Fer the geeks

[nadinbrzezinski]

well, I cannot justify the cost of an IPAD... no way, no how...

I have said before the price point is a tad crazy and well too rich for my blood. I also have said that doing research found plenty of clones in Zhenzuan, for oh 150 a pop... or less a few times. Of course you had to buy online and hope they worked and caveat emptor.

The Pandigital Novel is out, and it looks sweet, hell I have considered it myself. BUT... there are others coming to market. Borders has one coming out soon, and a few others. (Q-4, the Borders ones by October to be exact, I could even get one for my birthday) Hell the Augen (A Zhensuan special) made it to these shores for a little while through KMART. Oh and that one required a tad of a geek touch.

Now once these things hit the market, with full app store access, I can see a little more of a challenge for the IPAD.

I need access to the marketplace, so I can install on that a word processor (docs to go), and of course Kindle and Barnes and Noble. Oh and yes I could jail break... but don't feel like doing that much work quite frankly.

But yes, it is coming and in this economy I am actually amazed the Pads are doing as well as they are, quite brutally honest. So if you are like me, cannot justify 500 base cost on a Pad... well they are coming.

[alfredo]

1. Rumors are flying about a 7" iPad. That might be just

right for a walk around iPad for me. My wife is so happy with her iPad.


BTW, using Google talk and I love it.

[nadinbrzezinski]

2. Given how many seven inchers are out there

and... the supply problems in Zeshuan... I think there is so meat to the rumors.

Again it is price point for me. Way, and I mean this WAAAAYYYYY too rich for my blood for what it is.

The MOST expensive android right now, at 32 gigs is 200 taxes included.

[alfredo]

7. Have they worked out the Flash problems? I worried that

the lack of flash on the iPad would be a problem, but I don't really miss it.

I'm looking at the new WiFi Kindle, but as it is, I can read much better on the iPad than with books. The ability to increase font size and screen brightness has made reading much easier. I'm part way through my fourth book since buying the iPad. I'd read more, but I have to share it with my SO. Not sure if the Kindle will be as easy on the eyes.

[nadinbrzezinski]

9. E-paper is supposed to be easy on the eyes

(I get a headache with my sony, go figure)

As to flash... Droid does flash. It is the OS, quite frankly.

[alfredo]

11. I read there were problems with Flash on the Droid.

I wasn't impressed with the Sony reader. All the ones at best buy were broken.

[nadinbrzezinski]

13. I liked mine when I bought it

I do use it, but it still gives me a head ache.

Oh and the Pandigital, think about it this way... if and when I get the 20% discount from Bed Bath and Beyond, that will be less than 150 before taxes, about 160 after taxes.

Now if it performs decently that is a tablet for 160... as I said, my problem with the Pad IS the damn price point. I cannot justify it, I simply can't. Hell, at Base I could snag one for 489... no taxes... it is base. I still cannot justify it.

[alfredo]

15. I could afford it because I had a windfall. I was going to buy a Kindle, but

As I was going out the door my wife said "buy the iPad." I turned around and ordered one online from the Apple site. I'm glad I did because my wife hates using a mouse, and found the touch screen much to her liking. Now I don't have to do her research for her. She can do it herself. It was worth it for me to spend the extra cash for a computer she actually uses.

[nadinbrzezinski]

16. Well then you bought it to fit some needs

that is what matters.

Here we really don't... my nettie works fine. Hubby is now using my macbook for homework... and still he has his gaming rig.

My nettie does all I need it to do. I may even see about my documents on the nettie... thanks for the idea. I should do that actually.

[alfredo]

17. I have weakness in my arms due to arthritis, so the iPad is perfect.

[JuniperLea]

3. I like books

Shoot... I didn't even get a cell phone until the late 90's... and I only got a BlackBerry a couple of years ago, and only because the company provided the device and the service (I'm very accessible now... the plan succeeded).

I have always liked books. I spent a few hours in a used bookstore just yesterday... I'd go broke if I bought all new all the time.

All the kiddies know that Auntie June buys books for gifts (it's paid off).

Maybe in 10 years or so...

Edited for spelling... jeez... always double check spell check!

[nadinbrzezinski]

4. I love books

but a few of those documents that you can get on IPAD... I mean historic documents, will benefit from zoon and PDF, and color.

And of course the number of books I am going through these days... I will be buried under them.

[JuniperLea]

5. That's another reason I go to the used book store...

They buy back books... or give store credit, which is the route I go.

If you can get the historic docs on a pad, why not on the PC?

:shrug:

I'd print them out... in color... I know... it's a sickness!

:rofl:

[nadinbrzezinski]

6. Portability when traveling

:-)

And yes I got the transcripts, but I want to go through the damn things myself, make sure the transcription is right.

Oh and some of the crap I've gotten on Google, hard to find even at the used book store.

:hi:

Oh and the SAVINGS in a few very specialized in print crap... was just oh 40 bucks or more.

Oh and I use my IPOD to read, and the puter to write...

[alfredo]

8. I love books, my house is loaded down with books, but my

aging eyes demand bright light and large fonts. Five minutes of the printed page is about all I can handle at a time, but on the iPad I can read up to a half hour to an hour at a time.

[JuniperLea]

10. Well, there's a good thing!

I'm thinking of getting one of those page magnefiers like my great-granny had. I'm wearing my first pair of bifocals... ugh... I guess at age 53, I should consider myself lucky that I'm just now in that group!

[alfredo]

12. We have one, but for me it is a hassle.

[The Straight Story]

14. I have 500 ebooks and hope to get a kindle/nook soon for them

Love physical books, but I can carry these with me anywhere. One place I get many from:

http://manybooks.net/

And with an app like CutePDF on my computer I can turn anything (web site, doc, etc) into a pdf easily and for free and take it with me (which comes in handy when I want to carry notes and directions from place to place). I got a ton of over time last week and this week and will finally be able to get me an eReader (and am already compiling notes and info for a new job I might be getting next week, interview went well today and the director wants me in next Wednesday for final interview - woohoo).

Also good for storing directions and listening to mp3's and books on tape/mp3.

[DainBramaged]

20. ALL of my best wishes for you

but you knew that!


:hug:


Hope your sons are well!

[Dappleganger]

22. I have a NOOK

and 1200 ebooks now (thanks to generous friends). Yesterday I figured out how to save our health insurance drug list to a pdf, convert it to .epub format than sideload it onto the ereader. When I went to the doctor today we used it to search several meds she wanted to try using the search function, and it worked like a charm!

Also, I do wear bifocals but during PT prefer to take them off and the NOOK makes it easier for me to read at the end of the session (when they put me in a corner on ice and e-stim).

Good luck with your interview next week, btw!

[alfredo]

18. Skyfire 2.1 for Android gets full Flash 10.1 support

http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/06/23/skyfire.v21.browser.now.out.for.android.devices/

Skyfire on Wednesday announced an update to its Skyfire mobile web browser for Android devices that brings with it full Flash 10.1 support. The browser is said to be faster and more energy efficient as well as provide better video quality than native Flash 10.1. Since the launch of Skyfire v2.0 beta at the end of April, more than 500,000 Android users have downloaded the browser.

Skyfire automatically scans for Flash-based video and, if found, automatically converts it to HTML5 in the cloud and optimizes it for mobile devices. This is said to result in smoother play, faster load times and a 30 percent reduction in battery life consumption compared to native Flash 10.1.

Adobe deployed Flash 10.1 on Android 2.2, but users are said to be suffering from slow and choppy video delivery and excessive battery draw.



Read more: http://www.electronista.com/articles/10/06/23/skyfire.v21.browser.now.out.for.android.devices/#ixzz0yKfQ078Q

[DainBramaged]

19. When you can get a two year old Apple MacBook off lease

for around $500 with a full warranty, why would you buy an IPad? (PS, I bought my Sweetie a MAc Mini because she thought it would be superior to her PC (full tilt Intel i7 gaming system). She likes the PC better and our Mac Mini may wind up on Ebay.

[nadinbrzezinski]

21. All gear has it's uses

and November we will see the first actual Droid tablets come out.

Ok the Pandigital novel already is... and I might still get one of those... I am not sure.

I probably will wait until Borders releases the two tablets, and see which one does what I want to do. I will be able to play with them at Borders.

http://www.borders.com/online/store/MediaView_ereaders

The Velocity Micro just look damn sweet... and if I can add all my damn readers...

That said hubby actually was saying today that he might want an IPAD... there are a few things that he could do with it for college. So yes, in that sense, we will have to share.

Oh and I saw a 64 used at Amazon for 400... I ALMOST jumped on it.

[Dappleganger]

23. Didn't see what format the books are in.

Did you? It says it supports a 4 gb sd card, which means expandable memory (a big reason I chose the NOOK). NOOK supports ePub which is what iPad uses as well as our online library.

[nadinbrzezinski]

24. It supports epub, html, txt and of course PDF

It is connected to the Barnes and noble store, so it will run the same books your nook will run.

As to the IPAD... what flavor of reader do you want? I run I-BOOK, Kindle and Barnes and NOble in my IPOD... and I have a few in each.

[Dappleganger]

25. Just compared the specs...

If I was going to spend $299 on a browser then if money wasn't a problem it seems that iPad makes more sense. We are a heavily-entrenched Apple family (typing this from my macbook pro, everyone but me has an iPod touch, etc.), so I am most familiar with iOS. If a person JUST wants a small reader, IMO any small system which reads .epub and .pdf files which uses e-ink and has expandable memory will do. Those tend to have much better battery life as well since they're not running apps. If you really want an all in one, the iPad makes the most sense.

e-ink is easier on my eyes for extended reading so the NOOK suits me quite well. I'm reading on average about two books per week (during a busy week). Using NOOKstudy on my mbp looks pretty good as well, but not for an extended period of time on my old eyes (non-glossy screen). BTW, NOOKstudy is for both mac and pc, is a free reader software which is MUCH better than anything else we've tried on the computer. Two books side-by-side can be read, as well as multiple books opened up in tabs with areas for note-taking and collaboration. It's geared towards students and teachers: http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nookstudy/download/index.asp