Apple e-Reader News: Nine articles on this page
e-Books on the iPhone & iPod Touch?
Surprise! More people could be reading e-Books on these multimedia players than Amazon's Kindle in 2009. E-Reader Feeder covers only e-Readers but since two to three million users have downloaded free Stanza eReader software to read eBooks on their iPhones & iPod Touch players, we are going to cover Apple as well.
With over eighty million Apple players capable of becoming colour e-Reader devices, Amazon has purchased Lexcycle, which designed Stanza, and is heavily promoting the ability of the iPhone & iPod to download over 350,000 e-Book titles at Amazon.com.
With the majority of book lovers choosing to wait until prices are lowered on dedicated e-Readers & others uncertain whether to buy their own, it seems that it is the adventurous among us who are willing to be the first in our neighborhood to buy a new e-Reader. But with the runaway popularity of the iPhone, millions can now try buying their first wirelessly downloaded e-Book from Amazon without spending $200 or more to go digital.
With over eighty million Apple players capable of becoming colour e-Reader devices, Amazon has purchased Lexcycle, which designed Stanza, and is heavily promoting the ability of the iPhone & iPod to download over 350,000 e-Book titles at Amazon.com.
With the majority of book lovers choosing to wait until prices are lowered on dedicated e-Readers & others uncertain whether to buy their own, it seems that it is the adventurous among us who are willing to be the first in our neighborhood to buy a new e-Reader. But with the runaway popularity of the iPhone, millions can now try buying their first wirelessly downloaded e-Book from Amazon without spending $200 or more to go digital.
Stanza helps Apple lead the e-Reader market
Stanza is a e-Book reading application that has been out for two years and its popularity is growing in a daily basis, is reshaping the mobile ebook market the same way the iPhone itself revolutionate the mobile phone business.
Stanza offers an extensive collection of books downloadable directly on the iPhone through its online catalog & was purchased by Amazon.com to allow it's own ebook inventory to be sold & read on the iPhone.
Stanza supports a wide variety of formats including HTML, PDF, Microsoft Word, Rich Text Formatting as well as the major eBook standards including Amazon Kindle, Mobipocket, Microsoft LIT, Palm doc, and the International Digital Publishing Forum’s new Open e-Book standard and converts seamlessly between formats. In an industry that has struggled to standardize on a format, Stanza’s conversion capabilities ensures that investments made in any format are not lost.
Rumored Apple Tablet computer delayed until late 2010
From PC World, Nov 19th, A popular rumor going around the net is that Apple is working a portable tablet computer similar to a notebook sized iPhone. This "iTablet " will have a web browser, email, video & music playback, an eReader and much more but even the prototype has not been shown in public.
Sources within Apple's supply chain are reportedly saying the tablet's launch date has been pushed back from March of next year into the second half of 2010. The reason for the delay is that Apple has decided to switch out some components, and will also produce a second tablet with a 9.7-inch OLED screen. The new model would be in addition to a version with a 10.6-inch LCD display.
An OLED screen would use less energy, have less glare, and be able to deliver a brighter, crisper image compared to LCD. But all those advantages are going to mean big money, with a retail cost for the OLED model reaching as high as $2000. The LCD model, Digitimes says, would retail for around $800 to $1000. Of course this is all speculation, and we don't know which screen will be used when it is finally released.
Apple's Tablet: official announcement on January 26th?
From Wired, Dec 25th, 2009 - Several sources have revealed to major newspaper that Apple is preparing a special event in San Francisco on Jan. 26 - a venue where Apple has held its previous iPod events. Speculation from the Financial Times is that the event will show off the the tablet prototype.
The Silicon Alley Insider’s cites a “plugged-in source in the mobile industry” who said Apple has contacted select developers to ready a higher-resolution version of their apps for a demonstration of the tablet in January. One major iPhone developer, Raven Zachary of Small Society, told Wired.com he had to “ignore media requests pertaining to Apple rumors or confidentiality.”
Most rumors are following the line of thought that the tablet will be either a 7 inch or 10 inch model of the iPhone or iPod Touch, with the majority believing it will be the larger size. There may even be two models released at the same time. In September, wired.com compiled multiple rumor reports regarding an Apple tablet. The consensus was that Apple was preparing a 10-inch touchscreen tablet running the iPhone OS & will have a strong focus on competing with e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle.
The Silicon Alley Insider’s cites a “plugged-in source in the mobile industry” who said Apple has contacted select developers to ready a higher-resolution version of their apps for a demonstration of the tablet in January. One major iPhone developer, Raven Zachary of Small Society, told Wired.com he had to “ignore media requests pertaining to Apple rumors or confidentiality.”
Most rumors are following the line of thought that the tablet will be either a 7 inch or 10 inch model of the iPhone or iPod Touch, with the majority believing it will be the larger size. There may even be two models released at the same time. In September, wired.com compiled multiple rumor reports regarding an Apple tablet. The consensus was that Apple was preparing a 10-inch touchscreen tablet running the iPhone OS & will have a strong focus on competing with e-book readers such as the Amazon Kindle.
e-Reader market grows: what is Apple up to?
From Red Orbit, 8 October 2009, As the e-reader marker continues to see massive growth, all eyes are on Apple.
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has not been one of several tech firms to release its own tablet device thus far, but rumors surrounding the firm seem to point to the possible development of its own tablet PC that would stand a good chance of rivaling Amazon, the current e-reader market leader.
In September, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple’s chief executive Steve Jobs had returned to the company just months after undergoing liver transplant surgery. The Journal quoted “people familiar with the situation” who said that Jobs was focusing on the development of a new touch screen tablet device.
“Mr. Jobs’ involvement is a sign of how important the new gadget is for Apple. In the months before Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 -- now its fastest-growing product -- the CEO was also on top of every detail, such as the curvature of the phone's back,” said the Journal, citing inside source. The company has made no public mention of the existence of an “iPad,” but if it does exist, outsiders hope it would be presented as an oversized version of the Apple’s popular iPhone
The Cupertino, Calif.-based company has not been one of several tech firms to release its own tablet device thus far, but rumors surrounding the firm seem to point to the possible development of its own tablet PC that would stand a good chance of rivaling Amazon, the current e-reader market leader.
In September, the Wall Street Journal reported that Apple’s chief executive Steve Jobs had returned to the company just months after undergoing liver transplant surgery. The Journal quoted “people familiar with the situation” who said that Jobs was focusing on the development of a new touch screen tablet device.
“Mr. Jobs’ involvement is a sign of how important the new gadget is for Apple. In the months before Apple launched the iPhone in 2007 -- now its fastest-growing product -- the CEO was also on top of every detail, such as the curvature of the phone's back,” said the Journal, citing inside source. The company has made no public mention of the existence of an “iPad,” but if it does exist, outsiders hope it would be presented as an oversized version of the Apple’s popular iPhone
Kindle looks dated compared to Apple's tablet rumors
From Macleans, Dec 24, 2009 -Many experts expect the Kindle will be old news in a few months. Rumours are swirling that Apple will release a touchscreen tablet in the spring of 2010 that would be a mash-up of an iPhone, e-reader and laptop, complete with a colour screen and full Web-browsing capabilities. “
The Kindle is a very early, 1.0-version of the technology,” says Kaan Yigit, the president of Solutions Research Group in Toronto. “It’s kind of a one-trick pony in that it doesn’t do anything else well. It just does books.” While that makes sense for Amazon, which is in the book business, it doesn’t necessarily make Kindle an ideal companion for consumers who want more multimedia flexibility, according to Yigit.
The publisher of Sports Illustrated recently released a video online that depicts how the magazine might look on a touchscreen tablet similar to what Apple is believed to be developing. The eye-catching mock-up includes interactive pages that mix printed articles, crisp photos and video, which the Kindle is incapable of handling. The rendering makes the Kindle look overly studious and even somewhat dated with its black and white screen and dozens of tiny buttons.
The Kindle is a very early, 1.0-version of the technology,” says Kaan Yigit, the president of Solutions Research Group in Toronto. “It’s kind of a one-trick pony in that it doesn’t do anything else well. It just does books.” While that makes sense for Amazon, which is in the book business, it doesn’t necessarily make Kindle an ideal companion for consumers who want more multimedia flexibility, according to Yigit.
The publisher of Sports Illustrated recently released a video online that depicts how the magazine might look on a touchscreen tablet similar to what Apple is believed to be developing. The eye-catching mock-up includes interactive pages that mix printed articles, crisp photos and video, which the Kindle is incapable of handling. The rendering makes the Kindle look overly studious and even somewhat dated with its black and white screen and dozens of tiny buttons.
e-Books without Apps on the iPhone
From CNET, March 6th, 2009 Just because there are e-Book readers in the App Store, it doesn't mean that you need to use those if you want to read books. The App Store has a relatively limited number of books for sale as apps.
Since you don't need an additional e-book reader to read through them (the books have reader software built-in), it's an affordable way to get into the e-book market. Believe it or not, your iPhone is all you'll need.
I downloaded a few titles on my iPhone and found that, generally, the experience was about the same as you would expect from any other reader on the device. That said, you won't be able to customize the way the books are displayed as easily and each title is a standalone, so you can't have multiple books housed under one icon, like you can with eReader or Stanza.
Overall, the reading experience was fine when I picked individual books and each title remembered where I left off. Swiping to the left allowed me to go to the next page and the "pinch" feature let me zoom in on different parts of the page. It made reading intuitive, but once again, trying to find the sweet spot that balances both font size and readability was difficult.
Since you don't need an additional e-book reader to read through them (the books have reader software built-in), it's an affordable way to get into the e-book market. Believe it or not, your iPhone is all you'll need.
I downloaded a few titles on my iPhone and found that, generally, the experience was about the same as you would expect from any other reader on the device. That said, you won't be able to customize the way the books are displayed as easily and each title is a standalone, so you can't have multiple books housed under one icon, like you can with eReader or Stanza.
Overall, the reading experience was fine when I picked individual books and each title remembered where I left off. Swiping to the left allowed me to go to the next page and the "pinch" feature let me zoom in on different parts of the page. It made reading intuitive, but once again, trying to find the sweet spot that balances both font size and readability was difficult.
Apple to join the Tablet computer race with iSlate
From the Guardian UK, December 27, 2009 - Apple is expected to start the new year with the launch of its latest gadget: a tablet computer that will allow users to surf the web, watch TV shows and read the next generation in online magazines and newspapers.
The latest rumor is that Apple will name & unveil this large "iPhone" device the iSlate this January because Apple had registered the iSlate.com internet domain name several years ago in anticipation of releasing their keyboard-less portable device.
Apple has previously investigated the possibility of producing a tablet computer but shelved the idea at the last minute, and there are already tablets available in the market from rival PC manufacturers. France's Archos, which pioneered digital music players but saw its market lead stolen by Apple has already created an internet tablet based on Google's Android software. Microsoft's latest tablet prototype, rumored to be named the "Courier" involves two 7in multi-screens side by side in the form of a booklet.
But the explosion of legitimate digital content services, the rise of downloadable applications – fuelled by the iPhone – and the widespread availability of wireless broadband has created a market for a tablet PC that is more of a multimedia device than merely a "keyboardless" computer. It would essentially be a cross between the iPhone, Apple's TV service and an iPod.
The latest rumor is that Apple will name & unveil this large "iPhone" device the iSlate this January because Apple had registered the iSlate.com internet domain name several years ago in anticipation of releasing their keyboard-less portable device.
Apple has previously investigated the possibility of producing a tablet computer but shelved the idea at the last minute, and there are already tablets available in the market from rival PC manufacturers. France's Archos, which pioneered digital music players but saw its market lead stolen by Apple has already created an internet tablet based on Google's Android software. Microsoft's latest tablet prototype, rumored to be named the "Courier" involves two 7in multi-screens side by side in the form of a booklet.
But the explosion of legitimate digital content services, the rise of downloadable applications – fuelled by the iPhone – and the widespread availability of wireless broadband has created a market for a tablet PC that is more of a multimedia device than merely a "keyboardless" computer. It would essentially be a cross between the iPhone, Apple's TV service and an iPod.
B & N App for the iPhone can't handle big books
From Gear Diary, Dec 28th, 2009 According to Gear Diary, the iPhone version of the Barnes & Noble eReader won’t read large books by such authors as Stephen King, Neal Stephenson, etc. There is a bug that will not affect e-books under 700 pages but large books like "War & Peace" could make your iPhone app to crash & burn.
The program will open the book, but if you close and reopen the application it will then go to the splash page and freeze and quit. The only way to get the program to work again is to delete the application and re-install it – which means you have to download all your books all over again.
