Amazon.com Back to School Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

Calling all medical students (and other types of students):

Want to win a Kindle Fire HD? Enter the Amazon.com Back to School Kindle Fire HD Giveaway

You must be 18 or over and a US resident.

New line of Amazon Kindle Fire HD tablets

Amazon has gone from a single Kindle Fire tablet to a new lineup of 4 models:

1. the original Kindle Fire (7" screen)
2. the Kindle Fire HD (7" screen)
3. the Kindle Fire HD 8.9"
4. the Kindle Fire HD 8.9" 4G LTE

The new models now include an "HD display with polarizing filter and anti-glare technology for rich color and deep contrast from any viewing angle." Plus the dual-antenna Wi-Fi is supposed to be much faster than traditional Wi-Fi.

Amazon is introducing these new tablets with a novel way of providing 4G data: "Get 250MB a month for 12 months with a one-time payment of $49.99." In comparison, a device like an iPad will run you about $230/year for 250MB/month of 4G data. If wireless providers continue to offer this type of data package for the Kindle Fire, that's going to be an important differentiator that will give the Fire a unique competitive advantage.

We also can't forget that Amazon provides a unique ecosystem through Amazon Prime:

• Prime Instant Video - unlimited, instant streaming of thousands of popular movies and TV shows
• Kindle Owners' Lending Library - Kindle owners can choose from more than 180,000 books to borrow for free with no due dates

Since the Kindle Fire runs a modified version of Android, it won't run every app.

Google Nexus 7 Android tablet

The Google Nexus 7 tablet is one of the hottest tablets that's causing a significant amount of buzz right now. At $199, it's remarkably affordable and it will place some serious competition on the Amazon Kindle Fire.

The Nexus 7 (8 GB) will be $199 and the 16 GB version is $249.

The Nexus 7 is similar to the Kindle Fire and it even includes both front-facing and rear-facing webcams! Of course, we're expecting an updated Kindle Fire 2 anytime now, so we're about to see the "battle of the 7" Android tablets."

Given that the Nexus 7 is made by ASUS, I wonder what other 7" tablets ASUS will release this year.

Amazon Kindle Fire (for only $199!)

Author: Riley Alexander, MD, MBA

Despite the overall form factor and even the name being out there, Amazon still managed to sneak a few surprises into it's press conference today unveiling it's color tablet, the Kindle Fire. The biggest of these being the price: $199. This is huge. While many the list of tablets entering the fray seems to be growing by the second, essentially none have been able to get much below $400-500 for a release price. This tablet takes the low-cost approach to Apple's philosophy: deliver on experience and content, don't worry about specs--and I think it will do very well.

While many will look at this as more of a "deluxe e-reader" (and I don't think that's necessarily wrong or a bad thing), this device will offer a lot for the money, including Amazon's enticing new (flash-supporting) browser, Amazon Silk. Users will also have access to the Amazon Android app store. I can't see this not being a hit for this holiday season.

If you're in the market for a color e-reader/low-end tablet, you may want to wait

Author: Riley Alexander, MD, MBA

While the existence of Amazon's Kindle tablet has all but been confirmed, we still don't know a lot the specific hardware details besides it's size and general form factor. It's looking like we won't have to wait too much longer--Amazon has a conference scheduled for 9/28 that will surprise everyone if it isn't about this color Kindle tablet.

Not to be outdone, it has leaked that Barnes and Noble has plans to update its very capable Nook Color this quarter with not just a hardware update to its current model, but an entirely new model. Very little is known about the new model other than that it is supposed to cost $349 as compared to the current $249 of the standard Nook Color. I'm betting that with a $100 price bump, this device will be larger and much more "tablet-like" than the emphasis on an e-reader with tablet features that the current Nook Color has. I highly recommend waiting to make your holiday purchase of either of these devices as the next models could be fairly significant upgrades.

Kindle Textbook Rental

Getting ready to go back to school? Save up to 80% with Kindle Textbook Rental!

• Great savings: Save up to 80% off the list price of the print textbook
• Pay only for the time you need: Choose a rental length between 30 and 360 days and pay only for the exact time you need a book. Extend your rental for as little as one day or convert to purchase
• Rent once, read everywhere: Rent and read tens of thousands of textbooks on PC, Mac, Kindle, or your mobile device
• Keep your annotations: Access your notes and highlights anytime, even after the rental expires, at kindle.amazon.com

New Kindles (3G with Special Offers) and Nooks

Amazon now has a new Kindle 3G. This one includes Special Offers & Sponsored Screensavers and it's only $164. The 3G is free and it works globally, so it's great for international travelers.

Barnes and Noble recently announced a touch-enabled Nook. The Nook has an all-new look too:

ALL-NEW NOOK

• The Simple Touch Reader™
• Easiest to use 6” touchscreen
• Most advanced E-Ink® display—crisp text, even in bright sun
• Longest battery life—read up to 2 months on just 1 charge
• Ultra-light and thin—under 8 ounces
• Largest bookstore with more than 2 million titles—get them in seconds
• Expert recommendations & fun social features

Kindle (with advertising) for less, or original Kindle?

I've been speaking with several people who are in the market for an Amazon Kindle. You can get the Kindle "with Special Offers" (also known as advertising) for $114, or the regular Kindle for $139. Which would you get? Will all future e-Book readers include advertising?

The Kindle now offers features like book sharing and you'll soon have the ability to virtually "check out a book" from a library (library lending).

This summer, if you plan to spend a lot of time reading outside, you may find it easier to read on a Kindle than on a color screen slate like an iPad or Xoom. If you have a Kindle, don't forget that you can purchase access to these popular sites on your Kindle:

• Mobile Health Computing
• Medicine and Technology
  
• Medical Smartphones
• Non-Clinical Medical Jobs, Careers, and Opportunities
  

Anyone try the WebKit-based browser on the Kindle?

PDair book case for HP Slate 500 tablet PC

The HP Slate 500 is a great little tablet PC, but the OEM case doesn't allow you to hold the tablet up at different angles. I chose to get the PDair book case because this case allows you to hold the slate up at 3 different angles. PDair makes two types of book cases for the HP Slate 500.

I got this case from Amazon: "PDair BX2 Black Leather Case for HP Slate 500 Tablet PC"

The PDair case shipped from Hong Kong. The book case is made of high quality leather and the craftsmanship is very impressive. The case is thicker than the OEM case, but I think it's worth the extra thickness given all the functionality and extra protection it offers. The case is held closed by small magnets.  In many ways, this case reminds me of the Marware C.E.O. Hybrid iPad Case.

Here are some photos of the PDair book case for HP Slate 500 tablet PC:

Amazon to Launch Library Lending for Kindle Books

Customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 local libraries to read on Kindle and free Kindle reading apps


Whispersyncing of notes, highlights and last page read to work for Kindle library books

SEATTLE, Apr 20, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- (NASDAQ: AMZN)-- Amazon today announced Kindle Library Lending, a new feature launching later this year that will allow Kindle customers to borrow Kindle books from over 11,000 libraries in the United States. Kindle Library Lending will be available for all generations of Kindle devices and free Kindle reading apps.

"We're excited that millions of Kindle customers will be able to borrow Kindle books from their local libraries," said Jay Marine, Director, Amazon Kindle. "Customers tell us they love Kindle for its Pearl e-ink display that is easy to read even in bright sunlight, up to a month of battery life, and Whispersync technology that synchronizes notes, highlights and last page read between their Kindle and free Kindle apps."

New Amazon Kindle: smaller, thinner, lighter, cheaper (free 3G web browsing)

Amazon has launched a new Kindle.  This device is smaller, thinner, lighter, and cheaper. How cheap? $189. That's a good price. Here's what you get:

• All-New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen – 50% better contrast than any other e-reader
• Read in Bright Sunlight – No glare
• New and Improved Fonts – New crisper, darker fonts
• New Sleek Design – 21% smaller body while keeping the same 6" size reading area
• 15% Lighter – Only 8.7 ounces, weighs less than a paperback
• Battery Life of One Month – A single charge lasts up to one month with wireless off
• Double the Storage – Up to 3,500 Books
• Books in 60 Seconds – Download books anytime, anywhere
• Free 3G Wireless – No monthly payments, no annual contracts
• Built-In Wi-Fi – In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi hotspots
• 20% Faster Page Turns – Seamless reading
• Enhanced PDF Reader – With dictionary lookup, notes, and highlights
• New WebKit-Based Browser – Free 3G web browsing (experimental)

The experimental 3G web browsing sounds like a very interesting feature. If you spend a lot of time reading in bright sunlight, the Kindle could be a great gadget for you.

Samsung digital reader may be coming to Barnes and Noble

According to this story on Engadget, the Samsung E6 e-reader may be coming to Barnes and Noble. Given that it has a touch screen and a stylus pen for "inking," this could be the start of a new revolution of digital notepads that may gain tremendous popularity among those of us who wish to avoid paper at all costs.

The Nook is another e-reader that is built for Barnes and Noble, but the Nook has a small color touch screen section on the bottom (so you can't really take notes on the Nook), but it's another great option for people who don't want to write, but want to read.

Eventually, I think the majority of these e-readers (digital book readers) will come with color touch screens. The Apple iPad will be the first, but others will soon follow.

Should medical schools require an iPad?

We've heard of several medical schools requiring students to use either an Apple iPhone or iPod touch, but what about the iPad? Some schools have been experimenting with digital e-book readers like the Amazon Kindle. Medical textbooks are frequently filled with photos and other color-rich images, so the grayscale Kindle isn't the ideal e-book reader for medical students who wish to carry their textbooks electronically. This is where the Apple iPad could revolutionize the way medical students learn.

Will some medical schools try to educate their students using digital technology? I'm sure it's bound to happen. What I don't know is whether the iPad will improve the way students learn medicine. Since I'm a technology advocate, I could make several compelling arguments to say that interactive learning is much more effective than traditional lectures and didactic education. I could also say that retention could be enhanced with the use of digital quizzes that occur at the point-of-learning. You can't do that with a text book, but you could do that with a digital version. I could argue that multimedia enhances the educational experience compared to static color images. But all these arguments could fail if students are not ready and willing to embrace technology to enhance their education.

The average pre-med college student is probably tech-savvy and digitally connected via a smartphone, several social media accounts, and a laptop computer. If you hand that student an iPad filled with medical textbooks and multimedia resources, will that student learn effectively? I would think so.

Plastic Logic Que

According to the editors at PC World, the Plastic Logic Que was one of the "Best of CES 2010." Here's how they describe it:

E-readers were one of the hottest categories of the show this year, and the most compelling new model we've seen is the Plastic Logic Que. This 10.7-inch reader sports a capacitive-touch display that lets you gesture through page turns; it also downloads books from Barnes & Noble's e-book store. It will be available in April in a 4GB Wi-Fi version for $649, and an 8GB version with Wi-Fi and 3G for $799.

I'm not particularly excited about e-readers because I'm already a tablet user. I can read books on my tablets. So, why invest in a dedicated e-reader when I already have a device that does that already?

Full color digital readers coming soon

When computers first appeared in the hands of consumers, they came with grayscale (aka monochrome) displays. The same was true for laptops and PDAs. Now, we're seeing that trend repeated with digital book readers. Books generally use black ink on white paper, so who needs color?

As digital readers like the Amazon Kindle, the Sony Digital Reader, and the Barnes and Noble Nook continue to evolve into a type of tablet computer, the need for a color screen will become inevitable. Soon, we'll be back to a tablet PC, but these devices won't have the same type of processing capability as what's found in modern computers. Let's see when Apple releases the iSlate.

So how will these digital readers evolve? I think it's fair to predict that they will incorporate color screens, have Wi-Fi, and have Internet capabilities. They will also be capable of e-mail and some type of multimedia (such as browsing images, playing videos, etc.). Will they get classified as a mobile internet device or MID? Perhaps they will get called a tablet internet device or TID. That will get confusing for physicians who prescribe drugs TID (three times/day).

At the end of the day, they will resemble very simple tablet PCs. How will this impact the medical community? Will health care students and working professionals get more comfortable working with slate tablets?

Electronic book readers are becoming very popular

Electronic book (or e-book) readers are becoming very popular this holiday season. The Apple iPod revolutionized the digital music industry. I think we're witnessing a revolution within the digital book industry and we're only seeing the first and second generation models with the Kindle and Nook, so we know that significant changes will occur over the next few years. Of course, Sony has made several revisions to its digital reader, but nothing has been truly revolutionary yet.

Remember the first Apple iPod? How many people do you know who owned one of these devices? I'm talking about the one with the mechanical scroll wheel, a center select button, and 4 buttons around the wheel. It had a grayscale screen and it was expensive. If we look at iPods today, we see significant changes. Who would have thought that the original iPod would have evolved to the current iPod touch?

I'm sure we will see significant changes in e-book readers as well. In fact, my prediction is that we will see some convergence with mobile internet devices, multimedia players like the iPod touch, and e-book readers. As a result, grayscale screens will be a thing of the past. My big question right now is: who's going to release the first e-book reader that has a color screen?

Nook vs. Kindle

I don't plan to buy an e-reader for myself this holiday season, but I think it would make a great holiday gift for a gadget lover. I'm not trying to hint at anything. I have too many gadgets. However, maybe you'd like to get something for your loved one. If you're considering an e-reader, you may be thinking about the Barnes and Noble Nook vs. the Amazon Kindle. So which should you get?

I think the answer really depends on a single factor: Does the user spend time at Barnes and Noble? If so, then go with the Nook. Otherwise, you're fine with the Kindle or the Nook. If you want something really BIG, then get the Kindle DX. The best feature of the Nook is that you can take it into a Barnes and Noble and you can read books on the device while you're sitting in the lounge or coffee shop.

If I were buying an e-reader, I'd get the Nook. I like to browse book covers in color. Plus, the closest Barnes and Noble is only a few minutes away and I'm frequently there with my kids.

Now keep in mind that Apple may be coming out with some type of e-reader/tablet sometime in 2010. Of course, earlier rumors indicated that the Apple Tablet would be released in 2009 but we know that's not going to happen. We can't wait forever because technology changes so rapidly, doesn't it? The minute you buy a gadget, it's on its way to becoming obsolete.

Asus Eee PC T91MT now on Amazon

The Asus Eee PC T91MT (T91MT-PU17-WT) is now on Amazon. This isn't just your average "Eee netbook." The T91MT is a convertible netbook / tablet PC. The "MT" stands for multi-touch. It reminds me of the Fujitsu LifeBook P1600 series (1610, 1620, 1630), but the price is substantially different. Now, you can have multi-touch and Windows 7 on a netbook for under $550.

If I were to buy a netbook today, this would be at the top of my list because I'm a tablet PC user and I've always been a fan of pen computing. I believe that future health care professionals will rely heavily on touch and pen computing. I hope that more netbook manufacturers will follow Asus and release multi-touch convertible tablet netbooks in the near future.

The Nook is coming

Barnes and Noble is coming out with an e-book reader called the Nook. The Amazon Kindle will be facing some serious competition out there! Now, we have Sony, Amazon, Barnes and Noble, and several other companies releasing e-book readers. I'm thinking that Borders will be next.

The Nook looks quite similar to the Kindle. Let's see how they compare when they get released into the hands of consumers, students, and health care professionals. Can you imagine going through medical school with one of these?

The line between an e-book reader and a tablet PC

Right now, a digital e-book reader (like the Amazon Kindle or the Sony Digital Reader) has a very focused purpose: books

In the near future, I believe they will evolve dramatically. They will incorporate color screens, have Wi-Fi (some already have this), a web browser, multimedia capabilities, e-mail, and much more. Wait, did I just describe a tablet PC?

As the prices of mobile computers continue to drop, it will only make sense to make these digital e-readers more powerful. They don't need to have all the capabilities of a full-featured tablet PC, but they will have enough so that you can get online, get some work done, and use it for entertainment.

My prediction is that the upcoming Apple tablet will be a device that will catapult the e-book reader audience to fall in love with additional tablet PC features. Eventually, these devices may be called "net-tablets" similar to the way we call mini notebooks a netbook. At some point, the line between a digital e-book reader and a tablet PC will get very blurry and we'll see so many overlapping features that we won't see dedicated readers that have a very focused purpose.