(Thanks to GBM Reader Aaron for the tip!) Astak has announced a new line of Mentor e-book readers at the IDPF trade show today. The line will include 5-inch, 6-inch, and 9.7-inch screen models with a variety of configurations. They all include E-Ink displays, 128MB of RAM, SD card slots, and MP3 playback capabilities. The really exciting news is price. Rumor has it that the 5" Mentor will be priced at around $150 and the ProMentor 9.7" is supposed to be around $350. US availability this summer with the 5" shipping first in June.

The features are generally what one would expect: E-Ink display, 128MB of on-board RAM, SD card slot, MP3 playback, and support for TXT, PDF, RTF, HTML/CHM formats are standard on all models.

Beyond that, the 5-inch model runs Linux 2.6 with QT environment and the display is 800 x 600 pixels, 170dpi, B&W, 4 grayscale. Full feature list.

The 6-inch model features Win CE5.0 with a 800 x 600 pixels, 170dpi, B&W, 4 grayscale display. The 6-inch appears to also include WiFi connectivity, which would be very cool. Full feature list.

The 9.7-inch is the high-end model with all the bells and whistles: high-res display with 1200 x 825 pixels, 170dpi, B&W, 4 grayscale, WiFi, and some form of touchscreen. The data here is a little confusing since it says touchscreen and then specifies Stylus Only. Hmm, could it really be an active digitizer?! That would be absolutely amazing. Imagine an active digitizer E-Ink system for around $350. Wow. Full feature list.

I'm trying to get more details on this new unit from Astak, but I'll definitely be following closely to see if we can really get a great little e-book reader at such a fantastic price.

Reader more at: TeleRead, MobileRead Forums

I really enjoyed the time I got to spend reviewing the iRex Technologies iLiad ebook reader. (InkShows 1 and 2)At the time of the review the iLiad 2nd Edition was the only available model, but today, iRex announced the new iLiad Book Edition, launching on May 9.

The new iLiad Book Edition shares all of the same features of the iLiad 2nd Edition with one exception - no integrated WiFi. And then there is the price. The iLiad 2nd Edition rang in at $699 in the US. They haven't announced US pricing, but the iLiad Book Edition was announced at €499, a €150 savings over the iLiad 2nd Edition. That's a big deal. It would imply a US price somewhere in the mid $500s. Still a lot more than the competition.

One important feature that stayed the same - it still includes a Wacom digitizer. Despite the rampant use of the words "touch screen" on many sites to refer to the digitizer, it is indeed a standard Wacom. It apparently still does all of the annotations and ink notes that I reviewed on the older model. It also still has the bigger, better screen than the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Reader. The case was also changed from black to silver. Wow.

iRex has also announced that the iLiad Book Edition will be carried by Border UK. No word about the US, but that would certainly be an interesting development.

View the Press Release.

Other coverage on TeleRead, MobileRead, Engadget

We have quite the talented group of readers here at GottaBeMobile.com. One of our readers, Aaron Walker, just started his own eBook publishing company, Walk Broad Publishing and has published his first children's picture book, "Good Morning, Friend Moon".

I recently had the pleasure of reading "Good Morning, Friend Moon" to my children the other night and they absolutely loved it. The illustrations really brought the story to life. It is available via download for only $4.99

Here's the great part: "Good Morning, Friend Moon" was written and illustrated entirely using a Fujitsu 4010D Tablet PC. I recently had the opportunity to talk with Aaron about this project and wanted to share some of that with you.

Where did the idea for "Good Morning, Friend Moon" and Walk Broad Publishing come from?

Walk Broad Publishing got started because I wanted to be able to share ebooks with my 6 year old son at bed time story time. I searched and, whereas I found a few, they usually used some sort of additional software or required an internet connection to view.

I figured there had to be a better way.

The story really was inspired by my son asking me why was the Moon still up one morning while the Sun was in the sky. Not knowing the scientific reason, I did what any parent would do, I made up a good story to tell him :) That was the germ of the idea that produced "Good Morning, Friend Moon" and started Walk Broad Publishing.

You are quite the artist! My children loved your illustrations. What hardware and software did you use to illustrate the book?

I am a committed tablet pc user. The entire book, and website, was done on a Fujitsu Lifebook 4010D. The drawing application I used was Corel's Painter Essentials. The drawings were then imported into Microsoft Publisher 2007 for layout and scripting, then converted to pdf using PDFCreator. Everything was done on the Fujitsu.

When reading the book to my children the other night, I was using the Dell Latitude XT. The flexibility of eBooks are the number of ways in which they can be read. How has the book been optimized for reading?

The reason "Good Morning, Friend Moon" is formatted with pictures on top and words on the bottom is to facilitate helping children with word recognition while also allowing them to still see the pictures. While reading with my 6-year-old son, I like to point to the words as I'm reading and see which words he has learned. It makes things a bit more interactive.  Some picture books have words top, bottom and middle which takes away from the presentation of the book page as a whole while still helping with reading. 

The book is best viewed on tablets (IMHO) using Adobe's Digital Editions in portrait mode.

I've also been following the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader, iRex iLiad and the rest. Whereas I don't have any of those devices yet, it occurred to me that parents who did, would probably appreciate good, wholesome picture books to share with their children.

They can let their children read the book in the back seat while traveling with the Kindle for example.

I know the book will lose something in the translation going from full-color to black and white, but there isn't anything else out there. One day e-ink displays will be in color but, in the meantime, parents should have good picture books to share.

Or, if they are tablet users like myself, they can have them for their tablets or devices like the HTC Advantage and any of the UMPCs that support portrait screen rotation.

I try and make it clear on the FAQ on the website that it is not recommended to be viewed on a smartphone, although I'd be interested in finding out about how it would view on an iPhone or other small device with a larger screen, and if there is a way to tweak the setting for a passable reading experience.

 

As an author and publisher, what are your feelings about Digital Rights Management (DRM)?

I currently have no DRM on the books. I believe that people are basically honest and those that can will pay the modest fee for the books I am offering.

They can then transfer it to any device that reads a pdf file and I've tried to optimize the file for the Reader and Kindle as much as possible while not actually owning either device.

Each person who buys this book (or any book from Walk Broad Publishing for that matter) can download the book up to four times at no additional cost.

Being an ebook reader, I know how important it is to be able to transfer a book on my tablet to my phone or read it on my desktop. When people get a new computer or new device, I don't believe readers should be penalized for wanting to keep the book they've already paid for.

Do you have any other books in the works?

I am already at work on the next book "Natty McGumm and the Lazette Street Gazette" that was written and edited in OneNote using only the pen.

And there will probably be at least two more books featuring Friend Moon, Friend Sun and Friend Star.

How can folks stay up with what you doing?

Of course, they can visit Walk Broad Publishing to view current books for sale. I also have a blog where I write about upcoming projects and more.

I know I'll be following your blog as my children will want to know what Friend Moon and Friend Sun are up to. Keep up the great work.

Ah, concepts. What's not to love? You can create anything, unconstrained by manufacturing requirements, profit margins, or reality. This e-book concept from Greener Grass has a serious case of great specs and wishful thinking. The designers claim that the device ought to sell for about $100 due to a textbook manufacturer subsidy(?!). For that price, we're going to get some form of touch screen or digitizer with handwriting recognition, wireless Internet connectivity, and a 30 hour battery life due to an E-Ink display, apparently in full color. Riiiigghtt.

Apparently the designers aren't completely deluded, since they say that they "hope that the concept can be a catalyst for discussion about improving the classroom experience for everybody involved." No mention of this being anything other than a really nice idea with pretty pictures, but if they can do all that for $100, sign me up for a few.

via Engadget

After reviewing the iRex iLiad e-book reader, I have been really excited about the possibilities of combining the e-ink / e-paper display with touch and inking capabilities. InfoWorld is reporting from the Display 2008 exhibition in Tokyo on a new display "developed by E-Ink, Taiwan's Prime View International, and Japan's Seiko Epson. It combines a conventional electronic paper display with a touch panel and a newly developed control chip." E-Ink makes most of the e-paper displays with which we are familiar, including the displays for the iLiad and the Amazon Kindle.

The new control chip developed by Seiko Epson appears to be the key element of the new display. The chip can refresh the screen up to 50 times per second and can control a screen with four times the resolution of current displays, up to 2,048 x 1,536 pixels. This refresh speed increase should dramatically improve the writing experience, potentially eliminating the pen lag I saw on the iLiad.

The new display and chip are slated to release in August, so maybe we'll see devices built around this technology in the near future.

Not that I'm trying to one-up Warner or anything, but I just received a sample of an iRex iLiad e-book reader with an integrated Wacom digitizer.

Although the iRex iLiad is not a new product, given the recent reviews of the Amazon Kindle and the video we did with the Kindle and the Sony Reader PRS-500, it seemed appropriate to look at the only real pen-based solution on the market. After all, inking is the way to go!

I'll be doing a full InkShow on the iLiad in the next couple of weeks, but to whet your appetite:

• Best screen visibility -  by FAR, over the Sony Reader or the Kindle. Totally subjective, but wow.
• Larger screen - 8.1" diagonal vs. 6" diagonal
• Digitizer - allows both book annotations as well as free-form note taking on blank sheets of e-paper
• Sudoku - 'Nuf said.
• WiFi - I connected to my WPA encrypted access point at home in just a couple of minutes. Transfer files, etc. Although the reader doesn't officially support web browsing, there are solutions for that available on the web (like enabling the browser that actually ships in the system but hidden/disabled).
• File formats supported : PDF / HTML / TXT / JPG / BMP/ PNG / PRC (Mobipocket)
• You can read the full set of product specifications on the iLiad website.

Before you ask, yes, all of this goodness comes at a hefty price. The official US sales portal is eReader Outfitters who list the iLiad at $699. Yes, for that same $699 I could buy a decent laptop. But for those people who really want a portable note-taking solution, this could be an interesting slate. I plan on checking this out as more than just an e-book reader so that I can see how far into the slate computer category this can stretch.

Wow. Amazon certainly seems to be shaking things up in the digital media space: first MP3's, then the Kindle, now acquiring Audible, the king of the audio book space. I wonder when we will see audio books on the Kindle?

Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ:AMZN), today announced that it has reached an agreement to acquire Audible Inc. (NASDAQ:ADBL).

Audible.com is the leading online provider of premium digital spoken word audio content, specializing in digital audio editions of books, newspapers and magazines, television and radio programs and original programming. Through its web sites in the US and UK and alliances in Germany and France, Audible.com offers over 80,000 programs, including audiobooks from well-known authors such as Stephen King, Thomas Friedman, and Jane Austen, and spoken word audio content from sources including The New York Times, The New Yorker, Fresh Air and Charlie Rose.

"Audible.com offers the best customer experience, the widest content selection and the broadest device compatibility in the industry," said Steve Kessel, Amazon.com's senior vice president for worldwide digital media. "Working together, we can introduce more innovations and bring this format to an even wider audience."

  One of the best things I've purchased in quite some time was an e-book reader, namely the Amazon Kindle. Being new to the electronic book area, I have found the experience to be quite enjoyable. Sierra, on the other hand, has been using an e-book reader for a long time, namely the Sony Reader Digital Book, and has picked up on the subtle differences between Sony's Reader Digital Book and Amazon's Kindle. She used my Kindle for several weeks, and came away with some interesting observations. By the way, it is worth mentioning that I almost didn't get my Kindle back....

In this InkShow, Sierra and I take them both on a head-to-head comparison, looking at screens, navigation, buttons, contrast, and the book buying experience.

• Download the high res version ( wmv, 13:30, 103mb )
• Watch the embedded version below

Click To Play

I've been using the Kindle some more over the weekend, and thought it would be good to pass along some more usage thoughts.

• I'm fearful that my Kindle will become my wife's Kindle. She has stolen it for nighttime reading.
• I took the Kindle to church this morning to see how non-intrusive it would be, compared to a Tablet PC or UMPC. It certainly fit the bill for not bringing attention to itself and being quiet. However, as nice as it is for general reading, I did not like it at all for navigating the Bible during a sermon or class.  Having to go back to the Table of Contents, select the book, select the chapter, then hit "Next Page" to get to the verse proved to be very cumbersome. It was especially cumbersome if someone was speaking and referencing multiple books of the Bible. I prefer a paper-based Bible or something like e-Sword / OneNote on a Tablet PC / UMPC for quick navigating and notetaking during church or class. For general reading, though, the Kindle will be great.
• In this video, I mentioned that the Experimental Web Browser on the Kindle worked quite well for navigating text-based websites. However, I experienced problems with Google Reader and Gmail because they required Javascript, and Javascript was not enabled on the Kindle. Well, Daniel Meyers emailed me to say that he found that Javascript was Disabled by default, but could be turned on. I turned it on, and now do not  get the Javascript errors. However, I still had problems getting Reader to work, and Gmail was just about worthless from a navigation standpoint. So, I loaded up the mobile versions of them, and the experience was much better. Recommendation: use the mobile version of Google products if you want browse Google using the Kindle. I probably won't fool with. Thanks for the tip, Daniel.
• I finished my first book, Quiet Strength by Tony Dungy, and have moved on to my second book, The Nine, by Jeffrey Toobin. My wife and I are both reading the Kindle with the book cover on. We both find it easier to hold, and that it actually feels more like a real book with the cover.
• My wife and I have used the Kindle on an off for the past four days, and the battery is at 60%. I've only charged it once, and that was last Tuesday.
• I still don't like using the keyboard to take notes. The response time from pressing the key to it displaying on the screen is too slow.
• I'm still happy that I bought it - it was a very good purchase.

My wife has taken a sudden interest in my Kindle, after buying Jan Karon's latest book "Home to Holly Springs" last night. She began reading it right away, and that experience in itself sold her on the value of the Kindle. She was reading in to the night, and told me this morning that she likes it. Yes!!

So, anticipating a potential gift for Christmas, I emailed Amazon about the ability to share books among multiple Kindles. According to this email I received from their support department, Amazon allows you to share books on up to 6 different Kindles registered to the Amazon.com account from which the purchase was made. Very cool!  My wife and I ( and potentially my four kids, if I suddenly came in to some money ) can read the same book at the same time, and only pay one price.

The licenses associated with books and other non-subscription content purchased from the Kindle Store allow you to download and view(at the same time) each item from up to 6 different Kindles registered to the Amazon.com account from which the original purchase was made.

Subscription items can only be downloaded to one Kindle.

If you register a new Kindle to your Amazon.com account, you'll be able to use the Content Manager or Your Media Library on Amazon.com to download content you've purchased from that account. You will not be able to view content on a Kindle that is not registered to the Amazon.com account from which the original purchase was made. You cannot share books you purchase with other Kindles that are not associated with your account.

In part 3 of our Amazon Kindle series, we get up close and personal with some book reading and web browsing. In addition, to doing some requisite book reading and notetaking, I show everyone what kind of web browsing will work, and what won't work. Hint: Javascript isn't supported, so there won't be any Google Reader browsing going on. Still, being able to browse the web for free over the included Whispernet / Sprint EVDO service is a great bonus.  As I point out in the video, I'm not sure how long we'll be able to do it for free, but I'm going to enjoy it while I can. In addition, I show two documents that got automatically imported by sending them to my @kindle.com email address

Be sure to watch Part 1 and Part 2 if you have not seen those videos yet. All three videos give a more complete overview.

So the question to be answered after all three videos: would I buy one again? Yes. Having instant access to over 90,000 books is the kicker for me. Version 1 of the Kindle can definitely be improved, but free web-browsing over EVDO ( for now ) and instant access to all of those books wins me over. The Kindle is a great experience that could be improved upon with handwriting annotation. I would definitely take this places I wouldn't bring a Tablet PC or UMPC due to its non-intrusive nature. My wife wouldn't buy one because she is more of a purist. My kids, though, would eat it up, especially if they could get their text books on it. Amazon needs to lower the price to at least half to make it attractive to the non-geek market. I have a nagging feeling that more $200 of the price is going to Sprint to cover the EVDO access. So, I'll be keeping the Kindle and enjoying until version 2 comes out. Join me in welcoming me to the eBook world.

I'm shooting the video right now, but wanted to post this first shot of the Kindle and it's box - shaped just like a book. Very cool....ok - gotta run and shoot this video for you all....stay tuned.

I've been watching Amazon's Kindle Demo video while impatiently waiting for UPS to deliver my Kindle. I've also purchased three books, while waiting, to see how Kindle handles the automatic download. Gadget arrival day will certainly try your patience.

It struck me while watching the video, how similar it is to the early Tablet PC videos, and last year's Origami videos - a guy walking around carrying a small tablet, using it in personal places - an extension of himself.

Another thing I picked up on is how much the scrolling wheel is used to select, navigate, etc. I can already tell that the lack of a touch screen and an active digitizer is going to bother me. Isn't a logical extension of reading a book being able to annotate it and mark it up using your own handwriting? Taking in to account the known battery life and outdoor screen readability issues, Tablet PCs certainly have the leg-up in the annotation department. Amazon would have really scored a coup had they implemented personalized notetaking and annotation. Maybe version 2 of Kindle will bring us that. Microsoft needs to get Amazon on the horn and begin talking up ink.

This is exciting - my first experience with a dedicated eBook device. What could be better - a Tablet PC enthusiast checking out eBook device - a match made in heaven!

My Kindle should be here any moment, and I'll be posting up a quick-look video after it arrives....stay tuned.

Newsweek has more details on Amazon's Kindle device and service, which begins shipping tomorrow for $399. Looks very similar to a Tablet PC and UMPC, huh? I doubt it supports ink, but it sure would have been nice. Like Scoble, I wish Microsoft would have gotten their Tablet PC team on to this. It screams tablet. Oh well....

• 30 hours of use per charge
• Weighs 10.3 ounces
• Holds 200 books
• Purchase books via EV-DO through Whispernet - more details to come on price, if any

 I might give this one a try, just for the heck of it.

via Gizmodo

Lora over at WhatIsNew is also very interested in Tablet PCs in the education space, so I was very interested when she posted about a new book she found titled "The Impact of Tablet PCs and Pen-based Technology: Beyond the Tipping Point (2007)". The book is an update to a version printed last year, and the new edition appears to be a complete re-write.

From the Amazon editor's description:

A wide variety of disciplines are embracing Tablet PC's and similar pen-based devices as tools for the radical enhancement of teaching and learning. Deployments of Tablet PCs have spanned the K-12, undergraduate, and graduate levels and have dealt with an amazingly diverse range of subject areas. This work is aimed at identifying best practices in the educational use of pen-based computing so that all educators may benefit from this next generation of technology.

You can get your own copy at Amazon.com (affiliate link for GBM)

If you are looking at getting the most out of Outlook 2007, then you might want to take a look at Marc Orchant’s new book, The Unofficial Guide to Outlook 2007. Knowing Marc and his knack for the detail, I’d be surprised if anything was left uncovered.

Marc Orchant runs a ZDNet blog called Office Evolution, is a Micosoft Tablet PC MVP, and is co-host of OnTheRun with Tablet PCs Podcast.

Congratulations, Marc and thanks letting us know that it is finally shipping!

In the latest episode of the "On the Run with Tablet PC's #34" Podcast, James Kendrick and Mark Orchant briefly discussed Marc's new book, "The Unofficial Guide to Microsoft Outlook 2007".  If you have followed Marc's blogging and general online presence, you will know that he is an excellent technology writer, as well as all around good geek!

Marc knows this product, and as an extremely mobile worker and Tablet PC MVP, you can bet it will answer a lot of the questions you have as you move to this new version of Outlook 2007.  Covering everything from the simple management of tasks to handling incoming email, Marc will take you on a fast track to learning a tool that is the basis of so many mobile workers day to day use of a mobile PC.  There is a lot of new things in Outlook 2007, and I am quite sure will do a good job covering them!

I am looking forward to doing a nice review of this book as soon as Marc sends me the autographed (free) copy for my enjoyment! 

Head over to Amazon and preorder your copy. 

-

I have to admit it -- ever since I read Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's book "Naked Conversations", I have changed the way I think about communications in general, but especially on the internet (it's kinda scary to know that Scoble got that far into my brain, but hey -- it's true).

When Rob and I first decided to start this site we talked about what would make us unique, and we had several good ideas. We would include the "InkShows" (Camtasia videos), a similar concept for hardware reviews using video as well, and be committed to up to date, fresh content every day. Sounds like a great list, right? We think so.

However..., in an email conversation the other day, someone asked for our "position" (thanks Jim ), and that got me really thinking that we really were still missing that. If we just share news and software / hardware information, we are like everyone else. That is great activity, but between Jim's question, and the "Naked Conversation" stuff stored somewhere in my brain, I came up with a better overal answer to Jim's question. Here is an excerpt of what I then wrote to Jim, which I share with you as a naked conversation about our "position" here at GottaBeMobile.com:

So as you see, we are not after just consumer conversation (ala forums), or News releases and computer stats (ala news sites, etc.), we are after "Naked Conversations" as referenced in Scobles book ....

That was my feedback to Jim, and what we hope for at GottaBeMobile. Won't you join us for the conversation? You are invited to do something different, where all will benefit from the flow of information in both directions. If you are a vendor, be available, be honest, ask and answer hard questions. Be open, talk about the issues keeping you from producing exactly the product or service the consumer wants. If you are a consumer, also be open, give good quality feedback (be it positive or negative) in such as way as to influence positive change (flaming and bashing vendors is not a good way to promote change), and enjoy the process. I think Vendors want to hears consumers opinions, I think consumers want to hear directly from vendors. This conversation is good! Seems pretty simple to me, and Scoble has plenty of stories he can share about how that very same conversation has resulted in good change.

So come to the party and get naked. We'll supply the bandwidth, and the togas.......

I first became aware of Robert Scoble and Shel Israel's new book, "Naked Conversations" while in Las Vegas attending CES and having a conversation with Robert. When I got home, I ordered a copy, thinking it may be a mildly amusing way to pass some time, just like Scobles blog . As I was getting ready to walk out the door for my last trip to Redmond for the Mobile Partners Briefing, UPS dellivered the expected tome. "Great", I said, something to read on the cross country flight, which I proceeded to do, all 200+ pages (I live on the east cost -- long flights)! So began an interesting journey. I was very surprised. Having just started blogging myself, I was just beginning to participate and learn a bit more about the "blogosphere" as the worldwide blog community is referred to. I was surprised to learn just how much I did not know, and many mistakes I had already unknowingly made (at least in their opinion!). I expected a bit of tongue in cheek type writing, commenting on how to start and run a blog. What I got was a professionally written book on business, blogging, and how the two relate now and in the future. The basic premise is that business are already being affected by the blog, and can expect to be affected more in the future, and can choose to embrace it or fight it. Robert and Shel do a really nice job sharing a number of successes and failures in blogging in business, and some insightful reasons for both results. They encourage businesses both large and small to join the conversation, and communicate directly to people to get real facts, issues, and yes, even solutions to problems they are facing. I particularly enjoyed the individual stories of how people have used the blog "revolution" to benefit their businesses, both large and small. From Tailors to plumbers, to GM executives, they are all covered in this book. Its a great effort gentlemen, and one well worth reading. You can discuss the book in the official "Naked Conversations Blog".

See you in the Blogosphere!