 16, 2013
New large ereader from Kobo
Kobo is introducing the Kobo Aura HD reader. It's about 20% larger than a Kindle, and also has about 20% higher screen resolution, a nice 265 PPI. (Though as I said about the Kindle, it may not mean as much on an e-ink display, certainly they don't look as sharp as an LED display with the same number.)It has front light like the last flagship BW model, which makes it potentially interesting to me, like I have said, I like the Kobo, the rubbery case makes it nice looking and easier to hold, for example, and the interface is pleasant, more nice graphics and such.
Click on this. I does look really nice, especially if they haven't exaggerated the contrast in the computer after! If it really looks like this, it might be one for me.
===
The article also informs:
The value of the UK's physical books market fell by nearly 5% over the course of 2012 in value terms, according to market researchers at Nielsen Bookscan.
By contrast they said that the country's ebook market swelled by about 100% over the same period accounting for about £150m of sales.
150 million Pounds Sterling (200M USD circa), that's no spare change! UK is a bit behind the US in the ebook evolution, I think mostly due to Amazon starting in the US, but it's catching up fast now. Most other countries have the barrier of all their own books in their own language having to be converted to ebooks, but in time that'll happen as a matter of course.
Saturday, April 13, 2013
Handmade ereader cases
I like the ETSY only shop, because you can find so many wonderful small-edition, hand-made things, like ereader and tablet cases.
See for example these iPad Mini cases from Iris and Lily, which are made like traditional hard-cover book cases.
(Of course they also make cases for Kindles and so on too.)
See for example these iPad Mini cases from Iris and Lily, which are made like traditional hard-cover book cases.
(Of course they also make cases for Kindles and so on too.)
Friday, April 12, 2013
Yet more phablet sizes
Believe it or not, Samsung continues to churn out tablets and phablets in yet more odd sizes. The newest is the new "Mega" series, with a 5.8" model and a 6.3" model.
One has to wonder what the strategy is. Do they figure that somewhere is a magical size that nobody has discovered yet, and when they hit it, it'll take over the market?
Lookkit how puny the iPhone 5 looks compared to other new devices:
The second really pretty phone has arrived
The HTC One Deserves Its Place in the Spotlight, article by Pogue.
It’s an Android phone — the most beautiful one you’ve ever seen. Seriously. It makes you feel happy and calm just holding this thing in your hands. There’s a picture of the HTC One next to “gorgeous” in the dictionary.
I'd really like one. Except I don't really *need* it, and phones are so much more expensive than tablets. (Why?) This seems to be over 800 dollars unlocked, some places selling it for over $1,100! That's insanity. There's apparently a mania to own the newest hottest phone, which does not exist amongst tablets in the same way. Weird.
Also, they have removed the Menu button. Why??? Android doesn't work without a menu button, 3/4ths of apps depend on it.
But it really does seem to look very nice, I'd like to have it. (I wanted to have the iPhone 5 for that reason too, but then we heard all that stuff about how it gets scratched if you think about putting it down.)
BTW, this is another one of those with 470 pixels per inch. If you thought the camera megapixel race got out of hand... Which human eye can take advantage of nearly 500 PPI?
It’s an Android phone — the most beautiful one you’ve ever seen. Seriously. It makes you feel happy and calm just holding this thing in your hands. There’s a picture of the HTC One next to “gorgeous” in the dictionary.
I'd really like one. Except I don't really *need* it, and phones are so much more expensive than tablets. (Why?) This seems to be over 800 dollars unlocked, some places selling it for over $1,100! That's insanity. There's apparently a mania to own the newest hottest phone, which does not exist amongst tablets in the same way. Weird.
Also, they have removed the Menu button. Why??? Android doesn't work without a menu button, 3/4ths of apps depend on it.
But it really does seem to look very nice, I'd like to have it. (I wanted to have the iPhone 5 for that reason too, but then we heard all that stuff about how it gets scratched if you think about putting it down.)
BTW, this is another one of those with 470 pixels per inch. If you thought the camera megapixel race got out of hand... Which human eye can take advantage of nearly 500 PPI?
Windows 8 in free-fall
It seems, like I have been predicting since we first heard about it, that Windows 8 is a disaster area. MS is forcing something on their customers that nobody asked for and very few want, and even fewer can figure out. (The traditional interface combined with a Touch interface.)
I asked a friend of mine who is my go-to Windows expert (thanks Benny), he said:
I got a new computer with Win8 pre-installed, and had pretty big problems finding my way around.
It was indescribably bad.
There wasn't even any option to choose either the old or the new interface.
It was complex just to shut the computer down.
I could go on and on.
It was even a brand new HP computer, especially optimized for Windows 8. And it took me over a week to figure out how to turn off the durn thing and install Win7.
I was very angry, and my little son was sad, because it was his computer.
Another friend has told me that there isn't even a web browser which is really usable with only the touch-interface. How much more basic a flaw could you dream up? They've been working on this for over 3 years, and even the web browser does not yet work properly?
You may have heard the new reports that PC sales have taken the biggest dip in history, and there's general agreement that tablets and Windows 8 share the blame.
I suspect this is one of those times where such a disaster can only happen in company which is so big that the brass is totally out of touch with users, and everybody else are too afraid to stand up and say that something won't work.
I asked a friend of mine who is my go-to Windows expert (thanks Benny), he said:
I got a new computer with Win8 pre-installed, and had pretty big problems finding my way around.
It was indescribably bad.
There wasn't even any option to choose either the old or the new interface.
It was complex just to shut the computer down.
I could go on and on.
It was even a brand new HP computer, especially optimized for Windows 8. And it took me over a week to figure out how to turn off the durn thing and install Win7.
I was very angry, and my little son was sad, because it was his computer.
Another friend has told me that there isn't even a web browser which is really usable with only the touch-interface. How much more basic a flaw could you dream up? They've been working on this for over 3 years, and even the web browser does not yet work properly?
You may have heard the new reports that PC sales have taken the biggest dip in history, and there's general agreement that tablets and Windows 8 share the blame.
I suspect this is one of those times where such a disaster can only happen in company which is so big that the brass is totally out of touch with users, and everybody else are too afraid to stand up and say that something won't work.
Wednesday, April 10, 2013
Whose arm hurts? Arms up!
The Windows XP alternatives gallery, in this article is written:
The iPad and the Android tablets: Attractive, but painful
-- this may not look a thing like XP, but Apple's iOS interface certainly looks inviting enough. Alas, the problem both with it and its Android counterparts is that it's a real pain in the... arm. And no, that wasn't a joke. It and any other tablet interface will eventually make your arm ache, so we can skip it for serious office work.
What bollox!
Sure, tablets are - as yet - quite limited for office work, but this is due to software limitations (and screen sizes perhaps), not the touch-interface.
What Mr. Vaughan-Nichols gets confused here is touch interface on a tablet, which you hold in your hand or at least have close to your body, with touch interface on a desktop computer (not even a laptop), which you have to stretch your arm out to use. The latter quickly results in a lot of arm strain, but I have yet to hear of anybody having problems with the former.
This is so poor reporting that I wonder if Mr. Vaughan-Nichols has even used tablets for more than 20 minutes? And also, are ZDNet articles edited by editors?
The iPad and the Android tablets: Attractive, but painful
-- this may not look a thing like XP, but Apple's iOS interface certainly looks inviting enough. Alas, the problem both with it and its Android counterparts is that it's a real pain in the... arm. And no, that wasn't a joke. It and any other tablet interface will eventually make your arm ache, so we can skip it for serious office work.
What bollox!
Sure, tablets are - as yet - quite limited for office work, but this is due to software limitations (and screen sizes perhaps), not the touch-interface.
What Mr. Vaughan-Nichols gets confused here is touch interface on a tablet, which you hold in your hand or at least have close to your body, with touch interface on a desktop computer (not even a laptop), which you have to stretch your arm out to use. The latter quickly results in a lot of arm strain, but I have yet to hear of anybody having problems with the former.
This is so poor reporting that I wonder if Mr. Vaughan-Nichols has even used tablets for more than 20 minutes? And also, are ZDNet articles edited by editors?
Friday, April 5, 2013
Waterfield "Indy" bag
Update: Because of the leather and being handmade in the US, prices can't be rock-bottom of course. But the Waterfield bag I use the most because of light weight, is also very reasonably priced: the VertiGo. (All their bags come in different sizes too.)I've just ordered a Waterfield Designs "Indy" bag, in small size (for a medium sized tablet (7-8 inch) and a few bits and bobs), and in black. (I like the brown distressed suede-like leather a lot, but brown doesn't go with anything I have, unless it's very dark.)
I like that it's simple and minimal like an extra big pocket.
The thing is, a tablet is usually too large for a pocket, but with normal bags, you add a lot of bulk and weight! So the Indy is an answer to that.
Waterfield Design's products are quality, they have the best look-and-feel I have encountered in bags, and yet they are not over-priced. I’m addicted to these products, they are some of those very rare products which give me that feeling of “substance” which I have been complaining of lately is mostly missing in the world. You know? A feeling of quality and thought, even Awareness. There's a there, there.
(I think the "New iPad" he mentions is not the first one, but the iPad 3. I thought at first that the video and bag was three years old, but it's just one. See, another example of how not naming products creates confusion, Apple.)
I wonder if it's not really named after Indiana Jones though? By the way, on other sites I've seen comments like: "Man purse!!" Oh yeah, Indiana Jones is too gay for ya? Who's your hero, Megatron?
I feel sorry for anybody *that* insecure in their masculinity that they fear anybody thinking "man purse". Because this is a *very* practical thing. A *tie* is *only* decorative, and yet men can wear that. Be your own person.
(Lotsa photos in this review.)
Wednesday, April 3, 2013
Light-weight laptop case
Aurora is a new, light-weight case/bag for laptops. It's only 400 grams for the 14-inch model and 340 grams for the 13-inch models.They are made of felt, leather, and polyethylene panels for strength.
I think it's very cool to have a response to the gains we've had in the lightness of laptops, it's time bags followed suit.
There is currently a Kickstarter campaign to get them started.
Aurora by Olson
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