E-books: Features
E-books: Features
Some features and assumptions to consider when deciding among tablets and eReaders:
- you, the reader
- readers' needs are different -- "one size does not fit all; your mileage may vary..."
- evaluate hands-on if possible
- Checkbox Syndrome: Why We Spend Money on Things We Don?t Need (and How to Avoid It) 5/15/2012
- the eReader or tablet
- more than the sum of its specifications and reviews
- part of a "reading system", including you, books, stores, environment, ...
- there are always design (and environmental) tradeoffs: no 'perfect' information system/device: desktop, laptop, tablet, eReader, smartphone, media player, wristwatch, ... even paper (including eyeglasses, lamp, shelves, search, ...)
- battery life
- hours (tablet); days - weeks (eReader)
- iPad family aces battery tests while Android tablets lag 12/7/2012
- weight, portability, travel
- eReaders are lighter than tablets
- FCC urges FAA: Let passengers keep gadgets during takeoff 12/7/2012
- Do Our Gadgets Really Threaten Planes? The ban rests on anecdotes, not on hard evidence?because there isn't any; 9/7/2012
- The FAA is studying expanding device usage on flights but don?t worry, voice calls are off limits; 8/27/2012
- Wearable Gadgets Upset F.A.A. Curbs on Devices 6/17/2012
- The Mystery of the Flying Laptop (TSA screens laptops but not netbooks, tablets, e-readers, phones, ...); 4/6/2012
- Q. When an e-reader is loaded with thousands of books, does it gain any weight? (A. yes, on the order of an atogram, or 10-18 g.); 10/25/2011
- eReader: books only vs. tablet: enhanced books, apps, media
- storage capacity for books, documents -- and apps, video, audio?
- Finding Your Book Interrupted ... By the Tablet You Read It On (distractions: e-mail, Facebook, videos, ...); 3/5/2012
- Reading Books on a Tablet Is Dumb (single device vs. distraction); 3/5/2012
- display
- display area: phone (4-5"); eReader (5-6"); tablets (7-10")
- contrast, brightness (indoor vs. outdoor use); optional light; fonts
- resolution (pixels; ppi:pixels per in.)
- iPad2: 1024x768 @ 132 ppi
- Kindle Fire: 1024x600 @169 ppi
- Kindle Fire HD: 1920x1200 @ 254 ppi
- 'new' iPad: 2048x1536 @ 264 ppi ('Retina display')
- black&white (eInk) vs. color (LCD)
- Light Reading: How the Kindle Paperwhite Works 12/26/2012
- The New Old Age: The Gift of Reading back-lit screens and adjustable font sizes may lead to faster reading by older adults; 12/12/2012
- E-readers grapple with a future on the shelf e-reader (eInk) has become a transitional technology; 10/28/2012
- LCD vs. E Ink: Which is better for e-reading? 5/31/2011
- How Electronic Ink Works
- navigation
- keyboard and/or buttons vs. touch (and gestures)
- page turning, scrolling, Table of Contents (TOC), library, store
- ease of search, definitions, annotation, bookmarks
- Apple Granted Patent for Their Page Turn Animation 11/15/2012
- networking
- desktop(USB), WiFi, 3G-4G (cellular); bookstore-only or web?
- online stores: book -- and app -- availability; samples; lending
- file formats: open (ePub) or proprietary; Mobi; PDF; other?
- how many apps available? from vendor only? security, e.g., screened for malware?
- Android's Tablet Troubles 10/14/2012
- How Compatible Are Rival E-Readers? 5/10/2012
- Digital ecosystems: an in-depth comparison Amazon, Apple, Facebook, Google, Microsoft, Sony: movies&music, reading, gaming; mobile, desktop, shopping, social, integration; 4/18/2012
- Informal e-reader library comparison (book and periodical availability: Kindle, Nook, Kobo, iPad); 10/28/2011
- content: quality, adware (e.g., E-book 'missing content'? Amazon must do better); 9/30/2011
- reliability, support; software upgrades
- it's generally a good idea to wait a little while after a new model is first available to learn about any hardware omissions or issues, or software problems that can (or can't) be patched
- OS and app upgrades may be non-existent / infrequent, esp. for generic devices
- Android Orphans: Visualizing a Sad History of Support 10/26/2011
- additional unsupported features may be accessed by "hacking", "jailbreaking" or "rooting" your iOS or Android device
- however, this requires technical skills, increases vulnerability to malware, and may void your warranty -- not recommended, and not covered here
- DRM (digital rights management, i.e., copy protection)
- usually specific to publisher, author and/or book: text-to-speech?
loan? print? email? copy/paste? - users "DRMed" if E-books do (incompatible across platforms);
authors "DRMed" if E-books don't (more difficult to create revenue) - Read E-Books On Multiple Devices 3/8/2012
- iBook?s DRM Defenses Are Now Only for Show (Requiem); 2/25/2012
- Our relationship with e-books: It?s too complicated (Balkanization, ebook hell; sharing notes/passages: OpenMargin, Readmill, Findings; sharing books, unavail features, DRM); 11/1/2011
- Text To Speech (TTS)
- Text to speech on the iPad Tutorial (with iBooks, etc.); 4/8/2010
- Random House shuts down Kindle text-to-speech for their titles 5/15/2009
- Disability groups demand full return of Kindle's text-to-speech 3/20/2009
- Kindle Read-to-Me
- Kobo, Nook: TTS not currently supported?
- media: pictures, animation, video, audio (music, narration), esp. children's books
- So Now What Will iPad Rivals Say in Their Commercials? (Adobe drops support for mobile Flash); 11/9/2011
- Booktrack adds sound effects and music soundtracks to eBooks 9/7/2011
- Vook digital book with video, ...
- accessories, other hardware features
- speed, camera, GPS, storage cards, ...
- Is the iPad making men effeminate? ...sales of manbags are soaring, because men need somewhere to put their iPads. At the same time, women's bags are getting smaller?; 10/14/2012
- Furniture Meets the Digital Age (adapting to E-readers and tablets; 3/29/2012)
- Dressing Up an E-Reader for Style and Comfort (lights; screen management; audio enhancement; stands); 2/16/2012
- Tablets: What Amazon and Apple know that all the CES tablet peddlers are still missing (services rather than features); 1/10/2012
- total cost
- device, books, advertising 'tax', subscription/carrier lock-in, accessories, ...
- save money on older models / competitors' products discounted when new models are introduced
- save money on refurbished models (w/ original warranty)
- Kindle Fire HD: Amazon's anti-Apple profit engine Bezos: "We want to make money when people use our devices, not when they buy our devices"; 9/6/2012
- Why Not Carry Different E-Book Readers? 9/5/2012
- "lifetime value" 10/26/2011; (razor and blades business model)
E-books: Formats
E-books: Formats
Introduction
- source document: created/edited by author, e.g., Word, Pages, blog
- destination document: final content or eBook read by user, e.g., ePub, Mobi, .pdf
- for discussion / recommendations of editing and conversion tools, see Authors section
- Wikipedia: Comparison of e-book formats; EBook Readers: File Format Support
- Why eBook Conversion Practices Are Failing Readers 3/29/2012
- The difference between ebook conversion and ebook formatting cover; images; headers/footers; line/section/page breaks; spacing & characters; ... 10/20/2010
- How You?re Gonna Get Screwed By Ebook Formats DRM, PDA legacy, apps; 3/10/2010
ePub
- EPUB (.epub) from International Digital Publishing Forum (IDPF);
open format (except DRM); based on XML; extensible - ePub can be incompatible across platforms when publishers add DRM (Digital Rights Management) or other extensions; see Apple (next)
- Wikipedia: ePub Editing Systems
- ePub standards body proposes new 'lightweight' DRM for ebook platform interoperability 5/19/2012
- International Digital Publishing Forum: ePub 3.0 10/11/2011
- How Can I Convert PDFs and Other Ebooks to the ePub Format? 4/5/2010
Apple
- Apple uses standard ePub -- except that it may add DRM for purchased books; its iBook Author tool may use extensions unrecognized by other readers; Apple-specific tools for iBooks: Pages, iBooks Author
- I?ma Set It Straight, This Watergate 1/24/2012
- How Apple is sabotaging an open standard for digital books 1/22/2012
- On the Proprietary Nature of the iBooks Author (iba) File Format (proprietary ePub extensions); 1/20/2012
- iPad and MORE ePub Best Practices 5/15/2010
- iPad eBook format; overview of the .epub file [video; 8:24]; 4/10/2010
- All about ePub, the ebook standard for Apple's iBookstore 1/31/2010
Amazon
- Kindle (.azw) from Amazon; proprietary format; based on Mobi
- Kindle Direct Publishing (KDP): create and submit Kindle compatible eBooks
- Kindle and ePub? "Kindle platform does not support the international ePub ebook standard. However, there is software available (e.g. Calibre) which can convert a non-DRM ePub file into the unprotected Mobipocket format that the Kindle can read. Additionally, Amazon offers a free program called KindleGen which converts ePub and several other formats."
- Amazon Throws A Minor Curveball With HTML5-Powered Kindle Format 8 (KF8; replacing Mobi7); 10/20/2011
- Web-based Kindle format good for comics, kids' books 10/21/2011
HTML
- Hypertext Markup Language (.htm,.html) (HTML; version 5); open format; used in web browsers
- source: for ePub converters, e.g., Calibre, Sigil, blog plugins, Newt's Cape
- destination: accessible on any device with a web browser
- this site is organized as a "book" (Drupal book module), i.e., Table of Contents (TOC), previous/next section, ...
- Portable Document Format (.pdf)
- public format (but controlled by Adobe)
- source issues: reflow text, extract images
- destination issues: fixed layout & page-size on smaller screens
Other Formats
- "app" (book embedded): flexibility vs. "standard" navigation (possibly different from eReader apps); less portable across models/devices/versions: developer/author may need to rewrite/retest
- Microsoft Word (.doc, .docx, .rtf): public format (but controlled by Microsoft); source: for ePub conversion; destination issues: file, user interface (& maybe font) incompatibilities across Word versions/installations; app large, complex & expensive, though free alternatives are available (Open Office, LibreOffice, Google Docs, ...); user ability to modify the "book" could be disadvantage
- Wolfram CDF: Wolfram launches its own interactive document format 7/21/2011
E-books: Comparisons
E-books: Comparisons
This and the following pages present an evolving snapshot of devices, features, prices and companies -- be sure to check dates of reviews and comparisons. This is not a complete survey: there are many similar lesser-known eReaders and tablets (in addition to desktop and smartphones) that we will not discuss. Please let me know about any new products, rumors, or obsolete web links.
- Wikipedia: Comparison of tablet PCs; Comparison of e-book readers;
Comparison of Android reader software; Comparison of iOS e-book reader software - The Verge Reviews & Comparisons: eReaders; Tablets Tech vs. Tech: Rollover a product and click the compare icon to add up to 6 products to your comparison, then click 'compare' to see side-by-side specs.
- iPad vs. Android Tablets
- ePub eBook Readers and Applications
- Gutenberg: MobileReader Devices How-To
- iPad mini vs. Nexus 7: The debate 12/7/2012
- Hot Gift Is a Tablet, but Which to Buy? Kindle PaperWhite, Nook HD, Nook HD+, iPad Mini; 11/28/2012
- Nexus 10: How Google?s New Tablet Stacks Up Against iPad, Surface 10/29/2012
- How Apple's iPad mini compares with Android tablets 10/25/2012
- The 7-Inch Competition Facing Apple?s iPad Mini Kindle Fire HD; Acer Iconia Tab A110; Google Asus Nexus 7; Samsung Galaxy Tab 7.7; 10/22/2012
- Surface vs iPad vs Galaxy vs Kindle Fire HD: Battle of the $500 tablets 10/17/2012
- The 7-inch tablet advantage 10/10/2012
- Newly Enlightened E-Readers Barnes & Noble Nook Simple Touch with GlowLight; Amazon Kindle Paperwhite; 10/3/2012
- Ratings: Tablets & eReaders Consumer Reports; 10/2012
- The Difference Between Apple & Amazon In One Chart profit margins, media; 9/10/2012
- How the Kindle Fire HD Stacks Up to the Competition Kindle Fire HD; Nexus 7; iPad; Kindle Fire(orig.); Galaxy Tab 2.6.4; Kobo Arc; 9/6/2012
- Apple iPad Mini: 3 Ways Amazon, Barnes & Noble Can Avoid The Death Knell Lower The Price; Provide Discounted Services; Reflect The Company Identity; 8/12/2012
- E-Books: The Next Chapter Consumers Digest; 7/2012
- Kindle vs. Nook vs. iPad: Which e-book reader should you buy? 3/13/2012
- New iPad vs. the competition: by the numbers; Comparison Table (Kindle Fire; Nook; ...; 3/7/2012)
- iPad2 and Kindle Fire: The top 5 technical annoyances: common: WiFi connection issues; USB issues; iPad: LED display issues; microphone quality; screen issues; Kindle: one-click shopping issues; no parental controls; touchscreen issues; 2/22/2012
- Buyer's Guide to Tablets: What to consider when shopping for a tablet 2/22/2012
- Kindle Fire Display Doesn?t Stand Up To Nook, iPad 2 In Tests 12/20/2011
- Amazon Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2 12/19/2011
- Review: Gift guide to e-readers, tablets, $99-$500 12/7/2011
- 2011's best E-book Readers Bookeen CyBook Orizon; Amazon Kindle & Kbd 3G; WHSmith Kobo Touch; Sony Reader Wi-Fi PRS-T1; 12/5/2011
- Kindle Touch compared to Nook Simple Touch, Kobo Touch, and Kindle 4 12/2/2011
- Kindle Fire and iPad 2 Fire is a terrific Kindle, but a weak tablet; 11/29/2011
- Kindle, iBooks, Nook, and Google Books: How to choose the best eBook store 11/22/2011
- Does the Nook Tablet have what it takes to extinguish the Kindle Fire? 11/18/2011
- Kindle Fire or Nook Tablet? I bought the? 11/13/2011
- Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire vs Nook Color vs iPad 2 (comparison tables; 11/7/2011)
- Nook Tablet vs. Kindle Fire (comparison table; 11/7/2011)
- Nook Tablet vs. Kindle Fire: The Differences Add Up 11/7/2011
- Here?s the secret to Amazon?s, B&N?s tablet strategy (simplicity and reasonable prices, not specs; 11/4/2011)
- The Word on E-Book Readers Consumers Digest; 11/2011
- What You Get With $199 Tablets 10/11/2011
- Amazon's Kindle Fire Tablet vs. the Competition: Spec Showdown (Kindle Fire; Nook Color; Playbook; IdeaPad A1; Iconia Tab A100; Thrive; iPad2); 9/28/2011
- Beyond the Kindle, outside the Nook: What are the other e-readers? 6/16/2011
- Kindle vs. iPad: How to pick the best ebook reader 2/22/2011
- Which E-Reader Is Right For You? 2/2011
- IPS (In Plane Switching) Tablet Display Technology Shoot-Out Fire; Nook; iPad 2; 2011
- Choosing an eBook Reader (no tablets) [video; 3:05]; 10/4/2010
- Many more review articles in following individual device sections.