PDFs on the K3

I was asked about PDF files on the Kindle 3.

It handles them surprisingly well.

You can zoom in them with the AA button. But often you don't even have to, because while I still bitch a little about the (improved) contrast, I can't complain about the resolution/sharpness. In short, this is a fantastically sharp display. Even reading a Missing Manual book in PDF, which was designed for larger pages on paper, while showing small text, they are clearly legible at full page width with the screen in horizontal orientation. I had not expected this. (Admittedly it's a minus that these books, like many other modern ones, use  sans-serif fonts with very thin strokes, this is not helpful here.)

There may be issues with some files. At least, I tried TidBITS' Take Control books as PDF, and it seems I only get blank pages. Odd, let's hope there's a solution to that and that it's not common.

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A note on the lighted cover. It's really nice physically. And the light is very good for the small size and the small battery usage (LED lights). And it's a good solution if you like to read, but others in the room want it dark.
But the light, obviously, is quite uneven, and I find the lower third of the page much harder to read than the top. So I wouldn't use it if I have good light available.

I would say though, that if you're getting the case anyway, consider the one with the light. OK, it's twenty-five bucks more, but hardly more bulk or weight, and if you need it occasionally, it's great.

These leather cases though, double the size and weight of the tiny Kindle, so if you appreciate super-light-weight use and travel... maybe make a cover out of bubble wrap.       :-)

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By the way, you can get my blog on the Kindle now, at least in US and UK, perhaps Europe. You have to pay a small fee. 

Kindle 2/3 comparison (updated again)

 Hey, how about that, it's now small enough to fit in some breast pockets. You can use it as an iPod to read text to you or play music. (The plug is at the bottom, and so is the space bar, so you don't have to take it out of the pocket to start/stop it.)

OK, just got the Kindle 3 today. (I refuse to call it "Kindle (latest generation)".)

In short, I feel that there is no dramatic improvement in any quarter, but that each of the important aspects are improved just enough that it matters. Contrast is a bit better, speed is a bit better, size is a bit better, and usability is a bit better (better button placement and feel, now there's a back button on the right as there should be).

 (New one on the left in both photos.)

It's funny how the improved contrast feel like the text is sharper, only it's not. But I think better contrast does this also in photos. A print with too-low contrast will feel less sharp, despite that it may be pin-sharp.

If they can do this once or twice more (improve contrast by 50%), then it'll be about where I think it oughter be. But this is usable.

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Man, how time goes when you're having fun. I "just sat five minutes" to play with settings on my new toy, making this post and such. And when I was done, my tea was cold... in my Thermos mug! It had been two hours. Dang.

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Update:
I have now been reading a bit on the K3, and I'm pleased. The differences, especially the screen contrast, are just enough that with good lighting it is very easy to read, finally.
And also this means that I have decided what I've been in doubt about: yes, LCD screens are a bit harder on the eyes, this is more relaxing. This seems obvious to some, but I've not had good comparisons, because in print, text size is usually a compromise between readability and space concerns (and aesthetics, small text looks great if you don't have to read it), and perhaps white paper is actually a little bit too white. For me it seems that a very light grey with black text is ideal.

BTW, the K3 is so light and small that the leather cover doubles the weight and bulk! 

Casualties of eBooks and Why It Is Different This Time

Adam Engst and Andy Ihnatko on the Casualties of eBooks and Why It Is Different This Time, audio discussion from two of my favorite writers. These guys know their stuff, they are funny, and they are both passionate about books.

Are E-Books Worth the Money?

[Thanks to TCGirl]

Are E-Books Worth the Money?, WSJ article.

A bit funny, that article, the author holds it as an advantage for some ebook readers that they don't have any wifi or 3G connection, because "That means fewer impulse purchases". 
But he has some interesting points, and he mentions one statistic which made me sit up:

While e-books are still in an early stage—the Association of American Publishers says that so far this year they account for 8% of consumer books, compared to just 3% in 2009—the growth rate is dramatic. (This is one of the problems besetting Barnes & Noble, which has just announced a quarterly loss following a decline in sales of traditional books.)

That is amazing. Up from three to eight percent in one year! Profits are much bigger on ebooks than paperbooks, and as sales rise, Amazon and others will push the devices like crazy, because it's now or never to grab for market domination. I think it's possible that in a year, you can buy a Kindle for $50, and a smaller iPad or iPad-like device for $200.

It is starting. Remember CDs? Buying any this year? I bought maybe three CDs last year, and those were only the ones I could not find on iTunes or even over bittorrent.

The dog who believes he's a sea lion

"My dogs name is "Grizzly". When he was a little pup he lived with a Sea Lion pup. A bit confused, Grizzly thinks he is a Sea Lion. He has a fascination for dolphins and sea creatures."

Gotta love this dog. 16 years old, and going at life full tilt.
There's an actual whale in the last third of the video.

Crazy Photographer

Crazy Photographer, post/pictures.

Update: it's a bit exaggerated. (Thanks Craniac.)

Baen Free Library

The Baen Free Library. Tons of free books, and also an interesting essay on "piracy".
(Somebody once pointed out that calling file sharing "piracy" is trivializing the human tragedy of real piracy which is still a living business. I have a friend who experienced it as a child.)

... Hey, I just now see that good ol' Kathy "KD" Wentworth, who I went to writing workshop with in 1990, is represented here! Kool.  She's a sweet and fun woman, and a good writer.

It took a couple of minutes for me to find the books in formats other than web pages, but it turns out that one can't find them via the "series" index or the "author" index, only through the "books" index (click link on the left). But then there are more formats than you can shake a Nook at.

Oddly, many of the book pages say "Ebook Price: $6.00", even though on the same page you can download the book for free.

Talking about free ebooks, check out Seth Godin's multi-author What Matters Now, a free PDF of super-short articles. It an unusual book and it's designed for easy screen reading in landscape format.
(You can even read it on the iPhone's high res screen if you have good eyes.)
(Tip: you can lock or unlock screen rotation on the iPhone by double-clicking the home button, swiping right, and clicking the circular lock icon.)

Seth Godin cuts off the book publishers

This article led me to this post by Seth Godin.
He has become powerful enough to leave traditional publishers behind, focusing on direct sales to his audience. The question being, how many could do that successfully?

Here's a commentary on it. And an audio interview (MP3 file).
An interesting detail: we see Seth Godin, one of the world's most successful entrepreneurs/writers/speakers in the world, and we don't think maybe he wasn't always. But he says in the interview that between 1985 and 1999, he failed at "at least thirty significant projects". Wow.

The first-linked article mentions that in the US alone, there was over a million book titles published in 2009!  Wow, that's a sobering thought for a writer.
Interestingly, less than one third of those were published in the traditional way, the rest are print-on-demand and such. That's almost double that of 2008, which was double of 2007. Talk about a growing medium.

The big dog

[Thanks to Mark]

One day you will no longer be the big dog...
just the old dog....
and it's nice to be surrounded by friends.

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Color theory

Here's a chart with many basics of color theory in one place. Although to be honest I think one need to have studied the theory before, to be able to get much out of such an abbreviated format. It's just a quick-reference chart. But hey, it may make some curious about the subject.

Photos coming soon

Unloaded graphics in my email app added a little unintentional humor to this commercial email.

(It's from Viv Thomas in UK. Their site is nothing special, but they have made some very good adult DVDs (the Pink Velvet trilogy for example), with really cute girls going at it with each other, and the girls don't have high hair, or thick makeup, or black lingerie, or plastic tits. It's way more cute and natural than 98% of adult fare.)

Pogue reviews K3 (update)

David Pogue reviews "what everyone (except Amazon) is calling the Kindle 3". (Yeah, I wonder what the reasoning is behind not calling it "3"? It's just confusing to have no separation of models. Accessories have to be described as fitting "the latest generation", not very precise.)

It's a very positive review, which makes me happy, for I ordered one weeks ago, and I should get it within a few days.

I already (today actually) got my red leather cover with a clever little LED night light built in (does not add to the bulk, it draws power from the Kindle and is very flat and pulls out from the corner), and it really is a very nice object. Very pleasing. It should look nice with the "graphite" colored Kindle. (Took them long enough to realize it should be darker than the grey screen.)
(Hah! The cover is almost half the price of the device! Funny.)

Like Pogue says, the Kindle is now competing with the iPad in precisely the areas it has going for it: size, price, and weight. It's roughly a third of the price, a third of the size, and a third of the weight. And it seems this is striking gold, if you order now in the UK, delivery is two or three weeks later than originally promised, so I guess they're selling better than ever. (Actually, I think this is the first model which is being sold from the UK, so that may aid the size of the crowd who wants one.)
(A UK review here from The Independent. Weird article, though, it really does not say much.)
Update: TCG found this unpacking video from a publishing CEO.

Update:
What I'd like is something with a good screen like the iPad's (smaller would be OK), and weighing less than 300 grams. Should that be so hard? Why have all the ebook readers that awful e-paper? Battery life? Would it be so terrible to have to charge it every couple of days?

OK, I'll see tomorrow, they do say the new Kindle's e-paper is not quite as awful (dark) as the older models'. But still, there should at least be room for a model with an LCD screen, no? 

Has anybody heard anything about why all the makers have selected the e-paper screens?