The Official eBook & eReader Thread
#676
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
The battery life with lighting on is listed at 8 weeks which I find misleading. Kindle is listed 8 weeks at 30 minutes reading per day, why compare to tablets having 10 hour battery. Then tablets should be 3 weeks at 30 minutes per day to compare apples to apples, or 28 hours Kindle vs 10 hour tablet. Just a pet peeve.
#678
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Dumb question for those who have the current Kindle Touch... when you put the device to sleep, what image does it show on the screen? I know someone with the older Kindle keyboard and it randomly shows ugly pictures of classic authors - and she finds most of the images creepy.
The Kobo Touch shows the cover of the book when in sleep mode - which makes sense as putting it to sleep is like closing the book where you'd see the cover. What does the Kindle Touch do? Same creepy pictures or the book covers?
The Kobo Touch shows the cover of the book when in sleep mode - which makes sense as putting it to sleep is like closing the book where you'd see the cover. What does the Kindle Touch do? Same creepy pictures or the book covers?
#679
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Well, I have the Kindle Touch with special offers, so it usually shows a full size version of the banner ad when it goes to sleep. Like this:
Is Bradley Cooper creepy? I tried it a couple of times just now and it showed ads for Bob Dylan's new album and AT&T. I pretty much always shut my Kindle off rather than put it to sleep.
The way Kobo Touch does it sounds really cool and does make sense. I wish the Kindle would do it that way, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
Is Bradley Cooper creepy? I tried it a couple of times just now and it showed ads for Bob Dylan's new album and AT&T. I pretty much always shut my Kindle off rather than put it to sleep.
The way Kobo Touch does it sounds really cool and does make sense. I wish the Kindle would do it that way, but it's not a deal breaker for me.
#680
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Oh, right... I forgot about the ad thing. I'm assuming they have a non-ad version? If so, what does it show?
Yeah, it's not a deal breaker - who's going to stare at a cover afterall? It's just a nice little touch.
Looks like the new Kindle won't be available in Canada any time soon. Total suckfest.
Yeah, it's not a deal breaker - who's going to stare at a cover afterall? It's just a nice little touch.
Looks like the new Kindle won't be available in Canada any time soon. Total suckfest.
#681
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
The non-ad version has a bank of about 15 random pictures....some pics of old authors, some random art pictures, etc. They rotate through each time you lock the screen.
I personally don't see any reason not to get the ad version...the ads are totally unobtrusive. How often do you spend looking at the lock screen or home screen anyway?
I personally don't see any reason not to get the ad version...the ads are totally unobtrusive. How often do you spend looking at the lock screen or home screen anyway?
#682
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
I can't imagine why anyone would not want the ad version. I've purchased several good offers, though nothing lately.
#684
DVD Talk Gold Edition
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
B&N strikes back announcing Nook HD and HD+. $199 7", $269 9"
http://gizmodo.com/5946376/nook-hd-h...display-enough
http://gizmodo.com/5946376/nook-hd-h...display-enough
#686
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
In case anyone is looking for a new e-reader, Kobo is releasing the Aura HD which leaps past their competitors with a 6.8" screen size, a resolution of 1440 x 1080 and dpi of 265. The front-lighting is also much better than the previous Kobo and the Kindle Paper White according to reviews.
http://www.kobo.com/koboaurahd
http://www.kobo.com/koboaurahd
#687
Banned by request
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Of course, the obvious issue with a non-Kindle e-reader is that you don't get access to the Kindle store and any Kindle books you may have purchased.
#688
Banned by request
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Engadget reviewed the Aura HD: http://www.engadget.com/2013/04/23/kobo-aura-hd-review/
When Kobo first unveiled the Aura HD, it felt as though the company was shooting itself in the foot by announcing it as a limited edition, niche product. After playing around with the device, it's easy to see how the company came to that decision. While the product really does offer up some best-in-class features, including a 1,440 x 1,080, 6.8-inch display and 4GB of storage (expandable by up to 32GB), such things may be outweighed by the reader's size and $169 price tag for most casual readers. And if you're already tied into the Kindle or Nook ecosystems, it's an even more difficult sell.
If you're a Kobo owner looking to upgrade -- or someone who hasn't made the jump to e-books -- and you find yourself with your nose in a book every chance you get, the specs offer a compelling proposition, even if Kobo's still got a ways to go on the software front. If you can manage to squeeze a few more months out of your reader, however, it's not hard to imagine Amazon and Barnes & Noble getting their hands on E Ink's latest high-res display, which would make the Aura HD much less novel indeed.
If you're a Kobo owner looking to upgrade -- or someone who hasn't made the jump to e-books -- and you find yourself with your nose in a book every chance you get, the specs offer a compelling proposition, even if Kobo's still got a ways to go on the software front. If you can manage to squeeze a few more months out of your reader, however, it's not hard to imagine Amazon and Barnes & Noble getting their hands on E Ink's latest high-res display, which would make the Aura HD much less novel indeed.
#689
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Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
I know Kobo wasn't produced by Borders like the Nook and Kindle are by B&N and Amazon, but I still tend to associate them so closely that it surprises me to hear that Kobo is still in business. Good for them, but it's a real uphill battle.
#690
Banned by request
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
The problem with Kobo is that they're not tapping into an ecosystem. If you have a Kindle, you want to stay with Kindle because your books won't transfer off. Same with the Nook. And Kobo isn't offering anything so drastically different from Amazon or B&N that you feel compelled to switch.
#691
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Got my wife the kindle paperwhite with case (not the expensive leather one) and USB AC adapter after she gave me a listof of 15 books she was wanting. She's not into "tech gadgets" but she is liking the Kindle. Didn't take no time to register and download two books. It's bright but not glaring bright. She just got it last week so cannot say much more.
On a side not I did post the question on Amazon about which to get if the most use was reading...Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Fire. Overall it was the Paperwhite hands down.
On a side not I did post the question on Amazon about which to get if the most use was reading...Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Fire. Overall it was the Paperwhite hands down.
#692
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
The problem with Kobo is that they're not tapping into an ecosystem. If you have a Kindle, you want to stay with Kindle because your books won't transfer off. Same with the Nook. And Kobo isn't offering anything so drastically different from Amazon or B&N that you feel compelled to switch.
#693
Banned by request
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Simpler than just continuing to use the Kindle I already own? Doubtful. It would be one thing if Kobo had a best in class reader in terms of hardware and software, but from what I've read, the UI is not particularly intuitive. I'm happy to see a company that handles all the different types of ebook files, and it's cool to see a high end reader, but if you want me to spend close to $200 after tax, you better make sure that your product is an upgrade from what I'm already using.
When the next generation of readers come out I'll give Kobo another look.
When the next generation of readers come out I'll give Kobo another look.
#694
DVD Talk Legend
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Picked up the Kobo Aura HD yesterday and have been using it the past 24 hours. By far the best e-reader on the market. The screen is great - both in size and detail/resolution. I'm able to fit more words/lines on a page without needing to make the font size very small - it makes the layout feel a lot closer to the page layout of an actual book. The "glo" light also looks great and the interface is very responsive.
The only downside is the device is smooth and doesn't have the more grippy feel of the previous Kobo's. It's not falling out of my hands, but it is making me a little paranoid. I'll get used to it I'm sure.
The only downside is the device is smooth and doesn't have the more grippy feel of the previous Kobo's. It's not falling out of my hands, but it is making me a little paranoid. I'll get used to it I'm sure.
#695
DVD Talk Hall of Fame
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
B&N is going to start farming out the manufacture of its Nook color tablets:
http://dealbook.nytimes.com/2013/06/...versions/?_r=0
Losing Ground on Nook, Barnes & Noble Ceases Its Manufacture of Color Versions
By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
Barnes & Noble conceded on Tuesday that it cannot compete head-to-head with the iPad and the Kindle Fire.
Reporting a big loss at its Nook e-reader division that dragged down the company’s fourth-quarter results, Barnes & Noble said that it would no longer make its own color tablets. Instead, it will work with third parties, which will make the devices in exchange for co-branding opportunities.
The announcement is essentially Barnes & Noble’s white flag, signaling that it cannot compete in a market dominated by Apple, Amazon.com and Samsung. It will still make and sell the black-and-white versions of the Nook, which generate the majority of the company’s digital book sales.
The company plans to discount its remaining Nook tablets through the holidays.
“Our aim is to sell great tablets connected to our best content catalog and high-quality bookstore services we’ve done, but do so without the sizable upfront risk,” William J. Lynch Jr., Barnes & Noble’s chief executive, said on a call with analysts.
The development raises questions about what lies ahead for the embattled bookseller, which remains under pressure from better-financed digital rivals like Amazon. The company’s loss of $2.11 a share exceeded the average analyst estimate of 99 cents, according to data from Capital IQ. Revenue decreased 7.4 percent, to $1.28 billion, while the net loss was $118.6 million.
Company executives were silent about talks with Leonard S. Riggio, Barnes & Noble’s chairman, who has sought to buy the chain’s 675 stores. Nor did they discuss the state of talks with Microsoft, an investor in the Nook business that had shown interest in buying the division’s digital assets.
Talks about possible transactions were still continuing, according to a person briefed on the matter, though it was unclear if or when a deal would be reached. Barnes & Noble has indicated that it will not part with its core retail stores for anything less than $1 billion.
Though the company’s latest results gave investors heartburn — shares in Barnes & Noble tumbled 17 percent Tuesday, to $15.61 — stopping some of the red ink in the Nook unit may help stabilize the business and make it more attractive to potential suitors.
And the company can still point to its inventory of digital books as its single most valuable asset, which may draw possible buyers.
But the outsourcing of the device manufacturing reflects the difficulties for Barnes & Noble in refashioning itself more in the Apple mold.
Introduced in 2009, the Nook was meant to help usher the company into the Internet media age, allowing it to compete head-to-head with Amazon in both devices and digital books.
The next year, Barnes & Noble took the even riskier step of introducing a color tablet, the Nook Color, that was aimed more at competing with the iPad. The company introduced ever more sophisticated models, including a 9-inch high-definition tablet.
Such was the promise of the Nook that it drew in both Microsoft and the British publisher Pearson, which together bought 23 percent of the business and valued it at about $1.8 billion. And several Nook tablets have won higher praise from reviewers than their Kindle rivals.
That has not translated into sales, and the division meant to revive Barnes & Noble has instead weighed down the rest of the company. In the fiscal fourth quarter, the Nook unit lost $177 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, more than doubling the loss from the period a year earlier. Sales fell 34 percent, to $108 million.
The company has also had to grapple with the high costs of manufacturing its own devices. Unsold tablets accounted for a $133 million write-down in the fourth quarter and $222 million for the entire 2013 fiscal year.
Mr. Lynch outlined some of the expenses involved in supporting its tablet business to analysts. Not only was the company responsible for the hardware, it also invested in developing the software and in marketing the devices.
Barnes & Noble’s physical bookstores have not fared much better. Fourth-quarter Ebitda at the company’s retail arm fell 24 percent, to $51 million, while revenue declined 10 percent, to $948 million.
One sign of the company’s troubles: the fourth quarter suffered in comparison to the year-ago period, which reaped huge benefits from sales of “The Hunger Games” and the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogies.
Mr. Lynch told analysts that while the company opened two retail stores last year, it closed 18. Barnes & Noble will open five locations this year, but will close 15 to 20 existing ones.
One brighter spot for Barnes & Noble was its college bookstore business, which had $3.8 million in Ebitda for the quarter on $252 million in revenue.
By MICHAEL J. DE LA MERCED
Barnes & Noble conceded on Tuesday that it cannot compete head-to-head with the iPad and the Kindle Fire.
Reporting a big loss at its Nook e-reader division that dragged down the company’s fourth-quarter results, Barnes & Noble said that it would no longer make its own color tablets. Instead, it will work with third parties, which will make the devices in exchange for co-branding opportunities.
The announcement is essentially Barnes & Noble’s white flag, signaling that it cannot compete in a market dominated by Apple, Amazon.com and Samsung. It will still make and sell the black-and-white versions of the Nook, which generate the majority of the company’s digital book sales.
The company plans to discount its remaining Nook tablets through the holidays.
“Our aim is to sell great tablets connected to our best content catalog and high-quality bookstore services we’ve done, but do so without the sizable upfront risk,” William J. Lynch Jr., Barnes & Noble’s chief executive, said on a call with analysts.
The development raises questions about what lies ahead for the embattled bookseller, which remains under pressure from better-financed digital rivals like Amazon. The company’s loss of $2.11 a share exceeded the average analyst estimate of 99 cents, according to data from Capital IQ. Revenue decreased 7.4 percent, to $1.28 billion, while the net loss was $118.6 million.
Company executives were silent about talks with Leonard S. Riggio, Barnes & Noble’s chairman, who has sought to buy the chain’s 675 stores. Nor did they discuss the state of talks with Microsoft, an investor in the Nook business that had shown interest in buying the division’s digital assets.
Talks about possible transactions were still continuing, according to a person briefed on the matter, though it was unclear if or when a deal would be reached. Barnes & Noble has indicated that it will not part with its core retail stores for anything less than $1 billion.
Though the company’s latest results gave investors heartburn — shares in Barnes & Noble tumbled 17 percent Tuesday, to $15.61 — stopping some of the red ink in the Nook unit may help stabilize the business and make it more attractive to potential suitors.
And the company can still point to its inventory of digital books as its single most valuable asset, which may draw possible buyers.
But the outsourcing of the device manufacturing reflects the difficulties for Barnes & Noble in refashioning itself more in the Apple mold.
Introduced in 2009, the Nook was meant to help usher the company into the Internet media age, allowing it to compete head-to-head with Amazon in both devices and digital books.
The next year, Barnes & Noble took the even riskier step of introducing a color tablet, the Nook Color, that was aimed more at competing with the iPad. The company introduced ever more sophisticated models, including a 9-inch high-definition tablet.
Such was the promise of the Nook that it drew in both Microsoft and the British publisher Pearson, which together bought 23 percent of the business and valued it at about $1.8 billion. And several Nook tablets have won higher praise from reviewers than their Kindle rivals.
That has not translated into sales, and the division meant to revive Barnes & Noble has instead weighed down the rest of the company. In the fiscal fourth quarter, the Nook unit lost $177 million before interest, taxes, depreciation and amortization, or Ebitda, more than doubling the loss from the period a year earlier. Sales fell 34 percent, to $108 million.
The company has also had to grapple with the high costs of manufacturing its own devices. Unsold tablets accounted for a $133 million write-down in the fourth quarter and $222 million for the entire 2013 fiscal year.
Mr. Lynch outlined some of the expenses involved in supporting its tablet business to analysts. Not only was the company responsible for the hardware, it also invested in developing the software and in marketing the devices.
Barnes & Noble’s physical bookstores have not fared much better. Fourth-quarter Ebitda at the company’s retail arm fell 24 percent, to $51 million, while revenue declined 10 percent, to $948 million.
One sign of the company’s troubles: the fourth quarter suffered in comparison to the year-ago period, which reaped huge benefits from sales of “The Hunger Games” and the “Fifty Shades of Grey” trilogies.
Mr. Lynch told analysts that while the company opened two retail stores last year, it closed 18. Barnes & Noble will open five locations this year, but will close 15 to 20 existing ones.
One brighter spot for Barnes & Noble was its college bookstore business, which had $3.8 million in Ebitda for the quarter on $252 million in revenue.
#696
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Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Not good for B&N. This article said that turning on Google Play cost them content sales from people buying books there instead of B&N, which is the main purpose of selling a low-profit device.
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-575...battle-amazon/
http://news.cnet.com/8301-1023_3-575...battle-amazon/
#697
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Got my wife the kindle paperwhite with case (not the expensive leather one) and USB AC adapter after she gave me a listof of 15 books she was wanting. She's not into "tech gadgets" but she is liking the Kindle. Didn't take no time to register and download two books. It's bright but not glaring bright. She just got it last week so cannot say much more.
On a side not I did post the question on Amazon about which to get if the most use was reading...Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Fire. Overall it was the Paperwhite hands down.
On a side not I did post the question on Amazon about which to get if the most use was reading...Kindle Paperwhite or the Kindle Fire. Overall it was the Paperwhite hands down.
I agree the Paperwhite wins for battery life and readability outdoors. The Fire can download an app to read EPUB books, as well as built-in reader for Kindle format.
#698
DVD Talk Legend
#699
DVD Talk Legend
#700
Banned by request
Re: The Official eBook & eReader Thread
Now that Kobo has reduced the Aura to a more reasonable size and price, I'm considering making the switch, since I use Calibre for everything anyway.