Re: Amazon Kindle
 

The Kindle includes a very basic web browser that uses Whispernet (Sprint EVDO), but it is essentially a dedicated ebook reader. Its 6" 4-greyscale screen (portrait mode) is as wide as a N810 in landscape mode and twice as high. So one Kindle page equals two FBReader N8X0 pages. One downside of E-Ink is that refreshes are slow, so zooming and panning isn't really an option. So the smaller N8X0 can be better for reading standard sized PDFs (which have to be converted for the Kindle anyway).

The Sony PRS-505's screen is the same size as the Kindle's, and very recently it was upgraded with Adobe Digital Editions. This reads DRMed Adobe PDF ebooks (and standard PDFs) by "reflowing" them. It probably now has the best PDF viewer on a 6" E-Ink device.

Since the Sony PRS-505 is running Linux, Adobe could port Digital Editions to the Nokia tablets. They would probably only do so if they had a deal with Nokia - although they do make money from each Secure Adobe ebook sold (and more reading devices means more ebook sales).

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

One point regarding screens; the N800 is 800x480, while the Kindle is 600x800 -- the linear resolution is about 75%, which means you may have to use larger fonts. If the Kindle were, say, 1024x768, it would be completely equivalent to 2 screens' worth, but as it stands sufficiently sharp-eyed (or habitually close-to-face) readers could get more like 1.25 worth. I, BTW, fall into those categories (a bit of both) so the current generation of ebook readers aren't very tempting to me. Next generation, I expect, should match the tablet's resolution (DPI), and I'll be much more tempted.

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

I think you meant to say 768x1024

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

Good point. A color LCD screen may be able to do better anti-aliasing of fonts as well.

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

I got the update, Kindle 2.5, today and its Internet connection is noticeably faster and ihe browser is improved. That's not bad for a payment of $0 a month forever.

The text to speech seems improved also, but that could be my imagination. I greatly prefer the female voice to the male.

I could tweet nicely and typing on the Kindle 2 keyboard and big screen seems more comfortable than on my beloved N900.

I didn't test extensively, but I had the feeling I would be able to access lots of websites happily.

Just for kicks I tried playing video with no luck.

For me, the Kindle plus the N900 and prepaid Tmobile make up a dynamic lowcost combo.

Note: I'm not using the Kindle international version and so the free provider is Sprint rather than AT&T.

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

I was just reading an article about the Kindle Fire in which it is commented that it has upended the Tablet world -- and it isn't even a (real) tablet.

And I was re-rembering arguments here about what the forthcoming N900 should look like, and to the idea that it should be bigger because a lot of people like to read books on it. One person in particular kept saying that book readers were just a niche product, and Nokia shouldn't go after that insignificant market.

The powers that be apparently agreed wholeheartedly with that argument, because Nokia soon abandoned tablets and the word tablet was even removed from the name of this site, because Nokia so completely rejected the idea of developing tablets.

I wonder where that guy who was so convinced larger devices were a waste of time went? He disappeared from this site long ago.

And I wonder what Nokia would now give to own the niche market Amazon built with its tablets?

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

Amen to that. I was one of those people that was disappointed that the N900 went with the 3.5" screen. I remember thinking at the time that another 0.5" on the N8x0 screens would be just about perfect. Although I think it is the Samsung Note and not the Kindle Fire that seems to be the better successor to the NITs...shame about the OS though.

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

Most of what's said in these forums is honestly against the grain of pending trends and tends to fit under the category of geek whims - which usually equates to about as far away from mainstream (read: stuff that sells in huge numbers) as possible.

Since I've been here, a large portion of what people say should be done to satisfy their needs which are... quite niche it seems.

Re: Amazon Kindle
 

Can't really agree with you here. What Geneven is referring to was the upset when Nokia dropped the NIT 4.1" screen to 3.5", which was the size of the iPhone and pretty much all other screens at the time. But then, shortly after that, 4"+ screens became pretty common for the high-end. Instead of leading, Nokia chose to copy, and then found that copying was following, and then found that "following" put them (surprise!) behind.