I also have a Kindle. Over the weekend Amazon and one of the big 6 publishers got into disagreement over pricing (caused by the upcoming appearance of the iPad), and Amazon removed both Kindle books and physical books from their store. Now I can't use my Kindle to buy those books until Amazon puts them back. This was not amusing, and was also totally out of my control - customers as collateral damage in a war between two corporations. A good write-up of that situation is here: http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/02/01/all-the-many-ways-amazon-so-very-failed-the-weekend/ I mention it because the iPad has the same digital restriction mechanisms on it, and you should know that before you buy it. Apple has already disallowed a Google app and enforced it with that same DRM. Nobody's really sure what they're going to do about the conflict between the iBookstore and the existing iPhone/iPod book reader apps and their previously stated position that you can't sell an app that duplicates existing functionality. It's all a big mess. http://lifehacker.com/5458690/the-problem-with-the-apple-ipad Just something to think about before you buy. *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
On 02/02/2010 10:37 PM, Karl J. Smith wrote: > I also have a Kindle. Over the weekend Amazon and one of the big 6 > publishers got into disagreement over pricing (caused by the upcoming > appearance of the iPad), and Amazon removed both Kindle books and > physical books from their store. Now I can't use my Kindle to buy those > books until Amazon puts them back. This was not amusing, and was also > totally out of my control - customers as collateral damage in a war > between two corporations. > > A good write-up of that situation is here: > > http://whatever.scalzi.com/2010/02/01/all-the-many-ways-amazon-so-very-failed-the-weekend/ > > > I mention it because the iPad has the same digital restriction > mechanisms on it, and you should know that before you buy it. Apple has > already disallowed a Google app and enforced it with that same DRM. > Nobody's really sure what they're going to do about the conflict between > the iBookstore and the existing iPhone/iPod book reader apps and their > previously stated position that you can't sell an app that duplicates > existing functionality. It's all a big mess. > > http://lifehacker.com/5458690/the-problem-with-the-apple-ipad > > Just something to think about before you buy. I like books. No one can "recall" them without your permission, they don't need batteries, I can give them away to charities after I've read them. Pocket books -- mostly -- can fit in a dry bag and the world doesn't end if they get wet. [obligatory paddling content] You can drop books on sharp rocks and there's usually not so much damage as to render them unusable. And when you buy a book, you don't need to have spent anything extra to read it. (Unless you need glasses, and that is going to apply with the digital readers anyway.) I like books, and book stores. I like browsing through books in book stores, reading a snippet here and there to see if the writing is interesting. I like looking at book covers, reading the inside flaps, looking at a photo of the author... Perhaps some of this is available with digital media, but surely not in the same random way. -- Darryl *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
Oh boy, whatever the weather is, a solid book in a tent by night-time beats any digital media... My favourite trip during the autumn included 6 hours in complete darkness, reading a paperback with 600 pages... http://asaarto1.blogspot.com/2009/11/full-moon-in-august-at-sea-again.html Ari Saarto - navigare necesse est - tel. + 358 (0) 40 58 59 676 http://asaarto1.blogspot.com/ On 6. helmi 2010, at 21:46, Darryl Johnson wrote: > > I like books. No one can "recall" them without your permission, they > don't need batteries, > Darryl *************************************************************************** PaddleWise Paddling Mailing List - Any opinions or suggestions expressed here are solely those of the writer(s). You must assume the entire responsibility for reliance upon them. All postings copyright the author. Submissions: PaddleWise_at_PaddleWise.net Subscriptions: PaddleWise-request_at_PaddleWise.net Website: http://www.paddlewise.net/ ***************************************************************************
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