Here’s a little bit of horror for gadget geeks: a new site called Gizmoslip, which promises “the sickest reviews on the net,” delivers with something that can make budget-savvy shoppers a bit queasy (or just plain sick). The title says it all. Called the “Nook Tablet vs Kindle Fire Drop Test, the video involves the two said devices, a height meter, different surfaces, a rather sturdy camera (it’s a GoPro cam), and dudes who apparently don’t mind dropping perfectly working devices until one breaks (spoiler: the Nook outlasted the Kindle Fire after a few rounds). Video after the break.
If you pre-ordered a Kindle Touch and have been counting the days before the November 21 release, then here’s a bit of good news coming your way: Amazon has started sending notifications that some users can start expecting their new readers on or before November 17th.
iRiver will join the US market’s e-reader fray this weekend, with the release of their first major e-book reader. Called the iRiver Story HD, the device is highlighted by its partnership with Google Books (it’s the first dedicated reader to tie up with Google’s eBookstore), which gives it access to Google’s device-friendly book format. It’s a big thing because unlike Amazon’s Kindle or Barnes & Noble’s Nook, Google’s eBook format won’t be tied to one device, which means that any book you grab on your computer can be sent to the Story HD via Wi-fi.
Quick update on Asus’ 8-inch Eee Note EA800: it’s due out in Taiwan this week for the equivalent of around US$230. Sounds like a really affordable tablet compared to the iPad and Androids-based tabs in the market right now, but this thing is a bit limited. The EA800 features a grayscale touchscreen and Linux-based OS, and is designed mainly to work as an ebook reader and digital notepad/sketchpad. If you’re looking for a multimedia tablet, you’re going to have to pass on this one (again, it’s because of the non-color screen), although it does have an mp3 player. It’s due out in Hong Kong, Germany, Italy and Russia before the year ends, while China and the US should get it in early 2011.
Asus just put out a new tablet that looks pretty much like the dozen or so tablets already in or about to flood the market, but it’s certainly no iPad or Android clone. It all revolves around the 8-inch touchscreen, but the Eee Note EA800 is a totally different thing altogether. First off, it packs a grayscale (non-colored) screen, so multimedia is pretty much out on this Linux-based device (it can still play MP3s though). It’s labeled as a note taker and ebook reader—two functions that don’t really require a colored screen—but if all you’re looking for is a device that’ll let you read ebooks, handwrite notes, and sketch, then this is something you’re going to want to check out.
