Kindle DX Reader: Not Ready for Prime Time

My university purchased me a Kindle DX Reader ($500) to assess this mode of book distribution. Amazon, the maker of Kindle, is targeting the textbook market with this third-generation model.

More generally, there is growing interest among publishers in e-books but no reader yet to make the choice truly palatable. The first Kindle Readers were "gee-whiz" show-off devices with severe limitations. Was the Kindle DX different? Here is my experience and review:

The product started burning images into the screen by day 3 and then just froze (I returned it). But here is my assessment:

STRENGTHS:

*9.7" screen (diagonal) is right for a tradebook

*Rotation of page: rotate to landscape and it adjusts accordingly

*Highlighting and note taking ability

*Reads well in sunshine

*Wireless works on regular wi-fi

WEAKNESSES:

*Price

*Limited selection of titles

*Slow loading of pages

*No color (black, white, gray)

*Clumsy 5-way controller -- a single button the size of a small ant is used for almost all commands. It drove me crazy trying to navigate, highlight, etc. One tiny slip and off you are to some other category.



*Notetaking and highlighting: I downloaded a book and loaded it. I then highlighted (very difficult) and took notes (a bit less difficult). HOWEVER, the closed-system model makes it difficult to get the notes ("My Clippings") to a computer or flash key. It converts to plain .TXT -- can you imagine?? Zotero in Firefox is far, far superior (see zotero.org). You can carry over the highlighted book but can only read it on the Kindle.

*No touch screen function: THIS is essential for the way people interact with books. What I really want is a tablet PC reduced to this size and thinness with ability to touch screen and make notes. Like a very large iPhone or Tablet PC with electronic ink. (Why doesn't some computer company do it? I hear Fujitsu has a $1,000 model that is much better but only available in Japan).

*File conversion: I planned on using Kindle to read all sorts of documents. It uploads PDFs easily from a PC but any other format must be emailed to your kindle address and then converted FOR A FEE!! A simple .doc might cost you several bucks.

*Complexity: The quick start guide wasn't enough. I had to download the 100 page manual to really understand how to get around.

*Audiobooks: ONLY available from -- you got it -- an Amazon site named Audible.com with a proprietary format (AAX).

*Search function: you can search across all of your stored items BUT ONLY THE META DATA (author, title, ISBN). Useless. With advanced desktop search engines, I was very disappointed in being able to locate content.

BOTTOM LINE:

Amazon is attempting a "closed" eco-system much like Apple products. That is one reason why I never became a Mac user--too many restrictions. However, Amazon's Kindle makes Mac look open-source friendly and Apple's design is far superior. No wonder people are speculating that Apple, not Amazon, will deliver on the promise of a worthwhile e-book reader (even though Steve Jobs infamously mocked books by saying that "people don't read anymore"). Let's hope that someone delivers on that promise because the technology is available.

GRADE: F

Free Textbooks in Our Future?

California is taking the lead on free digital textbooks for high school. Commercial providers (like the one listed below) are also offering free online books in fields like business or science, with $19.95 print-on-demand copies available. That is called the "freemium" business model.

Is this the future? I must admit that the U.S. history text at "Digital History" (University of Houston) is good. Not great but good.

Or will students ignore even the free textbooks? A few complain of the price but they all complain of the TIME. "You mean we have to read the whole thing? That is so lame!"

http://washingtontimes.com/news/2009/jun/13/california-eyes-digital-textbooks/

http://www.clrn.org/FDTI/

Commercial provider (free online, $20 for a printed version):

http://www.flatworldknowledge.com/product-kit/6000

A good U.S. history textbook is available at

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/database/hyper_titles.cfm

The second, revised edition (due for final release in January) is even better:

http://www.digitalhistory2.uh.edu/

Beyond the textbook, there is a rich collection of contemporary music and much more for teachers and students to use.

Best Free Software for Students (and Others)

I am constantly asked which software programs work best, with the unspoken request for something that is FREE. After much trial and error, reading reviews, and working on both PC's and Mac's, this is my list of the best freeware for everyday users.

If you are a geek or want to download software torrents illegally, then this list is not for you. In truth, there are fine freeware programs put out by inventors and open-source teams all over the world. If you really like a program, send the developer a small donation. "Pay it forward" is the operative word in the freeware world.

But what is right for me may not be right for you. If one of these programs (or their alternatives) doesn't work, then go to the download sites I mention.*

*Mac users might try one of the special sites for Mac although I found them frustrating: In some categories, most of the "freeware" was really "shareware"--you have to pay once your short trial time runs out. I spent hours wading through commercial products until I could find some REAL freeware. In the Windows/Linux world, that is enough to get you booted from respectable company. My advice: Go to download.com and click the Mac tab, then do your searching. Ditto with open source software at sourceforge.net

Here is the Wikipedia definition of freeware and open source (I count both categories as "freeware").

NOTE: Some commercial software is available at steep discounts at your school. Ask your information technology people. Even better, some software is available for FREE because your institution may have bought a bulk license. However, the choices offered by your school may not be the best for you so check this list and others.

Feel free to suggest a program to add to the list. Remember that it has to be geared to the everyday user.

PS: If you are a Linux user, some of these programs might work but it took me long enough to work on Windows and Mac; few students or teachers are using Linux and there is just so little time in life. . . Point students to a list you think is best for Linux.