Be sure to read our latest review, the Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch Reader!
New Review: Nook, The Simple Touch Reader
Kindle Releases the Cloud Reader
has just released the Kindle Cloud Reader, an app that lets you read your Kindle eBooks from your web browser or your iPad.
The release of the Kindle Cloud Reader promises to enlarge Amazon’s presence in the eReader market…especially when you think about the already popular free Kindle apps for computers and mobile devices.
Currently, the Kindle Cloud Reader only works with Google Chrome, Safari for MAC/PC, and Safari for iPad…but knowing Amazon.com
Do I Need to Get a Skin for My Kindle?
One of the newest accessories available for your Kindle is a “skin,” which is essentially a decal similar to the skins that are used to decorate laptops, video game consoles, etc.
- Do you already have a cover for your Kindle?
- Is your Kindle showing a little wear (scratches on the back, etc.)?
- Do you want to personalize your Kindle with a skin that represents your personality?
If your Kindle has a cover, you don’t actually “need” the skin, but if you’re a bit of an individualist, like me, then you might want a skin that reflects your personality…one reader described it as a window to the beach, where she could look and imagine the warmth on a cold day.
Perhaps you like to read horror stories or thrillers, and want your Kindle to reflect that side of your personality….maybe you like Westerns…or SciFi…there are dozens of ways to personalize your Kindle. A skin is simply another choice!
Borders Closing…What About My Kobo???
Got a Kobo eReader? Don’t panic over the closing of the Border’s chain of physical stores!
According to a statement issued by Kobo on Tuesday night, your account will be transitioned over to Kobo, which has its own agreements with major publishers.
“As one of the early investors in Kobo, Borders has a minority stake in our company and serves as part of our distribution in the U.S. along with Walmart, Best Buy, Sears and other leading retailers,” said Michael Serbinis, Kobo CEO, in a prepared statement. “As a member of the broader book publishing and retailing community, we are watching Borders’ story and will offer our support to Borders and their employees. Kobo will continue to serve Borders customers – in this time of transition as well as moving forward – to provide the ultimate eReading experience and one of the widest selection of eBooks available to the eReading community worldwide.”
And, those customers who purchased their Kobo eReader through Borders does not have to worry, either. Kobo has already been in the process of switching the Kobo accounts away from Borders and onto Kobo’s own platform.
“All Borders customers that have transitioned to Kobo shall enjoy uninterrupted access to their e-Reading accounts,” Kobo said. “Kobo shall continue to work with Borders to transition customer accounts to Kobo.”
Kobo promises that the process will be extremely simple for those whose accounts haven’t already switched. Simply visit the Kobo transition site to transfer your Borders library to Kobo’s library. For those of you who are using the Borders-branded app to read their eBooks, simply visit the Kobo Web site to download the Kobo app, the company said.
That’s it…nothing else is required.
Do I Need an eReader Stand?
One of the first things that I ordered after ordering my Kindle was a stand to use when I wanted to read while doing something…
If you’re like me, you’re a multi-tasker…meaning that sometimes you read while you’re working out, while you’re eating (especially if it’s a night when you happen to be eating alone)… heck, I even read a little while I am drying my hair! I read while I’m laying out in the sun on the beach….pretty much anywhere I am, I’ve got my Kindle.
That’s why, as soon as I got my Kindle, I turned around and ordered the stand. Now, I can read whenever, wherever, and however I want. AND I can read WHILE I am doing other things.
Plus, when I am not reading with it, it’s the perfect place at home to store my Kindle – I always know where it is.
An Amazon Tablet?
An Amazon Tablet?
Rumors in the tech sector have been flying for some time about the possibility of Amazon
The Wall Street Journal reported on Tuesday that Amazon plans to release their own Android based tablet this fall (just in time for the Christmas shopping season!), however, the first generation may not be much competition for the iPad so much as a step towards taking the market away from Google.
Here’s what we know so far about the Amazon tablet:
- It will have a 9 inch screen
- It will run a version of Android
- It probably won’t have a camera
And, this version won’t be designed by Amazon. Instead, the design and manufacturing of Amazon’s first generation tablet has been outsourced to quickly gain a foothold in the market. Amazon’s own version, which they ARE designing themselves will reportedly be released next year.
So, is the Amazon tablet an iPad killer?
Is it even a competitor? Considering that Apple has a corner on the tablet market that no one has really touched right now, Amazon might be able to compete if their tablet is extremely cheap, and that’s going to be very difficult to accomplish if the technology is to compare with the iPad or other similar tablets on the market.
Still, even if Amazon releases a reasonably inexpensive tablet this fall, would you buy one instead of an iPad? Maybe. And again maybe not. After all, this is Amazon’s first tablet, and unless there’s something pretty spectacular about it, it likely won’t be any more of a threat to the iPad than the other tablets…why? Because there are typically two types of customers. Apple customers, whom you can’t convince to try any other device, and those who aren’t Apple customers, who probably won’t try the Apple device.
Who Should Really Be Worried About Amazon’s Tablet
Either way, an Amazon
Kindle Strikes Back at Google eReader
Just in…Amazon strikes back at Google’s release of their own branded eReader this coming Saturday with a price drop on the 3G version of it’s Amazon Kindle, now with special offers!
Just like the wifi version that’s available for $114.00, the 3G version of the Kindle featuring the special offers will feature non-intrusive, tasteful advertisements for major brands. And, even better, there’s a $50.00 price drop, bringing the price down to $139.00!
This definitely provides stiff competition to Google’s release of the iRivier Story eReader, offering a WiFi only version.
What do you think…will this make you decide to purchase the Kindle, a trusted device, with a proven record, or will you go for the newly released Google eReader?
Kindle Samples
How many times have you bought a book that looked or sounded good, only to find that you had to “wade” through the book because you didn’t like the author’s style of writing, or because the storyline was not the way that it sounded on the cover? Or even because you just didn’t like the pace or tone of the story?
is the ability to download samples of nearly all the books! I don’t know if you’re like me, but when I find a new author, or hear about a new book, that intrigues me, I like to actually look at the book before I buy it. With my Kindle, I can not only look inside the book, but I can also download the first chapter or two and actually read a portion of the book before I buy it.
For me, this especially works well when I find a new author that I am interested in reading, but I’m just not sure yet that I will like the author’s writing style, or even the storyline itself. If I do, then I buy the book, if not…then I haven’t wasted my money!
After all, it’s true that you can’t judge a book by what’s written on the cover!
Visit the Kindle store
Kindle or iPad?
Over the last couple of weeks, I’ve been playing with both an iPad and an Amazon Kindle, and I’ve talked to other people who have both devices… So, which device actually IS better? Kindle or iPad? The answer may surprise you.
When you hold the two devices up side by side, admittedly iPad looks soooo cool, and there all these apps available, and you can do a lot of stuff with an iPad…everything, that is, except read comfortably for any length of time! That’s right. As much as I hate to disappoint you iPad fans, everything that Amazon has been telling us about reading comfortably on an Amazon Kindle is absolutely true. For the most comfortable, least intrusive reading experience, there is no better eReader than the Amazon Kindle.
Plain and simple: When reading using the backlighting on the iPad versus the eInk on the Kindle, the iPad literally cannot hold a candle to the Amazon Kindle.
The iPad is great for surfing the web, checking your facebook page, or using any one of the hundreds of thousands of apps available. As long as you’re inside. But, step outside with your iPad, and you literally cannot see the screen…and that wasn’t just in bright sunshine, either. That was in normal afternoon shade. (Have you ever tried to go to the ATM when the sun is hitting the screen? Tried to pump your gas when the sun is hitting the little screen? That was my experience with trying to update my Facebook status with the iPad when I was sitting on my parents patio last Saturday afternoon.) On the other hand, I really can read ANYWHERE on my Kindle. (And, yes, I do take it outside and sit on my deck reading sometimes.)
Plain and simple: The iPad is hard to see when you’re outside. Period. There is no easy remedy to this that I could find.
So, which device should you buy? Kindle or iPad?
Well, the answer to that question is not simply, “Buy a Kindle,” or “Buy an iPad.” The answer is that you may actually find that you have a good reason to have BOTH devices.
- For the best all around reading experience, nothing beats an Amazon Kindle.
- But, when you want to do more than lose yourself in a book, then you need a tablet computer.
Fortunately, in addition to the iPad, there are dozens, if not hundreds, of Tablet Computers
Kindle 3G with Special Offers!
And…Amazon.com
Amazon.com
Therefore, we fully expect that the new version of the Kindle 3G with Special Offers will be as successful as the WiFi version.
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