Coming soon: Asus Eee Reader!!!

Hooray for another e-book reader is coming out - the Asus Eee Reader! For the full story, read it at the London Times

Listed below are some if its features, with my comments of course. :)

1. It's more affordable than the Sony E-Reader and Amazon Kindle! It will cost ~£100 (~US$ 145 / ~PHP 7,000). This could become the cheapest e-reader in the market. Can this spark a price war for e-readers?

2. It has two screens and folds like a book. This makes the reading experience more natural, as if reading from a printed book. Love it!

3. Full-color screen, unlike the monochromatic screen of its competitors. Does this mean it will have a screen similar to a laptop? I wonder, is it possible to switch to a "reading mode" (monochromatic) screen?

4. Size of the screen has not yet been revealed. But based on the picture, it looks pretty big, as large as a 10" screen netbook. As a reading device, this is quite large to carry around, but I think Asus envisions this device to be multi-functional.

5. One of the screens can function as a virtual keyboard, hence the device could be used as a laptop that enables one to surf the Internet, etc.

The Eee Reader does not mention of a stylus included, and I hope there is because I think a stylus is essential for all e-readers. Let's just wait and see for the official announcement from Asus, this initial announcement is exciting book geeks like me. :)

Read more...

The Potential of E-Book Readers

Sony's announcement of two e-book readers, the Reader Pocket Edition and the Reader Touch Edition (picture on the left), has caught my attention today. This is tough competition for Amazon's Kindle DX, due the following features of the Reader Touch Edition:

1. Touch screen that comes with a stylus that enables users to highlight and write on the "pages" of an electronic book. This feature is useful for bookworms like me.

2. SD memory card slot. Amazon's Kindle does not come with this feature (it has a 4GB internal flash memory). More memory, the better.

3. Nice design, it is sleek and simple. It looks a lot better than the Amazon Kindle (I don't like the many buttons).

Of course, it also comes to mind that the success of e-book readers is dependent on the accessibility of the e-books. From my brief research, the e-books are only available for purchase via online sites that sells for ~$8.00 per e-book (this is expensive for me!). Sony has also announced that you can load e-books "loaned" from local libraries. I don't clearly understand the mechanics of Sony's, but I see this as an opportunity for different ways the e-books can be sold. Here are some ideas:

1. E-books can be purchased on-loan, meaning it would expire after a certain number of days. After the expiry date, the customer can have the option to extend the validity of the e-book in case he/she has not finished reading it, which comes with a price of course. Expiry dates may vary depending on the length of the book, or on the number of days the book will be loaned. This will make e-books more affordable than the current $8.00 per e-book.

2. Book publishers can give special support for e-books by releasing e-books ahead of the physical book release. Of course, this comes with a special rate.

3. In countries with lower online purchase rates such as the Philippines where I'm from, e-books can be made available in bookstores in the malls. I think tie-ups with bookstores are essential even in other countries.

4. The e-book readers can include a SIM slot for 3G Wi-Fi access. There can be special websites designed for browsing via e-books (most likely these are e-book online stores).

I have this other random idea: What if these e-book readers function as an mp3 player too? I sometimes like to listen to music while I'm reading. Hmm Apple E-Reader? :D

I'd hope this entry has sparked your interest and possibly, for more ideas. Please feel free to comment, I'd like to hear your thoughts. :) Read more...

Unboxing pictures of the Acer Aspire One D250

Borgy's Auntie bought an Acer Aspire One D250 in red around two weeks ago. Check out the pictures Borgy took!

The box and the Acer Aspire One closed:


The netbook sleeve and the Acer opened:


A closer look...



Specifications:
Intel Atom N280 1.66GHz
1GB RAM
160GB Hard disk
10.1" screen
Intel 945GSE Express graphics card
Windows XP Home
6-cell battery
Acer InviLink 802.11b/g Wi-Fi CERTIFIED network connection

Read more...

Asus Eee PC 1005-HA: The Positive & Negative

Since it's been two weeks when Borgy has purchased his Asus Eee PC Seashell netbook, I asked for his feedback. Read on why it's a good purchase and the problems he encountered (so far).

The POSITIVE: Why the Asus Eee PC 1005-HA is a good purchase:
1. Long battery life. It lasts for 6.5 hours on Linux; 8.5 hours on Windows.
2. Keyboard size is large at 92% full-sized.
3. Good design, slim
4. Fast and responsive
5. Glossy screen makes for crisper display (but can hurt visibility when outdoors due to glare)

The NEGATIVE: Problems encountered
1. The following are not supported out of the box after installing Linux:
a. LAN
b. Wi-Fi
c. Hotkeys


2. Touchpad is too sensitive that it would activate while typing.
3. It is heavier than most netbooks (but he doesn't really mind).

Instructions on how the the LAN, Wi-Fi, and hotkey problems were solved will be posted by Borgy in a separate entry, coming soon! :D
Read more...

Unboxing pictures of the Asus Eee PC 1005-HA (Seashell)

Borgy bought an Asus Eee PC 1005-HA (in black) and I took pictures while we "unboxed" his new baby. He bought it at the E-Hub at Shangri-la Plaza for Php 21,700. It was a pretty good deal because he got some discount vouchers for some electronic items (Linksys router), and got a free 1GB USB.

I'll give feedback on this from Borgy on my next entry. :)

Meanwhile, check out the pictures!


From the box:



The Seashell when closed:



Sideview:



Front view with keyboard:



The power cord and the sleeve (the sleeve is made of felt, not so good because it picks up dirt):


Specifications of the Asus Eee PC 1005-HA

Intel Atom 280 processor
1GB of DDR2 RAM
160GB hard drive
10.1-inch LED-backlit display (1,024 x 600 resolution)
802.11n WiFi
1.3 megapixel webcam
Bluetooth 2.1
Three USB 2.0 sockets
Multicard reader
Audio in / out
VGA output
Windows XP Home
Available in white, black, pink and blue

Read more...

My new earphones: Pioneer SE-CL20U

I bought new earphones because I have been having difficulty with using the earphones that came with my iPod Nano. When I use the iPod earphones for long, it hurts my ears.

There is no particular reason why I chose these earphones. I just figured Pioneer is a good brand and it was reasonably priced for the brand at PhP 990 (less than $20). It's the kind of earphones shaped like a bullet that fits snugly in your ears.

Testing the earphones, it works well, meaning, the music I hear sounds just right and is faithful to how it should sound. It's not spectacular earphones, but it will do for me while I'm at my desk in the office. I also bought an extension cable for my earphones because my PC in the office is under the table. This will enable my earphones to reach the PC. :) Read more...