Wednesday, April 15, 2009

Pogue Kindle2 video

Another funny and informative Pogue video, this one on Kindle2 ebook reader. (The video plays for me in Mozilla, but oddly not in Firefox or Safari. But in any case you can get it for free (and in higher resolution) on the iTunes podcast.)

I am wondering if people also said "it's not an either-or situation" in the early days of the PC, about PCs and typewriters. Well, it took twenty years, but...

7 comments:

Tommy said...

I have a hard time with the Kindle and devices like it. Maybe it's my age (slightly beyond my prime), but reading text on a screen (aka. computer) just doesn't make it for me. I can't seem to concentrate as well with a piece of paper. When I read an article on-lne, I tend to print it out and then read.

So I guess, for now anyway, it's the book for me.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Have you seen the Kindle in real life? It really look like a printed page.
Only issue for me is the middle-grey background. (And perhaps the small page size.)

Tommy said...

No I haven't seen one up close. I'm just taking my experience with reading from a video screen vs. paper.

Can I go off-subject a bit here? I'll pretend that I heard you say ok(grin)... It's about cameras. I'm looking at buying the Olympus E-620. I've read reviews etc., but can't determine for sure if you need an auto focus lens or not in order for the camera to perform auto-focus. I saw somewhere auto-focus lenses for sale for it, hence my confusion. Any idea how I figure this out or do you know?

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I think that all Olympus lenses which have been for sale (as new) for many years have been autofocus lenses.

... Mmm, and given that the camera is a "four thirds" system camera, I don't think there's been *any* lenses at all made for it which are not autofocus.

Timo Lehtinen said...

No I haven't seen one up close. I'm just taking my experience with reading from a video screen vs. paper.

The Kindle's display can not really be described as a video screen. Technically and physically, it is closer to paper than an LCD display. This is why they call it e-paper. Interestingly this kind of display (but not as hi-res) has been around since the 1950s, in the Etch A Sketch toy.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Ah, I didn't know that was the same tech.

It's counter-intuitive to me that they have an easier time making sixteen grey tones than to make the "white" actually be white.

Tommy said...

"... Mmm, and given that the camera is a "four thirds" system camera, I don't think there's been *any* lenses at all made for it which are not autofocus."

Thanks Eolake. I guess my memory must be mistaken that I saw an UN-autofocus lense. I was searching fo rlenses on the web and thought I came across them. But, I'll take you expert opnion on it and as soon as I get the money together, make the purchase.

TTL said "This is why they call it e-paper. Interestingly this kind of display (but not as hi-res) has been around since the 1950s, in the Etch A Sketch toy."
I'm gong to have to keep my open and see if I can get a close look at it in that case. Man, do I remember the good ole Etch-A-Sketch...