XO for e-books [Re: Re: Amazon to debut Kindle e-book reader]

See http://www.publishersweekly.com/blog/760000476/post/530017453.html for
some thoughts on the OLPC machine, Daniel. Yep, I, too, am buying an XO.
Four points of interest:

--The reflective mode isn't as good as the Sony Reader's, not in the
contrast department; but keep in mind I couldn't do the test in daylight. It
was during a night-time meeting. More importantly, the XO is a good reader
in the backlit mode.

--The XO or at least its successors could provide a HUGE boost for local
publishing in developing countries if people plan things right. The present
XO of course is designed for kids.

--Along with others, I'm starting to wonder if the same approach could be
used here in the States to come up with an optimal computer for the elderly,
who have different needs from the population at large. Imagine simplified
commands and--as far e-books--the usual "large type" possibilities. Yes,
we're talking about a machine different from the XO.

--Right there in your state of Massachusetts, the Pepper people have come up
with an interface replacing Sugar. It comes with...Mobipocket! Pepper is
checking to see if indeed it can read DRMed Mobi. I hate DRM. But it would
be wonderful for the XO to start out being able to read even DRM-infested
books from large publishers.

As for Amazon, there's an interesting question. Just how committed is Amazon
to books *over the long term*? See http://www.teleread.org/blog/?p=7649 .

Happy holidays,
David

David Rothman | 703-370-6540
TeleRead: Bring the E-Books Home
http://www.teleread.org
Blog: http://www.teleread.org/blog

On Nov 17, 2007 3:36 PM, Daniel P. B. Smith <yahoogroups2006-wIRBk7EkA6JWk0Htik3J/[email protected]>
wrote:

> > 2. Amazon to debut Kindle e-book reader
> >     Posted by: "auwg" auwg-/[email protected] auwg
> >     Date: Fri Nov 16, 2007 1:42 pm ((PST))
> >
> > http://www.news.com/Amazon-to-debut-Kindle-e-book-reader-Monday/
> > 2100-1025_3-6218\
> > 828.html?tag=nefd.lede
> >
> > Definitely no thrill here.
> > High price ($400 or so) and likely proprietary formats, as usual.
> > Hope this isn't an attempt to recreate Gemstar's failed ebook biz
> > plan.
> > Ed Howdershelt - Abintra Press
>
> No point in speculating when we'll all know in a day or so. But since
> you brought it up...
>
> _You're probably right_ but a man can dream, can't he?
>
> Amazon's new .mp3 store is very good: open format, priced right, DRM
> free. Not as large a selection as the iTune store's DRMed titles, but
> compared to iTunes Plus, the selection is much larger and the price
> is lower.
>
> So Amazon "gets it" with respect to online music sales, and since
> they started out in the book business, and were a major participant
> in the failed Gemstar/Adobe/Microsoft eBook business and probably
> noticed that they didn't sell of those eBooks, I can at least hope
> they "get it" with respect to eBooks.
>
> The very fact that it's even tied to a device is troublesome, though.
>
> By the way, I ordered an XO under the One Laptop Per Child's "Give
> One, Get One" program. When I got to work, a software engineering
> colleague mentioned that he had ordered one, too. The significance is
> that to the best of my recollection, neither of us had ever said a
> single word to the other about it, i.e. these were completely
> independent decisions. I have no clue whether the XO will be of any
> use whatsoever to a middle-class adult living in a developed country,
> but the easiest way to resolve my curiosity about it was to order
> one. I'm hoping it will be fun.
>
> What makes this tangentially on-topic is that one of the things I'm
> curious about is whether it will do as an eBook reader. There's
> nothing about it that would make it much more suitable than any other
> small laptop, but... 200 dpi monochrome, 1200 x 900 pixels, three
> pounds, rugged...
>
>
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