Love Wikipedia and Have an eReader? Check This Out

Over at the excellent blog "How-To Geek" they have outlined a way to turn any Wikipedia article into a PDF eBook. This eBook then can be stored on your computer or transferred to and eReader. The process is simple, and when you are finished you have an offline copy of any Wikipedia article available wherever you go.

Check out the full step by step instructions here.

eReaders Become More Affordable

If you are interested in buying an eBook reader, now is the time. Several new models of readers are coming out soon. Also, several popular eReaders have recently dropped in price.

As we have mentioned previously, Borders is getting into the eBook game. The company is launching its own eBook store, and will soon be selling two new eReaders. In addition to the Sony eReaders it currently sells, Borders is adding the Kobo eReader and also the Libre Pro from Aluratek to the lineup. The biggest thing about these new eReaders is their price. The Kobo eReader costs $149.99, while the Libre Pro is only $119.99. Each of these new eReaders, if purchased through Borders, will also come preloaded with 100 free classic books.

Barnes and Noble is also releasing a new version of its popular Nook eReader. The new Nook Wi-Fi costs $149, and has almost all of the same features as the Nook that was released last year. The only difference is that the Nook Wi-Fi does not have built-in 3G connectivity, so you can only directly donwload books to your Nook if you have a Wi-Fi connection. Barnes and Noble has also dropped the price on the older version of the Nook, now called the Nook 3G, to $199.

Not to be outdone, Amazon has dramatically cut the price of its Kindle 2 eReader, to $189. Just recently, it was selling for $259. The Kindle is now also available for purchase in Target stores.

Meanwhile, sales of the the Apple iPad show no signs of slowing down. Apple announced that, in only 80 days, it has sold over 3 million iPads. Compare this to estimated sales on the Kindle, which in approximately 2 years has sold 3 million units.

With the many different eReaders now available at a wide range of price points, now is an excellent time to try one out.

A Look at nook

Here at The Tech Desk, we have been following the rise in popularity of ebook readers. Until recently, we have not had any hands-on experience with these devices. Because we have seen an increase in the number of questions about them, I decided to purchase one to better understand the technology involved and to better help patrons who have questions regarding them. After considering the pros and cons of the different ereaders available, I decided to purchase the nook from Barnes and Noble.

The nook features 2 display screens. For viewing ebooks, the nook features a 6” diagonal E-Ink screen that displays content in 16 shades of gray. It also features a smaller color LCD touch screen at the bottom of the device which is used to navigate through the nook’s contents. The nook supports many popular file formats, including EPUB, PDF, MP3, JPG, and GIF. It also supports DRM protected content, such as ebooks checked out through OverDrive, one of the Troy Library's suppliers of downloadable content.

Like the Kindle and the Sony Reader Daily Edition, the nook features free wireless connectivity so that you can purchase ebooks directly from the Barnes and Nobel website, and have them directly loaded into the ereader without having to sync with a computer. The nook uses AT&T’s 3G network. Firmware updates are also sent wirelessly.

Setting up the device was easy. The nook comes with a Micro-USB cable and also an AC adapter. After taking it out of its package I plugged it into a wall outlet. After the device started up, it walked me through a brief tutorial on how to use it. When plugged into a wall outlet it is available for use, so while it was charging I was able to access the Barnes and Noble eBook store and purchase an ebook. Within a minute I was reading a new ebook while my nook was finishing its initial charge.

Having finished reading a 400 page novel on the nook, I can say that reading is a pleasure. There are 3 font styles available, along with 5 different font sizes. Like most current ebook readers, the nook is not backlit so you need to have light in order to read. Additionally, it does take a second for text to refresh when you turn a page; however, recent firmware updates have reduced the time this takes.

The biggest drawback with the nook is that the main reading screen is not a touch screen. For example, if you need to look up a word (the nook comes with a copy of Merriam-Webster's Collegiate Dictionary), you have to use arrows displayed on the touch screen to highlight the word. This process would be much easier if the main display screen was a touch screen.

As mentioned above, the nook is compatible with OverDrive. I was able to go to the Troy Library's website, and checkout and download a title. Transferring ebooks downloaded from OverDrive to the nook was straightforward. OverDrive content on the nook is DRM protected, and you will not be able to access it on your nook after the checkout time expires.

I have had some small problems with my nook. It has a tendency to freeze at times, especially when turning the wireless on and off. This is easily remedied by turning the device off and on again. It also seems that battery life does not last as long as indicated on the Barnes and Noble site. Again, this is a minor complaint.

Overall, I believe the nook is a great ereader, especially for someone who likes immediate gratification of being able to purchase books wirelessly and also wants to be able to download ebooks from a library.

Early Look at Nook

The hype has been building since the October 20, news conference about the Nook, the new eBook reader available from Barnes and Noble. Now the first hands-on reviews have started to arrive. Is the Nook a better option than the Kindle or Sony Reader? Take a look the following and decide for yourself:

• Your First Look at Nook: The Technologizer Review (via technologizer.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via gizmodo.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via cnet.com)


• Barnes and Noble Nook Review (via engadget.com)

Amazon Releases Kindle for PC Application

Competition for ebook readers has been heating up.

Sony has introduced new versions of its Reader. Barnes and Noble's new device, the Nook, will be shipping soon. Instead of a new device for the holidays, Amazon has launched a new, free, application that allows Kindle books to be more accessible. Kindle for PC joins the Kindle for iPhone app that allows Kindle books to be read on devices other than a Kindle, like on your home computer.

Still a beta release, Kindle for PC, like the Kindle for iPhone app, features Whispersync technology which keeps tracks of your place in a book when you switch between devices. It is currently only available for Windows, but a Mac version is promised.

For some reviews, check out this story at wired.com and this review from PC World.