OK, I would like someone (or all) to recommend a brand(s) to purchase. I am a consulting engineer and have not made the "leap" as yet to an e-reader. I walk through airports with a suitcase full of "necessary" items but would really love to consolidate. Three weeks ago, I traveled to Bangor, Maine and was not close to a 120 VAC outlet. Battery life seems to be critical. Any aid you can give will be greatly appreciated. I had much rather hear from a user; i.e. someone who has been there, instead of a rating agency paid by the manufacturer supplying the product. Many thanks. Bob J.
The e-ink and long battery life are the main reasons I regularly use my Kindle. I agree, it is much easier to read with less eyestrain and it feels like you are reading a regular book without all the bulk, I don't get the same results with reading from an LCD screen. Now, if I am looking to do other things than just read, then I use another device.
Wow; slammed with a One-Star Review, comparing E-Ink to LCD - - -wonder what was so offensive-? I, too, worked closely with Russ Wilcox and the team in Cambridge in 2002 developing a thinner version laminate for a Motorola product (which unfortunately never shipped). I love the technology, and can't say enough good things about it.
@JimT Re: "Funny how that enormous breakthrough was minimized and even forgotten ..."
Look closer and you'll find that several new e-Ink Kindles were introduced at the same time as the Fire. Amazon hasn't abandoned electrophoretic displays, they've simple added an additional product with different features to the product line.
@RadioGuy Re: "I predict that many will want one of each"
I'm in exactly that position -- one of each. My Fire is quite good for books, better than what I've seen on the Nook or iPad, and of course superb for media, but uses more power and is WiFi-only. The standard 3G Kindles, like mine, has incredible battery life, an excellent display, and quite importantly for me, lifetime 3G wireless access in over 100 countries. This is the Kindle that accompanies me to meetings.
The beauty of this is that one can purchase a Fire, a 3G Touch, and several years of Prime membership for well below the cost of an iPad. Admittedly the iPad can do a few things the Kindles can't, but the reverse is also true. It's also likely that very many iPad users do no more on their tablets than could be done as well or better on a Kindle.
Yes, mrmikel, extreme low power usage is a big deal to E-ink readers.
The other big advantage of E-ink over LCD is readability/eyestrain. That display is really nice to the eyes - like paper is - for those who actually read whole books on their readers.
My wife adores her Kindle for book reading and even if she gets a Fire, I believe she will continue to use the Kindle for books after reading one or two on an LCD...
As an e-reader user, I want the extended battery life and small size. I am not looking for video. I have other devices for that and I don't want them all in one place. Color is nice, but not at the expense of battery life.
But I am an old fogey with a lot of paper books too. And my cell phone is used just as a phone instead of a toy.
For 3D printing to make the jump from rapid prototyping to manufacturing, engineers will need to find easier ways to move products from their CAD screens to their printers.
Gigabit and PoE are two networking technologies moving ahead in tandem as industrial users power remote Ethernet devices such as IP security cameras at 1,000 Mbps over existing CAT5 cable.
New versions of BASF's Ecovio line are both compostable and designed for either injection molding or thermoforming. These combinations are becoming more common for the single-use bioplastics used in food service and food packaging applications, but are still not widely available.
From Dell / Intel® New Paradigms in Design Work Scott Hamilton, vertical market strategist for Dell Precision workstations, 5/2/2013 5
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For industrial control applications, or even a simple assembly line, that machine can go almost 24/7 without a break. But what happens when the task is a little more complex? That’s where the “smart” machine would come in. The smart machine is one that has some simple (or complex in some cases) processing capability to be able to adapt to changing conditions. Such machines are suited for a host of applications, including automotive, aerospace, defense, medical, computers and electronics, telecommunications, consumer goods, and so on. This radio show will show what’s possible with smart machines, and what tradeoffs need to be made to implement such a solution.
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