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.

Clipboard on Steroids: How to Capture and Keep Multiple Clips

One of the annoying oversights of PC and Mac is the lack of a "clipboard extender": a clipboard that can clip all types of material (plain text, rich text, hyperlinks, images) and keep a list of your last 100 clips for recall later. Seriously, once I discovered the power of a good clipboard extender, I don't know how I lived without it! This is a "must" for any one working with text, images or web urls.

Clipmagic was my favorite for many years. It is free, powerful and you can customize what it does. Go to http://www.clipmagic.com/clipboard-extender.html

Grade: B+

Recently, however, I was in search for a 64-bit clipboard program (Clipmagic is 32-bit). I stumbled upon a little treasure that costs $17 (with educational discount) for two computers:

Clipcache Pro. Even more powerful and slick than Clipmagic, and rock-solid stable with both 32-bit and 64-bit versions.

There is a 30-day trial on Clipcache Pro. Give it a try. Whichever one you choose, you will never go back to the old way: Extenders are way better than one-clip-at-a-time clipboards!

Grade: A+

If there is an equivalent free program for Mac, I haven’t found it but Mac users might try iClip or Savvy Clipboard. Mac users can send me suggestions.

PS: There are many junkie clipboard extenders that only do plain text. I tried about 30 of these before stumbling on Clipmagic and Clipache Pro.

Digital History for America

There are many web sites for history but few as all-encompassing as

http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/

This site focuses on U.S. history and does it very well. It includes a full online textbook (free), many documents, images, and media (all free). Plus it is just plain fun to read tests like this one:

"Could You Pass the 1885 Admission Test for High School?"

Definitely worth bookmarking for the teacher (or student) who might need to grab something for class.

Hot Pick! Tube Download/Player/Converter (UPDATED)

UPDATE: Version 2.4 now includes a download accelerator and a box for "Use Same Video Quality as Source": No easier way to eliminate the hassle of video converting! They fixed the audio sync so that now the built-in player works flawlessly. I like a company that responds swiftly to feedback and improves their product.

REVIEW:

The software development team at YouTomato, based in China, describe themselves as "a group of digital aficionados who are dedicated to making audio and video editing and processing as simple as brewing coffee or using a blender."

As a digital aficionado I have spent decades working with audio and video, both for my music and for teaching history. In the 1980s, I worked at a high-end "stereo salon" selling equipment that cost more than my annual salary! Still, I am always on the look out for software tools that will make my life easier and more productive. With the online availability of high-definition video, the question is "what tools do we use?"

I've tried them all: ten different Firefox extensions for downloading audio and video, converting it, renaming files and so on. The Firefox extensions include Video Downloadhelper, "Download Youtube Videos in HD MP4," Downthemall!, Flashgot, etc., etc.

On top of the Firefox extensions, there are the various software programs I describe elsewhere on this site

Any Video Converter (conversion)
VLC (player)
Jetaudio (audio/video player and converter)
Youtube Downloaders (download from Youtube only)
Mediamonkey (audiophile's all-in-one for audio).

I won't bore the reader with all the programs I've used but they share a common, frustrating inability to deliver the "whole package": one program downloads HD videos but only from Youtube (not other sites), another program downloads from multiple sites but every file is named "video," most programs download audio or video but then you need a second program to convert and hope it preserves the original resolution. Tweaking with video settings is not my idea of fun.

So along comes TubeDownload (formerly Youtube Video Downloader). I've used it for several weeks and liked it so much I bought a full copy (the one added feature is conversion after 30 day trial limit runs out). TubeDownload is simple, intuitive, and powerful:

*Set to find HD video (or audio) if available. Many High-Definition videos are hidden as redirected links but TubeDownload found them each and every time!

*Fast downloads: the latest version (2.4 as of this writing) includes download acceleration. I tested on a DSL and T1 line: The download speeds are 2-3 times faster than prior versions of Tube Download! I then tested the speeds against Firefox extensions (Downthemall!, Video Downloadhelper, others). Result: TubeDownload was faster than those as well.

*Conversion: Several options here:

*Automatic conversion after download: Preset to convert downloads to a file type of your choosing. This eliminates having to convert after the download.

*Quality settings: convert to Excellent, Good, etc. This makes it easy for a newbie to convert without having to fiddle with bit rates (although that is possible for expert users).

*"Use Same Video Quality as Source": No easier way to eliminate the hassle of video converting! I've tested this and it actually works. My main complaint with other video converters is that is is too darn difficult. With TubeDownload, this is my favorite setting because I don't have to be an educated guesstimator with bit rates, screen size, etc. What a relief.



*Right-click conversion: TubeDownload Play and Convert are integrated into your right-click context menu (you can turn this feature off). Right-click a MP4file and convert to WMV (or vice versa). There is also a conversion option within TubePlay (see below).

*Convert to devices: It will automatically convert files so they fit your iPhone, Blackberry, Sony PSP, etc.

*Tube Player: this is neat. Once a download is complete, there is a play button that opens the built-in Tube Player. This will play most file types, both audio and video. Other neat feature is it opens FOLDERS, not just files. If I open my video file folder, it shows large thumbnails of all my videos, along with their file types. Hover over a thumbnail and it gives you the video (or audio) properties. One problem: the default file type is FLV so it doesn't show all videos unless you click the drop down to choose *.*

*Lightweight: TubeDownload and Player come in a single 3MB program file. Amazing.

*Batch downloads: from playlists or simply adding multiple URLs. I haven't used this function much but others might find it useful.

*Browser button: TubeDownload installs as a small button in Internet Explorer or Firefox (I dont' know about other browsers).

The full version costs $30 but is worth every penny. The free version has ALL the features minus the converter. Since purchasing TubeDownload I have gotten rid of eight Firefox extensions and desktop applications. Less is more.

SUGGESTIONS (to developers):

1. Batch convert: the right-click conversion allows conversion of a single file but it would be nice to batch convert entire folders or many files at once. This is the one feature I miss from Jetaudio Plus.

2. Fix "bug": : TubePlay will play AVI, SWF, WMV but if you add them as default file types, the program does not remember and clears the settings back to FLV only. You have to go into Windows Control Panel and change the default settings for each file type.

BOTTOM LINE: "A+"

The New Deal Project

With all of Washington, D.C. buzzing with talk of a "New New Deal," it is helpful to research the old New Deal(s). This web site is very useful for teachers of U.S. history. Read a high school newspaper from the 1930s, ex-slave narratives taken by the WPA, and much more.