Pros and Cons Digital e-Readers May 2010

iPad pros
-Ease of use, color & graphics are exceptional,
back lit for night time reading
-Internet on iPad; no comparison to Kindle’s drab web browser
-Vibrant and cool looking icons/apps, very “alive”, giving user many choices

-Purchase a book with our password only
-Low end iPad with 16GB memory at $499 with Wi-Fi,
compared to Kindle DX/K2 with 4GB memory for $489

iPad cons
-Monthly fee $14.99 250MB data/ $29.99 unlimited data service 3G wireless
-Glare on the glass, eye strain
-battery power 10 hrs
-Wi-Fi card is not as strong as our laptops, connection can be difficult inside library
-Patrons can set a password lock on unit, IT has to reset upon return of unit- solution: put a 4 digit number for password before 1st check out, patron needs our password to change

Kindle DX/K2 pros
-Downloads wirelessly, free Whispersync, via Sprint, under 60 second purchase
-Wireless download "click to purchase", receiving 1 to 6 copies of each book
-Battery power 7 days with the wireless on
-Very easy on the eyes, no glare, no complaints about eye strain
-Text-to-Speech

Kindle DX/K2 cons
-No expandable memory [except original K1]
-No color
-No back lit feature
-No replaceable battery -[except original K1]
-Easy for patrons to order items without approval

Sony pros
-Finding and opening a book is easy, stylus is very handy
-Staff downloads ALL e-books via the PC using a USB cable
-Compatible with Mac and PC
-Compatible with multiple eBook stores
-Purchase via password account

Sony cons
-Turning the pages by 'whisking' the index finger does not work efficiently
-"Touch" & "tap" feature is not always productive
-Eyestrain from glare on glass, ink is very light gray with any font size
-Use USB cable connected to PC for all downloads, no wireless feature
-Awkward for patrons to download free e-books via USB cable

Nook pros
-Free wireless downloads, 3G & Wi-Fi via AT&T
-Color touch screen for navigation
-Digital lending for 2 weeks
-Purchase via password account
-Memory expansion, 16GB card up to 17,500 eBooks
-Replaceable battery

Nook cons
-Color feature on touch screen only for navigating, small narrow screen
-Books are in black/gray, not color
-Hard to use the small “touch” keypad, very sensitive
-Digital lending for 2 weeks, not approved by all publishers
-Awkward power on/off button

iPads are great fun and educational!

It's been really fun using the iPad!

It's great to hear all the ohhh's and awwwh's from students, faculty and staff, over the ease of use, terrific graphics and all the fun apps.

I have not read any of the books we purchased, and would like to see if it's as easy to read several chapters on the iPad as it is with the Kindle without eye strain.

Hopefully this weekend, time will permit spending some quality time with the iPad.

We loaded 3 books for a variety; Stones in Schools by Greg Mortenson, Water for Elephants by Sara Gruen, and a little sci-fi by Jim Butcher, Storm Front.

Some have noticed quite a glare from the glass, and that's the only complaint. The Wi-Fi card is not as strong as our laptops, so we don't find a quick connection at every area of the library. If we go outside to get connected, and walk back inside, it usually stays. Our next set will have at least one 3G unit.

Only problem we have run into is loading iTunes on our PC's. Why? We have Deep Freeze on our PC's, which prevents us from downloading new software. We used our MacBook Pro, but it had an older version of iTunes, and we needed Ver. 9.1. IT came to our rescue and loaded the new version on the MacBook Pro and within minutes we had our update, iPads connected, configured and up and running with 3 books purchased. I would also suggest charging up the iPad for at least 1 hour before you get started, using the power cable, not the USB cable, as the USB takes longer to charge.

Good News for libraries: To purchase a book, we have to use a password, not a '1-click' to buy, like the Kindle. Once you're in the store and purchase one book with a password, you can keep ordering books for that session. This process will help us keep track of our inventory. Patrons can browse the store for books and download samples, but they can't purchase.

It was a crazy morning getting the equipment set up, for our raffle, before the first patrons could borrow the iPads. If you are about to set out on this journey or purchasing any other digital e-readers, please give yourself plenty of time to set these up without being in a rush.

We hope in the very near future, Apple will have more news about the 5 major publishing companies and e-textbooks to help students defray the cost of books for their college education.

iPads Have Arrived!

There will be a drawing for 1st check out, April 14th, 12:30 pm, during National Library Week, here at Palm Beach State, LLRC, floor 2. Three lucky patrons will be the first to check out our iPads.

April 3rd iPad arrives!

Did you pre-order your iPad?

We did! We hope to receive our shipment Saturday April 3rd or Monday, April 5th. There is a limit of 2 in the pre-order and then the rest will arrive hopefully in May.

We will be giving demonstrations on all our digital e-readers during National Library Week, in April. The theme this year is "Communities Thrive @ your library". What a wonderful time to introduce the iPad, Kindle, Nook and Sony Touch e-readers to patrons.

This will be an exciting time at Palm Beach State College:]

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:]

Kindle or-iPad ? Kindle or iPad ?

iPad or Kindle


See the link below for a front page local newspaper story, about the iPad, including Palm Beach State College. [mixed reviews]


http://www.palmbeachpost.com/money/south-floridians-greet-ipad-with-mixed-reviews-198213.html


[http://www.apple.com/ipad/features/ for picture above]

Sony eReader good, bad, & ugly?

3rd day of exploring our new Sony Touch edition

The Sony Touch feels heavier than the Kindle, 1st generation.

I changed the 'orientation' to landscape and this is much more comfortable for reading; distributing the weight between both hands. Landscape mode still gives me easy page turning on the left side of the unit.

Finding and opening a book is easy, but turning the pages, by 'whisking' the index finger is very frustrating, and resulted in using the page turning buttons on side. Sometimes in other areas I find the stylus is very handy, as the "touch" & "tap" is not very productive with fingernails or fingertips.

It's nice to 'touch' books on the screen, then from the list choosing a previously opened book, bringing me to the last page read, rather than the Kindle way. The Kindle, when turning it on, opens in the last book and page read. This is ok, if you're not reading 5 different Kindle books at a time. [A very minor thing!]

As far as lending the Sony to students, we find that this will be great for the library. Why? Because our staff has to download ALL e-books to the unit via the PC using a USB cable, no wireless; giving us more control over what we purchase on the units. This is more time consuming, but more organized. This can get very messy with over 40 Kindles.

The Kindle has a wireless download and the purchase comes via "click to purchase" through our Amazon account for all registered Kindles. With the Kindle we receive between 1 and 6 copies of each book we purchase. Example: The Lost Symbol-$9.60 gave us 4 copies. With Sony, we receive only the one item.

The Sony has been checked out more than 'in-house'. We have not played with it since we returned to school for the spring term. Most patrons are enjoying downloading free e-books. They seem to be very comfortable with using the USB cable and browsing.

Presently, I like the Kindle more, for ease of use. Some tell me I like the Kindles better, because it was our 1st digital e-reader and we've been experimenting with them since May 2008. We are awaiting the Nook to arrive the end of January. This will be another digital e-reader that will be very popular with students, staff and faculty.