Challenge and Urgent Appeal--Ereaders Required

[pshrynk]

We actually do believe we have the best site possible for promoting electronic reading. Thank you for your input.

[kennyc]

Originally Posted by pshrynk

We actually do believe we have the best site possible for promoting electronic reading. Thank you for your input.

Yes. And it is!

[kacir]

Originally Posted by esecallum

Thanks for your input.I still disagree.The text to jpeg is cumbersome.I don't want to spend 3 minutes (really 30 minutes since you have to switch on computer..do conversion.get the reader..get the usb wires...connect to the computer usb..copy/loadfiles....unplug usb...put away wires..files delete surplus files..switch computer off).
So are really misleading with the 3 minutes.it is more like 30 minutes.

I use computer at home every single day, so for me there is no waiting for it to start. It is usually already started when I decide to prepare another batch of books for reading. I use an e-ink reader, but I still convert the vast majority of my reading material for it. And I am usually extremely annoyed with books I can not convert to my liking.

I also very rarely convert a single book at the time. Usually I convert a batch and load up my reader for months of reading, so time needed for starting applications (and recording macros and writing and debugging elaborate scripts) dissolves among dozens of books I convert at the same time.


Let's get back to digital frames.
I have recently purchased a digital photo frame in a "damaged goods" corner in a thrift store. I paid hefty sum - 11 Euro.
I was hoping I might be able to use it as an "emergency" reader, or perhaps for reading colour picture books with my kids or as a backlit reader for those rare occasions when I need to read in dark. Like when I am traveling in a car at night as a passenger.
That thing is Completely, Totally, Utterly, Absolutely Unusable as reader. Period.

It is the cheapest and the most featureless model, mind you, so Your Mileage Might Vary if you purchase something that has more sophisticated firmware and display that has reasonable resolution and does not blink.

The major "feature" that would prevent even the most determined reader from using it as an e-book reading devices are those random effects then pictures are being changed/advanced. Imagine reading from a powerpoint presentation where author used a fiendish mix of all possible animated effects for changing slides. Each page change animation takes about 5 seconds and the frame can not be configured not to use those effects.

[Elfwreck]

Originally Posted by esecallum

Thanks for your input.I still disagree.The text to jpeg is cumbersome.I don't want to spend 3 minutes (really 30 minutes since you have to switch on computer..do conversion.get the reader..get the usb wires...connect to the computer usb..copy/loadfiles....unplug usb...put away wires..files delete surplus files..switch computer off).

So are really misleading with the 3 minutes.it is more like 30 minutes.

Perhaps an 8-minute process--if I allow 3 for the computer to wake up. Since I work with my computer every day, and it doesn't turn off, the wakeup time for my computer is less than 30 seconds.

The rest of it? Less than 5 minutes. Less than two, if the wiring's all connected because it's a procedure I do often enough to leave them connected.

Of course, if you're new enough to the process that those are slow and clumsy steps, it will take longer. But don't blame the process for your lack of experience.

Regarding this mess of the site you are wrong again.

Spending 17 years on a unwieldy site has accustomed you to its untidyness in the same way a teenager gets used to the mess in his bedroom.

I am new and fresh,young and perceptive, and can see how it is such a mess. It lt also looks very plain old fashioned and dowdy, and thus you are giving reading a bad image. A bad ambassador for your cause.

The owner needs to get up ,do some work and rise above his complacency and make the site more funky and modern.

Why? So it can attract more people like you, who don't like anything currently on the market and complain that companies aren't working to meet your anti-tech preferences for an ebook reader?

This will increase traffic which means he can start putting adverts and make some more money,perhaps enough for him to buy a new car and toys for the kids and a nice dress for his wife.

It will only increase traffic if the "funky and modern" site doesn't drive away a substantial portion of the several thousand current members and hundreds of daily participants.

Right now, there are no complaints about the layout from people who read & love ebooks. There is occasional feedback about improvement possibilities--add a new forum, change how some labels work--but no complaints about the overall arrangement.

Are you GUARANTEEING several hundred fresh new participants, who will click on ads, if the forums are changed to fit your preferences? Because otherwise, you're wrong... the current arrangement works for hundreds of people, and we've only seen evidence that it doesn't work for one person.

[Patricia]

More long-standing members will remember that we did have advertisements at the top of the page. Visitors who have not yet joined the forum still see them, but they are currently disabled for members, owing to problems with Google Adsense.

[esecallum]

[QUOTE=Elfwreck;621197

[kovidgoyal]

feed the troll, anyone?

[esecallum]

Originally Posted by Elfwreck

Perhaps an 8-minute process--if I allow 3 for the computer to wake up. Since I work with my computer every day, and it doesn't turn off, the wakeup time for my computer is less than 30 seconds.

The rest of it? Less than 5 minutes. Less than two, if the wiring's all connected because it's a procedure I do often enough to leave them connected.

Of course, if you're new enough to the process that those are slow and clumsy steps, it will take longer. But don't blame the process for your lack of experience.



Why? So it can attract more people like you, who don't like anything currently on the market and complain that companies aren't working to meet your anti-tech preferences for an ebook reader?



It will only increase traffic if the "funky and modern" site doesn't drive away a substantial portion of the several thousand current members and hundreds of daily participants.

Right now, there are no complaints about the layout from people who read & love ebooks. There is occasional feedback about improvement possibilities--add a new forum, change how some labels work--but no complaints about the overall arrangement.

Are you GUARANTEEING several hundred fresh new participants, who will click on ads, if the forums are changed to fit your preferences? Because otherwise, you're wrong... the current arrangement works for hundreds of people, and we've only seen evidence that it doesn't work for one person.

I stand by my convictions.

you should be thankful for my valuable insights and for trying to make you rich.If you were smart you would take up my offer and use some of the advertising money to buy and then give away free ebook readers in a monthly competition here to members.This would increase your traffic enormously.

I stand by my convictions look upon my convictions ye mighty and despair .


Now getting back on track look at this.IT SEEMS TO BE PROMISING.

at less than a 100$.

It is a wiki reader.check it out.below.

This is more like it:


http://www.techwatch.co.uk/2009/10/1...vice-launched/

by Darren Allan

Openmoko has announced the US launch of its WikiReader, a portable device which provides offline access to Wikipedia articles.

Priced at $99, WikiReader features a basic monochrome touchscreen display, and three million English language Wikipedia articles stored on a microSD card.

The company plans to offer updated memory cards every quarter, so you can keep up to speed with Wikipedia’s ever-changing landscape. Minus the editing cat-fights, of course. A year’s subscription to the updates will cost $30.

While the display isn’t backlit, the good news is with a low energy consumption it will apparently run for the best part of a year on two AAA batteries.

No word yet on whether it’s due for a UK release.


amazing they can do it and the batteries last a year!!!!

for $99.

Now i wonder if can be used to read txt,html,rtf,etc...

i wonder how big the screen is?

================================================== ========
UPDATE!!!


Here are the pictures:-

http://www.geeky-gadgets.com/wikirea...et-13-10-2009/

my comments...my review

oh my god it is so ugly...........so hideous...so awful looking...

the proportions are all wrong!! a horrible square shape.it looks disgusting.

what were they thinking?

it looks so uncool....nobody would want to be seen dead with that...

what brain dead designer thought of that shape...why not rectangular....?

It is unwieldy, uncomfortable to hold,not ergonomic...what i the name of the designer?

so that i can give scold him severely....

designer morons...this is just awful and is destined to fail....


i had such high hopes....


arrrrgghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!!!!

[Patricia]

esecallum: Please would you try to make your points in a more courteous manner? There is no need for such an abrasive tone, which merely serves to alienate people.
Also, please refrain from making duplicate posts. We have already had to close one thread and this thread partially duplicates another here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...809#post624809
It is quite unnecessary to repeat your views on the wikireader three times in three different places.

We have posting guidelines here:
https://www.mobileread.com/forums/sho...809#post624809
(or click on "Guidelines" on the blue bar at the bottom of this page).
May I suggest that you read them? If you don't care to follow them, then you may be happier somewhere other than this forum.

[Mr. Dalliard]

I admire everyone's patience with this fellow, I really do.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by Mr. Dalliard

I admire everyone's patience with this fellow, I really do.

We're a patient bunch, but only up to a certain point. Patricia's warning was our last!

We have a tolerant, open and friendly place here, but we won't tolerate abusive language and aggressive behavior!

[CommanderROR]

Exactly...