Resource Review #3:
Though Kindle is sold by Amazon, there are many ebooks that are free to download online, and many (though not all) are compatible with Kindles. Here is a short list of some sites that offer free ebooks:
Google Books
Project Gutenberg
Bookyards
Munsey's Mobile
More specific sites like a scifi database: WebScription, and audio books: LibriVox ,Wired for Books
This is a blog listing free and cheap resources including a lot of these sites and more Free Kindle Books
Cost is a huge factor in the Kindle debate. As shown above, there are a number of inexpensive resources to download new materials. And the cost of a novel is much less to download on a Kindle than to buy new in a bookstore. However, the upfront cost is still a large chunk. There are also very few libraries that have found a way to cater to Kindle's standards of lending due to many copyright and licensing issues. I will come back to the library lending topic in subsequent blogs.
The cost of a personal Kindle is another contributor to the digital divide. If schools, publishers, and libraries start catering more toward the ebook market, it leaves out those who cannot afford the hardware necessary to read them. Also, with limitted budgets in almost every library, the innitial cost of purchasing a Kindle and the potential for theft and damage, is a real deterent.
It is encouraging to know there are many free resources availible for ereaders. The Googlebooks project and many others have opted for the Epub format that is compatable with most computers and ereaders. Public domain and open access sites help to keep the cost of using Kindles and other ereaders low. However, there are still legal issues and potential software incompatabilty that continually cause problems for ereader producers and users.
Sunday, November 15, 2009
Saturday, November 14, 2009
First Impressions
Here is a smattering of several blogs reporting their initial thoughts about Amazon's Kindle:
Resource Review #1:
Boone, Tom (2007, November 19) First thoughts on the Amazon Kindle. Retrieved from: http://www.librarylaws.org/2007/11/first-thoughts-amazon-kindle.html
In Tom Boone's blog, Library Laws (are meant to be broken), he posted this in 2007 after the first version of Kindle was introduced:
First thoughts on the Amazon Kindle
In his brief review he addresses how the Kindle holds up to some of his qualms about ereaders. For example, he was worried that it would not have the option to annotate the text (underline, make notes, etc.) He found that this is an option. However, as I have read in other articles, this feature is still not up-to-speed with the ease of a physical book( Princeton).
Boone also asks if there is a way to search for notes you've made in books. From what I've found, Amazon stores all notes made in a searchable database called "My Clippings" that comes built in.
Another issue Boone was concerned about is the amount of storage. This has increased with the next versions of Kindles, and there is also a SD slot so that users can supplement the built in memory.
Another big issue Boone addresses is the cost of ebooks. He was worried that they would be the same price as physical copies. They are cheaper, but they still are expensive and Boone questions how Amazon will be able to compete if they do not allow other formats of ebooks to be read on the Kindle much like iTunes allows the playback of mp3s.
Boone addresses the potential Kindles have in libraries. As a reference librarian, he is concerned about this.
Not much has changed about the options libraries have in using Kindles. Though some are trying (This I will address in later reviews).
This review was helpful because it gave a good sense of the capabilities and the restrictions of Amazon's Kindle. I am interested to research further and see how others feel about ereaders and their potential uses.
Resource Review #2:
Peterson, Pete. (2009, April 21) The New Kindle. Retrieved from: http://www.rabbitroom.com/?p=1730
The Rabbit Room is a forum for writers and artists. I thought this blog by Pete Peterson offered a nice view from an author:
The New Kindle
Peterson begins by addressing the weakening publishing industry and the stubborn stance many have taken against ereaders on sheer principle. He also had dug his heels in saying, "I’m not going to start reading on any kind of electronic device and you can have my traditionally bound books when you pry them from my cold dead hands." However, after trying out a Kindle, his tune changed.
He enjoyed the ability to take all the books he's currently reading with him. Many people read multiple books at the same time for pleasure, school, or work. Kindle allows all of these to fit into one very light package. And the Kindle also gives the option of adding to your library anytime anywhere (almost) with the Whispernet technology. So if a friend makes a book suggestion, there is no need to wait 'til the next time you go to the bookstore, or for Amazon to send the order in the mail, because it only takes 30 seconds to download the new title.
Peterson also addresses the cost issue by comparing the cost of buying a new hardback to the download of the same novel. Many times it's $20 cheaper. Though he does say that he still likes to own hard copies of his favorites.
Also, the fears Peterson had about reading on a screen were proved wrong by Kindle, "[it] uses a technology called digital ink that, in my opinion, is actually easier on the eyes than reading a physical book. The best way I can describe it is that it’s sort of like looking at an etch-a-sketch." He does say that the screen needs to be lighted by an outside source, as a physical book. He also likes the ability to enlarge the font. And now, with the next generation Kindle there is even a read out loud option if your eyes do get tired.
He highlights the helpful features like the dictionary, highlight and note options, downloads of subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and even blogs. Though there are some issues, "Some of the buttons and functions are a bit clunky and there is a lot more that could be done with the software when it comes to hyper-linking and searching." Peterson says the Kindle has become something that is hard for him to do without. He also imagines some exciting possibilities that may be in the near future (and I'm sure many are already in development, and some have already been realized like the read-aloud feature):
Peterson's closing thoughts are similar to my own thoughts on ereaders:
Further Reading:
This is a collection of a bunch of blogs on Amazon's Kindle. It gives a nice variety of both the negatives and positives:
Kindle Reviews: a smorgasborg
This is a site discussing the impact of reading online or on a screen particulary in terms of attention span and brain development:
Does the Brain Like Ebooks?
This is a very in-depth Newsweek interview with Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon.com that highlights books and the changing environment of reading:
The Future of Reading
Resource Review #1:
Boone, Tom (2007, November 19) First thoughts on the Amazon Kindle. Retrieved from: http://www.librarylaws.org/2007/11/first-thoughts-amazon-kindle.html
In Tom Boone's blog, Library Laws (are meant to be broken), he posted this in 2007 after the first version of Kindle was introduced:
First thoughts on the Amazon Kindle
In his brief review he addresses how the Kindle holds up to some of his qualms about ereaders. For example, he was worried that it would not have the option to annotate the text (underline, make notes, etc.) He found that this is an option. However, as I have read in other articles, this feature is still not up-to-speed with the ease of a physical book( Princeton).
Boone also asks if there is a way to search for notes you've made in books. From what I've found, Amazon stores all notes made in a searchable database called "My Clippings" that comes built in.
Another issue Boone was concerned about is the amount of storage. This has increased with the next versions of Kindles, and there is also a SD slot so that users can supplement the built in memory.
Another big issue Boone addresses is the cost of ebooks. He was worried that they would be the same price as physical copies. They are cheaper, but they still are expensive and Boone questions how Amazon will be able to compete if they do not allow other formats of ebooks to be read on the Kindle much like iTunes allows the playback of mp3s.
Boone addresses the potential Kindles have in libraries. As a reference librarian, he is concerned about this.
"Will there be any means by which a lending library can purchase titles for Kindle and then loan them out to patrons who have a device of their own? Doubtful. Libraries' only option will likely be to amass a collection of digital files and then loan out Kindle devices to patrons with selected content preloaded, similar to what's being done at some libraries with iPods. This hardly seems the most efficient use for Kindle, and I wonder if the terms of service even allow this."
Not much has changed about the options libraries have in using Kindles. Though some are trying (This I will address in later reviews).
This review was helpful because it gave a good sense of the capabilities and the restrictions of Amazon's Kindle. I am interested to research further and see how others feel about ereaders and their potential uses.
Resource Review #2:
Peterson, Pete. (2009, April 21) The New Kindle. Retrieved from: http://www.rabbitroom.com/?p=1730
The Rabbit Room is a forum for writers and artists. I thought this blog by Pete Peterson offered a nice view from an author:
The New Kindle
Peterson begins by addressing the weakening publishing industry and the stubborn stance many have taken against ereaders on sheer principle. He also had dug his heels in saying, "I’m not going to start reading on any kind of electronic device and you can have my traditionally bound books when you pry them from my cold dead hands." However, after trying out a Kindle, his tune changed.
He enjoyed the ability to take all the books he's currently reading with him. Many people read multiple books at the same time for pleasure, school, or work. Kindle allows all of these to fit into one very light package. And the Kindle also gives the option of adding to your library anytime anywhere (almost) with the Whispernet technology. So if a friend makes a book suggestion, there is no need to wait 'til the next time you go to the bookstore, or for Amazon to send the order in the mail, because it only takes 30 seconds to download the new title.
Peterson also addresses the cost issue by comparing the cost of buying a new hardback to the download of the same novel. Many times it's $20 cheaper. Though he does say that he still likes to own hard copies of his favorites.
Also, the fears Peterson had about reading on a screen were proved wrong by Kindle, "[it] uses a technology called digital ink that, in my opinion, is actually easier on the eyes than reading a physical book. The best way I can describe it is that it’s sort of like looking at an etch-a-sketch." He does say that the screen needs to be lighted by an outside source, as a physical book. He also likes the ability to enlarge the font. And now, with the next generation Kindle there is even a read out loud option if your eyes do get tired.
He highlights the helpful features like the dictionary, highlight and note options, downloads of subscriptions to newspapers, magazines, and even blogs. Though there are some issues, "Some of the buttons and functions are a bit clunky and there is a lot more that could be done with the software when it comes to hyper-linking and searching." Peterson says the Kindle has become something that is hard for him to do without. He also imagines some exciting possibilities that may be in the near future (and I'm sure many are already in development, and some have already been realized like the read-aloud feature):
"Imagine books that hyperlink to video and audio clips. Imagine books with soundtracks or even sound effects (that’s right, the Kindle has speakers, it’s an MP3 player, and will even read the book to you.) Is this all this possible with the Kindle in its current incarnation? No, but anyone that’s lived through the last couple of decades knows that technology moves at a frightening pace."The innovation that is rapidly occuring is exciting, but also a bit overwhelming. There are those who question if new technology such as Kindles will negatively effect us, but many others who are anticipating the potential for better, faster, cheaper, more integrated formats to retrieve and consume information. I am not sure where I stand on this spectrum, but I am continually intrigued by the thoughts of reviewers.
Peterson's closing thoughts are similar to my own thoughts on ereaders:
"A book is about the story. It’s about communication. I love cover design, and paperstock, and the feel of a unique book in my hands just as much as anyone else, but when it comes right down to it, when it comes to the reading, all that other stuff disappears into the background. What matters is the story."
Further Reading:
This is a collection of a bunch of blogs on Amazon's Kindle. It gives a nice variety of both the negatives and positives:
Kindle Reviews: a smorgasborg
This is a site discussing the impact of reading online or on a screen particulary in terms of attention span and brain development:
Does the Brain Like Ebooks?
This is a very in-depth Newsweek interview with Jeff Bezos the founder of Amazon.com that highlights books and the changing environment of reading:
The Future of Reading
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