B&N E-Reader Sports 2 Screens: E-Ink and LCD

Many believe the era of dedicated gadgets is almost over

(NEWSER) - This year’s Consumer Electronics Show has seen the unveiling of a raft of new e-readers, but the would-be Kindle and Nook competitors could have a hard go of it. First off, some are pretty pricey—that Plastic Logic Que will cost $649 without 3G, or $799 with an AT&T plan. Most don’t have the built-in market of Amazon and Barnes & Noble. And then there’s the real problem: Do people want dedicated e-readers at all? More»

Compatibility issues and reticent publishing industry slow progress

(NEWSER) - More than 1 million e-books books were checked out of libraries this year—25% more than all of last year—as libraries offer more and more digital lending. Borrowers can check the book out online—obviating the trip to the library—and can read them on a computer or Sony Reader. Only one borrower per book at a time, and the e-book automatically expires after a couple of weeks—eliminating pesky overdue fees. More»

(NEWSER) - Nicholson Baker wanted to like the Kindle, honest. But when he unwrapped it and began to see what all the fuss was about, he "tussled with a sense of anti-climax," the prolific author writes in the New Yorker. Things never improved. He slams the e-reader for having a "greenish, sickly gray" screen, cruddy images, and limited selection of books. Amazon "is very good at selling things," he writes. "It isn’t so good, to date anyway, at making things." More»

(NEWSER) - Amazon is widely rumored to be releasing a new version of its Kindle e-reader next week, and the e-book industry appears to be growing, Fortune reports. Sony is pushing its own device, Google has opened up access to millions of books online and for download to mobile devices like the iPhone, and other manufacturers are expected to introduce tablets similar to the Kindle soon. More»

Flash lovers, rejoice!

(NEWSER) - Surely you’ve heard by know that Amazon’s Kindle Fire tablet isn’t an iPad killer . But it does have a few desirable traits that the iPad doesn’t. The Huffington Post lists six of them:

• It supports Flash: Many iPad and iPhone users wish that Apple would take a page from Amazon’s playbook when it comes to this.
• It’s cheaper: A Kindle Fire (which does not offer 3G) will run you $199. For the cheapest iPad 2 model, which also does not offer 3G, you’ll shell out $499.