Good news!

Since the, IMO, overpriced ipad arrived, I have been waiting to see what offerings would appear from non-fruit vendors and the Nook looks interesting.  The price is certainly much better as mentioned.

Here's a video.

Now that the Nook is out maybe it's a sign that there are more media readers ready to debut soon?

iPad and MRH

I have no children at home anymore so I usually don't get to see any of the new gadgets that have a penchant for buying. I do know that both now have 32GB iPads that they use for various purposes including watching movies. Now that does appeal to me but the $799.00 price tag plus NYC Sales Tax does not. Of cpurse neither of them paid that because they got their's at a new auction site (at least it's new to me) where they paid less then $100.00 each.

New technology doies not phase me if I can find a reason to buy something that actually make sense to me in terms of the benefit versus cost of any item. I still no real benefit to having and iPad that I don't already ahve access to.

As for the Nook and other devices, I frankly don't see I need them. Others can certainly decide that they do and more power to them if this is their decision. But money doesn't grow on trees despite the fact that certain politicians do. Politicians are the last authorities on anything as every idea they have usually costs the taxpayer money which somehow the politicians never have a problem spending without a second thought (and I suspect they don't have a first one either that can't be bought by foreign governments.)

Gee, can you tell it's election time here in the USA?

In any case I am not out to prevent anyone from buying stuff. That's personal decision, but mine, at least at this point in time, is that I don't really need an iPad or Nook or even Kindle.

Irv

You said it...

I have to agree Irv.  While I do find these devices to be interesting gadgets...that's as for as that goes.  I still have better things to spend money on.

Color nook review

There's a discussion along with a video review here  http://money.cnn.com/2010/10/26/technology/nook/index.htm  The review was not particularly favorable.

dave (who bought his wife an iPad as an 'internet consumption appliance' for Christmas - don't tell her!)

Depends

A lot depends on its processing ability. If it doesn't have power to run general purpose apps, then its going to be just another e-reader and likely be sluggish as its siblings at reading PDFs.

7" screen is still pretty small.

Still, its nice to see new products. I look forward to playing with it at B&N. I am still looking forward to low cost true tablets to hit the market.. ones you can write on not just poke with your fingers.

Chris

Don't underestimate finger poking

I've become so adept at using my iPad for all kinds of things that I hardly ever use the laptop. When I really need to do heavy-duty keyboard work, I have an iPad keyboard and it works marvelously - the cursor keys are just what the doctor ordered for heavy-duty text work.

But the finger poking gets adictive really fast. It is do dang direct and natural that when I DO pull out the laptop, I find myself poking the screen to do stuff - only to realize nothing is happening! I roll my eyes and then go back to the mousepad to move the mouse around and do what I want.

The finger poking thing has become so second nature that I believe without a doubt it's going to be the future. It's just too darn natural not to be ...

The more I see...

...the less I like it.

The CNN review linked above, seems to be a bit more informative.

No ability to add apps.  Sluggish performance.  Pixelation.

Not great taglines really.

Exactly.  It is nice to see alternative products coming out but they need to take these gadgets to the next level, IMO.

I read it on my wifes kobo.

I read it on my wifes kobo. great ereader, and only $150.00 canadian.

Understood

I don't discount that.. I wish I could do it when I am using my netbook in the kitchen, but the emphasis of the tablets has been multi-touch and gestures. Being able to write or point with a stylus is something the current crop is not emphasizing and is something important to me. Maybe not to the general public, I don't know, but something I want in a tablet.

I am not sure if its just a software emphasis or if the touch screen in the ipad and its ilk are just do not have enough "touch" resolution.

On the bright side, the nook has a micro-sd reader built in.

Chris

If folks are interested

I must be stuck in the late 20th Century...

I still use my Desktop for most of my internet activity.  I only use the notebook/laptop when I travel.  It looks like I will be dragged kicking and screaming to go along with this new Ipad/nook gadgets as my primary interface with the internet! UGH! 

Though I did try to win an IPad in a contest, (obviously i didn't win) only to "check it out" but I don't see myself buying one (or one of it's competitor's products) for quite some time.  I rather spend that kind of money on Sound Decoders and locomotives!  But as I said, I must be stuck in the late 20th Century when it comes to that kind of technology.

Ken L

Stuck with you...

Ken,

I agree.  I still use a tower system alot but I do use a laptop for all of my online activities.  Not that it travels around too much though.  I mainly have the laptops because they are a smaller footprint than a desktop/tower system.

Until one of these gadgets makes the jump to being more like a PC I won't get too interested and in all likelihood I'll never buy one.  I just don't see what all the hype is about and I'm not alone apparently.

There was such a  ridiculous fuss over the Ipad in other parts of the world that a local area radio station in Regina, Sask. Canada, staked out the retailers carrying the soon to be released Ipad to see just how long the lineups would be when the doors finally opened.  They found one guy sitting in his car outside when the store opened it's doors.  It turned out he worked there!

The short story is that in some parts of the world, the Ipad and these other gadgets just aren't all that big of a deal.

I'm reading this on a 17" monitor

I've looked at Joe's Ipad, and it's like trying to read a paperback book from three feet.  I'll get Joe back into this by saying the Ipad, Kindle, whatever else is out there is just a toy like X-Box.  I'll stay with a desk top computer.  If I need one on the road, I have a 17" laptop that's just fine.

Bob Hayes

It makes me wonder....

,,,how much this Ipod, Ipad, etc technology is more a "status symbol" to show everyone else that they are the "coolest" versus actual practical application?  Not to say they are not handy or useful for the peopel that use them, but is much of the hype around them because everyone "has to have one".  Reminds me, in a way, of that "furby" craze about 15 years ago for Christmas.  Everyone simply HAD to have one for that Christmas.  Day after Christmas, the shelves were OVER FLOWING with the things (I should know I worked recieving for a major retailer!).  Though the Ipad and the like have a more practical uset than that overpriced toy, I keep asking myself is this more about hype and status, then practical application.  Then again, I still have a simple, talk only, no texting, no camera cell phone (Though it DOES play imperial March as the "ringer").  ANd i'm also still stuck on Windows XP, and only RELUCTANTLY have gone to Vista for the notebook because the technology is too new to have drivers for XP for it! GRRRRR.  Updates and Evolution are NOT always an improvement!  I just hope there are enough of us to keep demand up for "old" technology at least until I am too old to worry about it anymore.

iPad hype?

Is the iPad simply hype? Maybe. I know for myself, I hardly ever use my laptop any more. The iPad is just too darn convenient.

I attended an SAP user conference recently (SAP is *the largest* accounting software firm in the world) and the keynote demo of their applications used an iPad. I also know that Mentor Graphics, the largest tech firm headquartered in Oregon, recently declared (after months of field testing) that the iPad is the mobile platform of choice for their global sales force.

So rather than just being a cute coffee-table novelty, the business world is all over this move to tablet devices. And THAT, more than anything else, will drive the computing market trends of the next decade.

I understand where those of you who look at the iPad and wonder what all the hoop-ta-la is about are coming from. As much of a technophyte as I am - I was a real hold out on the cell phone craze. I didn't want one, didn't want people being able to find me where ever I might go, etc.

But once I finally knucked under and got a cell phone, I got hooked. It's darn convenient to be able to talk to friends and family where-ever - and it's also darn handy for work when you need someone NOW. It never dawned on me that the thing has an off button - so if I really don't want to be bothered (which turns out to be more rare than I would have expected), I can turn the sucker off.

The iPad is similar - once you have one, you keep finding more useful things it can do. It's really addictive. The iPhone was introduced in 2007 at a cost of $699. Today you can get one for $99 if you opt for a long-term plan. The iPad is $499 - $850, depending on memory and network options. In 3 years time, you'll be able to get an iPad and a lot of other similar devices for $100. Look out when that happens.

Hip or Hype

When a vendor, (preferably not Apple) releases the "i-Gadget" that can do everything my laptop can currently do, in a reasonably sized tablet, for $100.00, with wifi connectivity that is both widely available and affordable, I'll consider buying one for each member of the family!  Until then, I'm quite happy to use my 17" Toshiba laptop.

I am impressed that Germany's SAP (designers of the billing system for the Corp. my spouse works for) is using the iPad.  That is certainly good news for Jobs.

As for the iPhone, I still can't see why anyone needs one.  The basic cellphone I had to get to replace my even more basic phone that died, has more, how do I put this nicely, garbage on it than I want or need, already.  I shudder to think what I'll be forced to take when I have to replace it!  And I am a techie type too.

Netbook

I have a little netbook and I use it all the time. However, it took some changes to my environment to make this happen..

- My desktop is now downstairs (my office is home of toddler #2 now) in the basement.

- When I use my wife's desktop in the living room the kids crawl all over me to use me as a ramp to jump on the sofa. Every time. Without fail. Also, my back is turned to whatever other trouble may be happening..

- The netbook can be used with a child in the lap, in the kitchen, or on my desk at work (turned AWAY from the hallway )

- The netbook battery lasts 6+ hours vs the 1.5 hr of my old monster laptop.

All this came together to make it work for me.

I guess what I am saying is that it sometimes take a change of environment to make these devices fit in..

Chris

Swimming Upstream

Once again I seem to be bucking popular trend. My adversion is to going bigger not smaller. Maybe it is old age and failing eyesight setting in but I have an addiction now to ever larger monitors and the graphics cards to drive them. My arrangement currently is four 24" monitors driven by two nVidia FX3700 Quadras. I love the coolness and mobility of i-Pads, i-Phones, i-Everythings but I detest reading their tiny screens through my bifocals. The workstation and 96" worth of LCD screens may confine my computing to a desk but by golly I can see it plain as day!

Just a double tap

All it takes on iDevices is a double tap and it zooms to 200% - not big enough? Double tap again and it zooms to 400% ... and so on.

You can zoom in on a computer screen too - but not this quickly.

I just bought a Nook (old B&W)

Just got back from vacation in the Hawaiian Islands.  I bought the Nook because of the airline restrictions on weight and size for carry ons.  I wanted something to read on the 5 hour flight over and back, and found the Nook very handy for reading material.  I have a 17 inch screen on my computer and can't imagine trying to look at MRH on a smaller screen.  As a replacement for a bag full of books to take on an airplane, the Nook worked very well, although it was a bit slow on start up.  The print is about the same size as a paper back book or perhaps a little larger, so it works for reading very well.  The battery also lasts a long time on "airplane" (wifi turned off) mode.  My wife's I-pod only lasts about 3 hours on a charge.  Not nearly enough time for a 5 hour flight.  Had I not been going on a vacation involving long flights, I probably would not have bought the Nook, but it serves the purpose for what I wanted.

I have no doubt that the iPad or something like it...

is the wave of the future. But it isn't yet ready to take on the bulk of the jobs I would need it to do. Sure it might make my life easier when I have to get in touch with my students or business associates. But it isn't there yet.

Irv

Zoom versus Real Estate

Like looking through a keyhole! Ctrl + and the zoomed image on multimonitors is breathtaking and downright handy with some apps - 3D and Illustrator as examples.

Not negative about i-Gadget, just fond of i-Huge

Until today I had overlooked the Nook .

I just watched the Video at the Nook site and was quit amazed with the fact it has many of the I-Pads apps that are already built as well as being able to share what your reading with other people by texting or using face book and the other phone apps and for only $249.00.

What really caught my eye is, I got a E-mail that has this promo "buy 4 books in 12 months and pay only $199.00 for the Nook." Well when I read my E-mail I hadn't really paid attention to the Nook but it may be a good deal. I then remembered the post in MRH forums about it and came back here to see what was the word.

I have High end Lap tops with different readers on them and Xfinity TV But even with the back up battery I only get 7 hrs of unplugged time and then I need a wall socket and the nook gives you 5-7 hrs without the expansion battery kit, and it is 1/8th the weight. maybe next year I'll get one unless something better comes along, you never know what's just down the road in the world of Consumer Electronics. Dan

Not to be argumentative

Not to be argumentative (who, me?) but I dont see that being what multi-monitor is all about. I use two monitors at work and in my basement "see it once a month" computer but thats to have screens of different stuff up at the same time. One image on one monitor is just fine.

Personally, you want to talk retro, I still use CRTs on my own computer.

But this about the Nook color. I have given it some thought.. and while I have issues with the iPad, I don't see anything smaller being useful for anything except reading novels and goofing off in study hall. The Nook is still too big to be useful as blackberry type device since it won't fit into a pocket... and too small for "full size" content.

Chris