iPad Air-Mac Mini-Bretford PowerSync Cart

 

 

We have added 14 NEW iPad Air devices for the library installed in a Bretford PowerSync Cart to maintain the devices.  After using the 1st Generation iPads for the last 4 years, it's going to be an exciting journey to implement these into our already growing supply of  iPads, eReaders and tablets.  These include the 1st generation Kindles, 1st generation iPads, Kindle2's, Kindle3's, DX,  B/W Sony and Nook, Kindle Fire and the Nook Color.

 

 

 

7.5 millimeters thin-weighs one pound

 

 

 

The Retina display sits inside thinner bezels with a very sleek enclosure!

 

9.7" Display

2048x1536 Resolution

5m iSight with front Facetime HD camera

A7 chip, M7 coprocessor

 

 

 

All pictures above-Image Credit: http://www.apple.com/ipad-air/

 

 Dual microphones improve audio and suppress background noise for video recording, FaceTime calls, and voice recognition using Siri.

 

 How to maintain so many?
The Bretford Power Sync cart for iPads!

Image Credit: http://www.apple.bretford.com/products/powersynccartforipad

The PowerSync Cart for iPad stores, charges, syncs, and transports up to 30 iPad devices at one time. This cart also keeps our content in sync with our iTunes® library via the Mac Mini.

The cart connects our 14 iPad Air devices to our Mac Mini, at the same time installs apps, books, videos, music, and Podcasts to each iPad, according to our requirements.

As we process these devices for student loans in Tech Services, we will post our progress.  We received the 1st generation iPad's on opening day, April 3, 2010.  Presently these iPads are circulated overnight for student loans.  All other eReaders and tablets are available as 7 day loans.

 

New Nook HD, Nook Tablet, Glowing Nook, Simple Touch

Eleven Nooks to choose from, including the original Nook Color.


All images this page Image Credit: http://alturl.com/uyket

We have so many remarkable choices now for libraries loaning eReaders and tablets. So many great devices for any size library budget.

 

 We have the Nook Color, the B/W original Nooks and two B/W Sony's. We have iPads, Kindle Fires, original K1's, K2's, K3's and Kindle DX. Students are really fascinated with our collection.

For those libraries just getting started in this ever changing technological arena, it's the training of staff and scheduling maintenance that's important to consider in your purchases, not just the cost of the device.  We have been implementing eReaders since 2008. As the devices get more sophisticated, the more time required updating and cleaning the internal devices.

With Amazon coming out with new Kindle models and Apple announcing a possible 7" iPad Oct. 23rd, it will make the choice even more difficult. I would like to stay within the area of Kindles, Nooks and iPads to help keep some sense of stability with our inventory. Not that we wouldn't try a new company's device, but for now, our inventory is servicing our needs quite well for students, faculty and staff.

 

Next blog:

New Kindles and the New Smaller iPad



Nook HD+ 9" screen
 

Nook Tablet 7" touchscreen
8GB $179
16GB $199

The Glowing Nook
Nook Simple Touch with Glowlight $119
6" Touchscreen 7 oz.

Nook Simple Touch B/W $99

Nook Color 7"
$149
Original price last Fall...$199

 

 

 

Wi-Fi, e-Readers, and Libraries "sometimes" Don't Mix Very Well! What's the problem?

We purchased 15 Kindle3's Wi-Fi only units and sent them all back last month.

Why?

Image Credit http://alturl.com/ajff2

After opening and processing over half of our new K3's in March, I decided to purchase and download a book to one of the new K3's. It took so long to sign into our "peer to peer" network via Wi-Fi using the arrow keys and still had to go to 'Shop the Kindle Store’. I thought I had stepped back in another era.

This was a very frustrating process. Why? You have to use the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to navigate on the Kindle screen and slowly inch your way around with the ‘little hand’ to sign in and ‘check’ a user agreement for the college. Our iPads have the ‘pinch’ method of enlarging the screen that makes signing into our college Wi-Fi much easier.

This lengthy process finally landed me in the “Shop the Kindle” URL, but certainly not the screen we were accustomed to with the original K1-3G Kindles. Again using the 5 Way Controller and arrow keys to locate a book was just too complicated and time consuming on the non-3G units.

It appears we would have to purchase and load each book this way. Really? If you buy the item on your PC/laptop, after you sign-in and connect to the college Wi-Fi, the item should download automatically. Or you can use the USB cable to download books after purchasing them on your PC/laptop. I would go just batty, quickly if this was the on-going process. We could suggest to our boss that we drive all the Wi-Fi Kindle3's over to Denny's or McDonald's every time we needed to purchase or download an item. Now that would be a fun field trip! [Just kidding!]


After a few calls to Amazon Kindle about this issue, they told us that using ‘peer to peer' computers for staff /student sign-on via Wi-Fi was going to be difficult trying to purchase items. Really? We would have to use the USB cable to download items after purchasing them on our stand alone PC/Laptop. Sounds like the Sony Saga to me.

What a headache! The Amazon rep.  also suggested that IT could add a separate router for Wi-Fi connection for the digital e-readers. But when it comes down to it, it's just makes more sense to pay the $50 one time and use the 3G technology for the life of the unit. What a concept! Really!!!

The Director of LLRC was very understanding and agreed to send these units back and purchase fifteen K3's with 3G. He agreed it was better to have all our Kindles as 3G models for efficient service for our patrons.

When the new K3's with 3G arrived last week, I was almost as elated as when we received our 1st shipment in May 2008 of thirty-four K1's. First thing I did was turn on the wireless and order a book just to be sure we were at last out of the "Time Warp". Needless to say, it’s well worth the extra $50 per unit to have this ease of use. We have been very spoiled with using 3G technology since 2008, we just don’t want to go backwards in technology and we shouldn’t have to.

Students, faculty and staff have certainly enjoyed our K1’s, K2’s and Kindle DX’s, and now our new K3’s. We also have several iPads, Nooks and Sony’s for check-out. Our major loans are with the Kindle units for textbooks and required class reading assignments.

Next blog? Vook! How vook might impact our library in the future and also we will share other research about EBSCO Host, NetLibrary and Overdrive.  How can we utilize this with our present equipment?

May 10th, we are also looking forward to our field trip and presentation at our Regent V CCLA meeting at Broward College in South Florida for CCLA/LINCC covering e-Readers, e-Textbooks and the practical ways we have implemented these new technologies in our library.

July 14th, at the SEFLIN Bridges to Technology Conference 2011, our Palm Beach State Library staff from the Lake Worth campus will sit on a panel to discuss these very issues.  This SEFLIN Conference is to be held at the Kovens Conference Center in Miami. The presenters will focus on technology and the new roles for libraries as librarians become e-brarians, using technology to assist customers.

Digital e-readers as Gifts?

Eeny, Meeny, Miny, Moe

Not a great way to choose your

new digital e-reader!

Digital e-readers can be a very difficult purchase for so many.  I was on the phone with my sister-in law Sunday for an hour or more; plus texting back and forth this past month with questions and answers. 

Her concerns were; buying a unit she hadn't held before, which size, 7" or 9.7" Kindle, iPad or the new color Nook, and cost vs. size. Wow, its really not easy.   Each digital reader has its own pros and cons.

We discussed this purchase

 like buying or car. 

1-What would you use it for? Textbooks, novels, newspapers, magazines, blogs, games, email?

2-Who else might use it?
3-Would you use it for school, pleasure, work? All three?
4-Is 3G important or is Wi-Fi ok?
5-Cost?

Once you answer these questions for yourself; call, email or text your friends that already own a digital

e-reader.  Ask them how they like it and what they use it for.  Make a "Pros and Cons" list on paper and you'll get your answer.

We have archived several posts on this blog with links to other sources on many digital e-readers as they have arrived on the show room floor or online.

Good luck with your new purchase! 

Happy New Year 2011

http://www.multyshades.com/2010/12/30-superb-happy-new-year-2011-wallpapers-feel-the-joy/



iPad vs. Kindle DX "itis" and Education

There are so many blogs on iPad vs. Kindle DX, that this will be more about the 'education' side rather than personal use and preferences. We don't have an iPad to physically compare yet, so we will go with the stats that Apple has provided through the media.

There are several good blogs out there, but with our new Windows 7 installation, I'm not able to copy/paste or type these long links correctly at this time. Hopefully they will load to the right of the blog on the 1st page. The various blogs are rather good reading if you are a library/college institution and trying to decide; "Yes, to e-readers, but which one is best for our students".

Basically if you have a Kindle DX with 4GB memory for $489 and an iPad with 16GB memory at $499, it's a no-brainer...and you get all that other techno stuff with the iPad.....right? Yup! Other than this, the pros & cons are split. The main 2 comments concerning drawbacks with the iPad are the battery power; 10 hrs with iPad and also wireless charges. Kindle DX, on the plus side has 7 days with the wireless on and no wireless fee.

The power issue might not make a difference in student loans, as we'll have power cables with their check-out. I don't see a downside there, as we have laptops we loan for 3 hours with about 2 hour battery power; check out includes a power cable. We are presently discussing the iPad loan time for a 3hour check-out, not a 7 day like the Kindles/Sony/Nook.

Adding a monthly wireless service fee from AT&T on each unit is a minus for iPad for library budgets. The Kindle and Nook are free wireless. As you read the mainstream blogs, the other comments center on E-ink vs. LED backlit.

The iPad will be a big hit with students and teachers for e-textbooks; color pictures, interactive, charts, diagrams; as e-textbook publishers will be able to add video, like having a CD-ROM without the disc. Sounds very user friendly for education:] On the other side, if you are a student that reads endlessly for class, the Kindle might be easier on your eyes.

Looks like the field is wide open to new models next year. Right now our popular e-readers are the K1 and K2, 6" size for fiction and non-fiction titles. We have many teachers with a required reading list for students. If the hardback copies are all checked out, we are able to purchase many of these titles for our e-readers. The students have been very receptive to using the 6" Kindle and 9.7" Kindle DX for textbooks, [same size as iPad].

Also, here are a few patrons' comments comparing the Kindle with the Sony Touch:

Sony seems to have a glare and the ink is gray compared to the Kindle's bold black text...this is a very important area; eye strain on readers. We have registered our Nooks, and found this to be a very frustrating process using their 'touch screen keypad'. If you are use to "touch" phone technology, you'll be ok. We'll have to just wait to see how innovative the iPad is and their improved iTouch technology. Some techno blogs have said iPad improved their iTouch technology and will not have the problems some people have complained about. We have not loaded any books on our Nook with their 'touch' keypad. More on that later.

We'll have more comments soon from students, faculty and staff comparing the Kindle, Sony-Touch and Nook for student use. This April, we'll have most of our e-readers loaned out for the 2010 Read Together Palm Beach County Campaign.

http://www.literacypbc.org/ [still hand typing http site] then click blue link for "read together".

The five books that are being voted on now are:

Hotel on the Corner of Bitter and Sweet, The Things They Carried, Run, The Guernsey Literary and Potato Peel Pie Society and The Book Thief. We have loaded these on a few e-readers for voting and will purchase the winning title for the "read together", hopefully, for all our e-readers to enjoy.

We have found that students request a particular e-reader, depending on why they need it. I can see libraries having a variety of these fascinating digital e-readers to compliment their hardback/paperback collection and textbooks on reserve.

Happy E-reading:]