The new updated Sony PSP portable gaming device will include a web browser. That gives it games, film, photo and web – the most comprehensive pocket instrument out there. But for the time being, it’s read-only. Without a stylus, or virtual keyboard, many of the web’s more interactive elements will be unavailable.
if:book
A Project of the Institute for the Future of the Book
At internettablettalk.com:
http://www.internettablettalk.com/forums/showthread.php?p=281#post281
“Yeah, no kidding. People are hungry for this size browser. And that screen ain’t nothin’! Certainly is a big picture. I wonder if it’s lifesize?
“Actually, come to look closer at it, the page being displayed must be 1000 pixels wide. Is this a hoax, Ben?”
The web browsing capability of the new PSP is no hoax, but the image is just something I cobbled together on Photoshop for fun. Who knows how the NY Times would actually look on that screen. I’m pretty sure there would be formatting issues.
“Hoax” isn’t the word I meant, sorry — I meant “composite.” I’ve only seen one photo of a PSP showing a web page so far that was live.
But I agree, as a non-PSP owner and likely to remain so, that its web browsing is a big deal.
play station portable as online reading device
[Source: if:book] quoted: The web browsing capability of the new PSP is no hoax, but the image is just something I cobbled together on Photoshop for fun. Who knows how the NY Times would actually look on that screen.
I researched other reviews and talked with owners of the Kindle 2 and DX.
I chose the kindle2 and I am very pleased. The only difference I can see is the extra price.
I am happy that I did not spend the exta. The kindle2 is great and I have not been able to put it
down since it arrived yesterday. It is easy to use and the books download in less than a minute.
If you have any hesitations, let those go and purchase the kindle you will not regret the purchase.
I wish I had purchased it sooner.
A lot of people I have talked to about the Kindle don’t understand what it is or why it is special. I will try to run down the high points quickly.
What is it? Kindle is an e-book reader. Sony and Samsung also make them.
What is an e-book reader? An e-book reader has a screen that is not an LCD. It uses something called e-ink or digital ink. LCDs wash out in bright sunlight. They also require a back light which wastes energy and drains the battery. Many people also believe the emitted light causes eye strain. E-ink only uses power to change the display (ie. turn the page). It uses no power to sustain the image, therefore the battery lasts a very long time.
How is the Kindle different from other e-book readers? It uses the Sprint cellular network to deliver content including all of the books in the Kindle store and some web sites, such as Wikipedia.
Do I have to have a subscription? No. Amazon pays Sprint for the use of the network. That fee is included in the price of the books you buy.
Can I only read books from Amazon? No. You can put any PRC format book on the Kindle and read it today.
What is a PRC file? It is the old Palm Pilot e-book format. It is sometimes called a MobiBook. There are many of these freely available on the internet.
Can I put my own content on the Kindle? Yes. It will not read most of it natively, but Amazon provides a free service to convert PDFs and Word DOCs, etc. It does not do a great job every time, but it is usable.
Is it in color? No. It will be eventually, after the costs come down. Right now it is 16 gray levels, which looks surprisingly good.
Why should I use this over regular books? Personally, I like books, but they are incredibly wasteful. Books require an enormous amount of resources to create and distribute. Many of them are also single use items that crowd your storage space. Save some trees and some gas by reading e-books.
Is it perfect? No. It is too expensive for most. I think the price will be much more attractive around $200. It should support PDFs natively, although I understand why they do not. (It has to do with being able to reflow text without the need to scroll.) It should use a mini-usb plug instead of this proprietary one. The OS lacks features that may make it much better in the near future.
Would you buy it again? I am about to buy one for my Mom right now.