Chamber Four » Spring Design Alex

Wednesday Links 4-21-10

Sean Clark — Wed, 21 Apr 2010 11:00:40 +0000

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The Alex was supposed to launch. I haven’t heard anything since, so I’m assuming it did? New to the game: the Ezy, two from ViewSonic, the Kobo. Now you can get a Nook at Best Buy, Amazon might consider doing something similar with the Kindle. And it looks like, despite some snarking, Google’s going to try and compete with the iPad. Sharp’s got a mind to make 3D ereaders; this is probably the same glasses-free parrallax barrier technology they’re utilizing for Nintendo’s 3DS. I’m not sure how much better Helvetica looks in eye-pooping 3D. Finally, if it becomes a reality, The Page could be huge.

Apple is supposedly being a bit tricksy when it comes to third-party ereaders apps on the iPad. But then again, iBooks could be good for indie publishing. This Alice ebook app looks neato (If you haven’t read Lewis Carroll’s classics, do so now). If you’re in Israel, it doesn’t much matter, though.

I enjoyed this article about big P Publishing’s woes. (I have an MFA from Emerson, and I wish I didn’t. They exemplify the watered-down publishing industry at its very base level. Rumor has it, teachers can’t fail even atrocious theses–and they certainly exist. Of those hundred books, I’d bet 92 are babytown frolics.)

Here’s a sneak preview of this month’s Reviews in Haiku:

hey now, Jess Walter!
while we should read your book now
don’t steal our ideas

Two videos. First, it looks like Mario on a Kindle would suck:

Then, Karl Rove flees from a protest of his Courage and Consequences book tour (no joke about the title needed):

Wednesday Links 3-24-10

Sean Clark — Wed, 24 Mar 2010 10:00:09 +0000

The iPad is the talk of the town lately. Apparently Apple is building a stable of allies and partnerships in anticipation of the coming launch. Seems everyone wants to have an app ready for April 3, including Amazon. This isn’t that big a deal, really, as they already have an app on the iPhone with similar features. When all is said and done, the iPad will probably be pretty cool. Though anyone still dumb enough to buy a first-gen Apple product will probably over pay by hundreds, more if they go for this model (I’d just fake it). This week’s entry in adding a dumb name to an existing piece of hardware and calling it something new: the Infibeam Pi.

Everyone seems to be touting the Great eReader Adoption as an iPad-Kindle war, but the Nook still looms (and also sports an iPad app) and the Alex is still on the way (and still overpriced). However if terrible customer service like this around haphazard products is what can be expected from Barnes & Noble, the Nook won’t stand much of a chance. Perhaps I don’t really understand why international buyers can’t have an instant download over the internet already, but I guess Diesel-ebooks allowing instant international “delivery” of ebooks is a good thing. (Really though, what do mail carriers have to do with ebooks, and what does “an innovative and evolutionary free digital shipping promotion” mean?)

Lightning round! How long do you think before Google buys up a buttload of these super-fast book scanners? We’ve know about color e-ink for a while, but is it coming closer to being a practical reality? We’ve been upping our output of reviews lately, anyone who noticed care for a game of Book Review Bingo?

This year I’m once again a second round judge for the Amazon Breakout Novel Award. I obviously can’t talk specifics about the books, but it’s a pretty cool program so I wanted to stick in a link so more people could check it out. I like when the big guys open the doors for the small fries. You can see a full list of the entrants now, and if it’s run like last year’s was, more information about the books will be available once the short lists are narrowed down.

Now for fun (or no-longer-fun). In case you were wondering: LOST sucks. I love this essay about zombies though.

Finally, this video is rather clever:

Wednesday Links 2-24-10

Sean Clark — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 11:00:03 +0000

The nook is finally in stock, though you may be better off waiting Apple and Spring Design out to see where prices land. LG is stepping into the ereader/tablet ring. Qualcomm’s Mirasol color display using butterfly wing tech is pretty cool looking. It’ll probably cost too much to be a game changer though. Also new to the game: The Notion Ink Adam uses a Pixel Qi display, whatever the hell that is. Here’s the Bookeen Orizon. [UPDATE: Evidently the iPad is intimidating enough to scare off Acer.]
I’m not too excited about Apple bringing back FairPlay DRM. It’s no doubt related to their desire to control ebook prices, odd since iBooks isn’t even coming preloaded on the iPad.. I wonder what kind of kiddie-DRM Fisher Price will employto keep toddlers from pirating iXL software. Also in kid ereaders: the VTech Flip.
It’s just public domain stuff, but it looks like this British library did a decent job with these classics. I like this EFF checklist for reader’s digital rights. Too bad publisher don’t much care about reading the data.
I adore this vast collection of Lolita covers. The UK Ministry of Defense released all their UFO files to the public…cool. I’m currently reading a collection of post-apocalyptic fiction, so I found Slate’s guide to survival guides pretty cool. Conversely, I find the concept of BookByYou entirely f*@#ing stupid. And for a video, I’m sick of the snow; I’d buy one of these if it actually worked:

and this is just rad:

iPad Reaction: In Which Apple Eats Plastic Logic’s Lunch, Glares Menacingly At Spring Design

Nico Vreeland — Wed, 27 Jan 2010 20:54:04 +0000

[UPDATE: It's confirmed that the iPad won't be compatible with Adobe ePub books. That means no library books, and it takes a lot of the shine off the new iBooks. For some reason, Apple hates Adobe, and Adobe hates them back.]

The new Apple iPad

A few short weeks ago, the Plastic Logic QUE ($650 WiFi/$800 3G) and the Spring Design Alex ($400 [EDIT--the Alex is now $360, I missed that]) debuted at CES, and immediately crushed my interest in them with exorbitant price points.

Today, Apple unveiled their new tablet computer, the “iPad,” (Gizmodo’s full coverage here) and made the QUE entirely irrelevant. The iPad is cheaper ($500 WiFi/$630 3G), faster, and more functional than the QUE, and it will actually be available earlier.

Not only does the iPad have a new, Apple-branded ereading program (iBooks), it can do video, internet, maps, and everything else that an iPhone can, on a grander scale. The only advantages the QUE has left are its ability to hand-write notes, and its E-Ink screen which makes for less eye strain and longer battery life. Still, the iPad has ten hours of battery life, so that last point is moot.

Basically, this spells doom for the $650 QUE, and if you were thinking about getting the Alex for $400 $360, or (God forbid) a $490 Kindle DX, how can you not scrape up a little extra for an iPad instead?

The iPad’s debut highlights the folly of “luxury” ereaders like the QUE and the Alex, which have gone in the wrong direction, trying to have an ereader that’s half laptop, with a price tag to match. Simple, affordable ereaders like the Kindle, Astak Pocket Pro, and Sony Pocket Edition are the only ones worth looking at now, at least until the Alex’s price drops by $150.

A few more tidbits, and links to more iPad coverage, after the jump.

The 3G iPad features pay-as-you-go, $30/month, unlimited internet (or 250 MB/month for $15)—but with AT&T. So AT&T can’t handle iPhones’ data usage, but they can handle full tablets with videos? Uhhh, I don’t believe that. $30 a month will stack up quick compared to the Plastic Logic’s free 3G, but the vast difference in hardware specs and functionality makes the iPad the clear choice for even those looking to use bandwidth on the go.

iPad has a 1 Ghz processor, and the standard model has a 16 GB flash drive (upgradeable up to 64 GB). By comparison, the Alex’s chip is 624 Mhz, and its flash drive is 2 GB; the standard QUE has a 4 GB flash drive, and doesn’t specify its processor (but it’s definitely slow—here’s a video wherein a Plastic Logic salesperson says page refresh takes a full second).

However, the non-3G iPad also doesn’t seem to have GPS (no dedicated ereader has GPS, of course).

Books on the iPad will cost a few dollars more ($13-$15) than Amazon’s $9.99 price point. But if the iPad is really compatible with open ePubs, you can jt buy books elsewhere and load them up on the iPad. (That’s a big “if.” It’s also the difference between getting library books and not.) [Confirmed. No Adobe ePub books. No library books. Sigh.]

Like it or not, the iPad will give more people access to ebooks than all the other ereaders put together. Is it crazy to think Apple could sell five million of these this year? Ten?

Some links: the official iPad product video; the iPad website; full Gizmodo coverage; Wired’s coverage; Ars Technica coverage. And here’s the whole keynote.

[UPDATE: Also, some ebook-centric iPad links: Random House is not yet an iPad partner; GalleyCat gets reactions from publishing experts; the Guardian gets reactions from all kinds of experts; and here's a proof-of-concept video about magazines on such a device.

More useless blather:

There's been serious backlash since the keynote, mostly taking Apple to task for making a giant iPhone, with all the iPhone's limitations intact (namely, no multitasking, no flash, no outside apps). It also feels like Apple's ePubs won't be compatible with the rest of the world's ePubs (which makes it disingenuous to call them "ePubs," no?).

Personally, I don't own an iPhone because of all those mentioned limitations, but I'm considering this device in spite of them. I frequently want to, say, listen to Pandora while I check a few emails on my phone, or use a real keyboard to type an email error-free. But the iPad seems more like a multimedia powerhouse, not a multitasking workstation.

You can show people your pictures, engagingly read full-color (and multimedia) newspapers and magazines, watch movies (presumably Hulu and Netflix will step up with apps soon), and read books [but no library books]. Once the second generation comes out and the price drops—maybe by Christmas—this might be a pretty good deal for a high-tech coffee table toy.]

CES eReader Reaction: In Which My Excitement For the Alex and the QUE Is Crushed By Outrageous Price Points

Nico Vreeland — Fri, 08 Jan 2010 11:12:15 +0000

You can buy a Nook, a Kindle, and a Sony Reader Touch for the QUE's asking price

So CES officially opened today and, sure enough, prices were announced for the Spring Design Alex and the Plastic Logic QUE. Up until today, I would’ve classified the Alex and the QUE as the two most exciting new ereaders. Then I saw how they’ll cost: The Alex is going for $399, and the QUE is $649 with WiFi, $800 (!!?) with 3G.

Yesterday, I guessed that the Alex would go for $350, and the QUE for $500. I considered those conservative estimates; i.e., I was ready to be pleasantly surprised. Eesh, was I ever wrong.

The big takeaway from these price announcements is simply that ereader manufacturers don’t care about the casual reader. These devices are getting more expensive, not less, and that’s not a trend that’s going to steal the Kindle’s thunder anytime soon.

But there’s more to glean from six digits and a couple dollar signs.

The Spring Design Alex

The Alex’s price point hurts it, but it’s not dead yet

The Alex has a similar interface to the Nook, but it’s nearly 150% of the Nook’s cost. For that money, the Alex had better be fan-freaking-tastic. Early reports say it’s better, but not mind-melting. Gizmodo said the Alex’s user interface is “no less awkward then the Nook, and capable of a lot more.” It does feature what’s basically an Android phone in its bottom half, so the potential is there.

Personally, I haven’t been sold yet, and I was a guaranteed customer if this thing cost $100 less. Keep your eye on this one, but I can’t help feeling Spring Design made their sales team’s job harder with such a high price. It also doesn’t seem to have 3G, which takes the shine off the “online reading” feature. The Alex goes on sale February 22nd; perhaps by then Spring Design will show us something that justifies the price tag. Find the Alex here.

The elusive QUE

The QUE costs a month’s rent; this is a toy for rich people

If the Alex needs to be fantastic, the QUE needs to change ereaders forever for the ducats it’s asking. $800 is iRex territory, reserved for the kinds of customers who buy overpriced gadgets because they’re really expensive, instead of in spite of their cost, or stealing them from others. This is clearly not a device for students, or casual readers, or newspaper lovers; it’s only—as the QUE website states in no uncertain terms—for businesspeople.

Fine. It’s not for me, I get it. But $800 is not gadget money; $800 is laptop money. And what can the QUE do that a smartphone/ereader combo can’t? Moreover, what can the QUE do that the upcoming Apple iSlate won’t do better? Anybody who has to think about spending that money probably won’t spend it on a QUE.

Worst of all, Gizmodo says the QUE’s slow, which is an absolute killer for a device like that. This video from Engadget does not assuage those fears either, as the QUE rep tries to explain away the slow refresh rate by saying the software is still in beta (it’s been a year and a half since a workable demo—and it’s still in beta?); hopefully, it’ll be ready to go by April, which is when the QUE will actually make its way in your hands. Not your hands, per se, but, you know, the hands of that rich jerk next door who leases a Lexus. Find the QUE here.

The enormous Skiff

Still no perfect ereader

In C4′s early days, almost a year ago, I wrote a post on “the perfect ereader,” one that would include a really fast processor, handwriting recognition/document editing features, and tight Bluetooth integration so you could work on papers and then toss them to your computer. We’re effectively no closer today than we were eleven months ago. The QUE seems to be working toward that goal, but wants to build a luxury brand, not a useful, widely appealing tool.

Here’s my new idea of a perfect ereader: one that does reading perfectly. The Kindle doesn’t do library books, the Sony Reader has serious software problems, the Nook is kludgy and half-finished and probably stolen, and the Alex and QUE have yet to prove they’re worth the money. Why can’t one device make buying, borrowing, and reading books easy and enjoyable? At this point, I’m not hoping for perfection, just a lack of obvious drawbacks.

The Samsung E6

So what can we get excited for now?

The Skiff, I suppose. And the new Samsung ereader looks quite interesting, though it also suffers from price-itis. And then there’s the looming specter of the iSlate. I genuinely hope that the iSlate dominates the QUE’s market, and shows companies that ereaders need to be readers, not fancy calendars.

My own plan is to wait until summer. I’m predicting (or hoping for) a sharp Alex price drop in the first few months after it comes out, and—like I said—I’m a guaranteed customer at $300.

Wednesday Links 11-11-2009

Sean Clark — Wed, 11 Nov 2009 11:00:05 +0000

This week we got a better look at the Alex, which, depending on the final price point, could provide some decent competition for the Kindle and Nook come Black Friday the holiday selling season. We also saw more of the Entourage. I know I sniped at it last week, but the functionality of an Android netbook hybrid could make for an interesting device. All in one devices are certain to gain in popularity, but will the OLPC really happen?
It’s not really an ereader device at all, but the tech in the new Intel Reader is neat-o and something that could have cool applications for etext down the road, as well for its intended healthcare market. And, in the tradition of stupid names for ereaders: presenting the PocketBook(s). Finally, I’m not sure what I think about the Sungale Cyberus.
Lulu added a bunch of established authors to their ebook store, and Simon & Schuster is trying to mix up the way ebooks are sold. University of Montana is hopping on the ereader wave, but Irish monks, perhaps predictably, haven’t. Over at reader.ly there’s an interesting post about ebook readers and the Kindle’s top 5 bestsellers.
If you do go out an buy a Nook for that special someone when it’s released, be warned that B&N gift cards apparently don’t apply to ebook purchases. Also, stay away from Random House ebooks for as long as they think it’s okay to charge $70 for an ebook on sushi.
Here are this week’s videos. This time I’ll let them speak for themselves (whatever a loris is, it’s toasty-cute and I want one):

Wednesday Links 10-21-2009

Sean Clark — Wed, 21 Oct 2009 11:00:51 +0000

Wednesday again. As usual, let’s start off with ereaders and go from there.

The Barnes & Noble ereader (maybe named Athena or Nook) is looking pretty snazzy. It’s rumored to be priced competitively at $259; it’s got dual screens and runs on Android. Not to be outdone, so does the mysterious Spring Design’s Alex. Plastic Logic also released some details on their upcoming device, the QUE, which looks pretty sleek and will be available in just a few months.
Google has decided to launch an ebook store called Google Editions., which got the Frankfurt Book Fair atwitter. Walmart wants in too, so they will begin selling ebooks on Walmart.com. For the most part I find Walmart to be just about the most evil corporation on the planet, but it will be interesting to see what effect this has on ebook prices, beyond the current scuffle with Amazon–and what formats they make available.
German parliament bought a buttload of ereaders for some reason. And, might we see ebooks in bookstores soon? Aussies will. Corey Doctorow put an interesting piece for Publisher’s Weekly about ebooks and why he thinks they can be free. Read this interesting response to a savage review of Jonathan Lethem’s new book. Find a great “captain” Ahab or Poe tee shirt over at Novel-T.
For fun this week: Ugliest Tattoos is funny stuff. Until 10/25 you can get the awesome World of Goo (Mac/PC/Linux) legally and name your own price. This Brit video is pretty funny/clever.
And, finally, if you are the Russian spammers overloading our comments, please stop. It’s really annoying. (We’ve been scrambling to get the spam cleaned up, so we apologize to any commenters if your post gets deleted by mistake. Feel free to email us if this happens to you and we’ll get your post reactivated.)