There are many e-readers out on the market right now, but the three most popular ones are Amazon.com’s Kindle, Barnes & Noble’s Nook, and Sony Reader.

All three come in various models, including high-end models with more advanced features. Still, the Kindle, the Nook, and Sony Reader all do basically the same thing. So, how do you choose which one to buy? Let’s look a few of the main things you should consider when buying an e-reader, and see how each brand stacks up.

Display type

There are two types of e-reader displays: backlit color, like the display on an iPad or cell phone, or e-ink, a black and white display that mimics the appearance of a page of printed text. Each of these display types are best suited for different reading styles. For instance, for someone who plans on using their e-reader to read a lot of magazines or books with color illustrations would probably prefer an e-reader with a backlit color display. However, e-readers with e-ink usually have a longer battery life and are always easier to read in sunlight, so they would be a better choice for someone who plans on carrying their e-reader around with them and using it frequently.

How do they compare?

All three brands offer an e-ink version of their e-reader. If you want a backlit color screen, you’ll have to buy a Kindle Fire (which we wrote about last week), or a Nook Color. Both the Kindle Fire and the Nook Color include additional tablet-like features, like apps, web browsing, and more.

Internet connectivity

All e-readers have some way of connecting to the internet so that you can download books. Some readers just have wireless (or Wi-Fi) capability, while others offer both Wi-Fi and 3-G connectivity. Wi-Fi-only models are cheaper, but you’ll only be able to access the internet when you can connect to a wireless network. 3-G capable models are more convenient, since you’ll be able to connect to the internet almost anywhere, but the extra cost may not be worth it for people who don’t plan on downloading books and magazines while they’re on-the-go.

How do they compare?

If you want an e-reader with 3-G capability, you’ll have to buy a Kindle. The Kindle is the only brand to currently offer both Wi-Fi only and 3-G and Wi-Fi models. The Nook lineup originally included a 3-G version, but all current versions of the Nook are Wi-Fi-only.

Bookstore Options

All three major e-readers are linked to their brand’s online bookstore, which lets you download e-books and magazines directly to your e-reader. While there are other ways of getting reading material onto any e-reader, the easiest way is to buy directly from the e-reader’s linked store.

How do they compare?

All three offer a massive selection of e-books and magazines:

• Nook‘s store (run by Barnes & Noble) offers “over 2.5 million” e-books.
• Sony Reader‘s store offers “over 2 million” e-books.
• Kindle‘s store (run by Amazon.com) offers “over 1 million” e-books.

When you’re deciding between e-readers, it’s a good idea to visit each store to compare prices and ease of use.

Making your choice

Once you’ve decided on the basic features you want in an e-reader, you can consider other factors, like appearance and price. The price will mainly depend on which features you choose (features like 3-G and backlit screens will drive up the price quite a bit). However, all three brands offer at least one basic version of their e-reader for $99 or less, with the cheapest being the Kindle at $79. To get that low price, though, you’ll have to make a few sacrifices: the $79 version of the Kindle includes ads and is Wi-Fi only.

To learn more about the Kindle, Nook, and Sony Reader, visit their websites here:

• Kindle
• Nook
• Sony Reader

If you’re considering an e-reader, is there one in particular you’re leaning toward? If you’ve already bought one, how did you decide?

Kindle Fire

Why consider the Kindle Fire?

The Kindle Fire is a solid introductory tablet. It has the features that people like about tablets in general: it’s compact, lightweight, and fairly easy to use. While the Kindle Fire isn’t powerful enough to be a true replacement for a computer, there’s plenty you can do with it, including:

• Download games and applications
• Browse the web wirelessly
• Download and read e-books and magazines
• Stream movies and music

Of course, you could do all of these things on any tablet. The feature that really makes the Kindle Fire stand out is its price. At $199, it’s a good deal. Of course, $199 isn’t pocket change, but for a tablet, it’s incredibly cheap. Other tablets have come out at around the same price range, but none have been as powerful or reliable as the Kindle Fire.

Drawbacks

Inevitably, any new tablet will be compared to iPad, which is currently the most-used tablet worldwide. Unfortunately, the Kindle Fire doesn’t do very well in this comparison. It’s less powerful than the iPad, which makes it slower. When we tested it here at our office, there was noticeable lag time when we flipped the pages of an eBook or tried to zoom while viewing certain web pages. This wasn’t a huge problem, but it was a little frustrating. (It’s worth noting that all of us here at GCFLearnFree.org have used the iPad before. The people I’ve talked to who haven’t used an iPad didn’t find the Kindle Fire’s slower speed as distracting as we did.)

The Kindle Fire also has fewer features than the iPad. It lacks a microphone and camera, so you won’t be able to use it for Skype or any other type of video chat. It also lacks 3G capability, which means that you can only connect to the web by accessing a wireless network. Finally, it currently supports far fewer applications than the iPad does. This should change as the Kindle Fire becomes more popular, but it’s worth keeping in mind if you’re looking for a tablet that can do a variety of tasks.

Is it worth it?

If you’ve never used a tablet before and are looking to get started, the Kindle Fire is a solid choice. It’s easy to use, fairly reliable, and starting at $199, it’s less than half the price of the cheapest iPad. However, you get what you pay for: if you want a truly powerful tablet, or have used the iPad in the past, the Kindle Fire might not suit your needs.  In short, the Kindle Fire is worth buying if you’re looking for a basic tablet for streaming video, reading books, and surfing the web— just don’t buy it as an iPad replacement.

You can buy the Kindle Fire online at Amazon.com.

Speed and Performance

All three browsers have integrated the latest web standards to make for speedier page loading. While Chrome has generally been considered the fastest in the past, the majority of speed tests being conducted recently show that there is no longer a lot of difference in speed between the browsers.

Another improvement for speed includes a new feature called Hardware Acceleration which utilizes a computer’s graphics card to accelerate web pages with heavy graphics or video content. However, Internet Explorer 9 requires Windows 7 to perform this feature and Chrome 10 users will need to manually enable it.

Improved Interface

FireFox and Internet Explorer have now adopted Chrome’s tradition of a reduced interface that hides the tool bars and allows for more web page space on the screen. The default in Internet Explorer 9 is now the most space-efficient of the three, however its single bar can become cluttered pretty quickly and you will likely end up creating a second tab bar anyway.

All of the browsers have features for organizing and viewing tabs, but FireFox has a cool Apps Tab that allows you to pin sites you have permanently open like your email or Twitter to the tool bar. In addition, IE9 allows you to pin favorite websites to the Windows 7 Taskbar for easy access.

Privacy and Security

Along with general security improvements, the new browsers give you a little more ability to block third-party advertisers that track the websites you visit in order to feed you personalized ads.

FireFox’s Do Not Track allows you to tell advertisers not to track you and Chrome 10′s Keep My Opt-Outs extension will permanently opt you out of online ad personalization. However, both features require advertisers to voluntarily participate in these block lists which means you will not be able to opt-out of advertisers not on the list. In IE9′s Tracking Protection you can create your own lists of websites to block, although this may prove to be tedious for users.

Syncing with Mobile Devices

Both FireFox and Chrome allow you to sync your desktop browsers with your mobile devices which can be very convenient. FireFox is the clear winner here with automatic syncing that allows you to not just take your bookmarks with you to other devices, but also your open tabs and history. IE9 does not have synchronization.

Choosing a Browser

Since the performance of the browsers is rather similar, choosing which one to download will depend more on your preferences, Internet habits and features. As of February 2011, Internet Explorer remains the most popular browser as seen in the graphic to the right. However, FireFox 4 downloads were more than double that of IE9 in the first 24 hours, indicating that more and more people are choosing other browsers. While IE9 has some great improvements, it should also be noted that users must have Windows 7 to use IE9.

With that being said, FireFox or Chrome may be more appealing choices. Chrome has a reputation for the best speed and for its integration of convenient add-ons, but FireFox seems to have caught up and also has better mobile syncing.

So think about what your needs are and remember, downloads are free, so it will not hurt you to try one out and see how you like it. For more information on the browser features and for download links, visit the sites below:

• Chrome 10
• FireFox 4
• Internet Explorer 9

Before choosing  a smartphone to stuff that stocking with, you should consider the following questions:

• Which carrier do you want to use? If you do not want to break your current contract, then you will be limited to the smartphones offered by your carrier. If you want to switch carriers, research which ones offer the best service in your area.
• Do you want to stick with a particular operating system? If you need to sync  multiple devices (iPhone, iPad, Macbook), then choosing from the Apple iOS, Droid 2.1, Windows 7 and Blackberry operating systems may make a big difference to you.
• Which style do you prefer? Take note of the screen size, resolution, keyboard style, comfort and weight of the device.
• Which features matter to you the most? Is the Internet connection fast? Does it have an 8 megapixel or front-facing camera for video chatting? How long does the battery last?
• What applications are available? Apple argues that its strict control over applications makes the iPhone more efficient. Other devices, on the other hand, have open platforms for downloading any application you want.
• Which data plan do you want to pay for? Smartphones require data plans, in addition to your talk minutes, which will add to your monthly bill. Research your carrier’s pricing before you buy.

Popular Smartphones

Two of the top-ranking smartphones on the market are Apple’s iPhone 4 from AT&T and Motorola’s Droid X from Verizon. For an excellent comparison, check out PC World’s iPhone 4 and Droid X: A Head to Head Comparison.

You might also consider the Samsung Epic 4G or HTC EVO 4G from Sprint, the MyTouch 4G from T-Mobile or the Windows 7 Samsung Focus.

So hopefully you are in a better position to decide whether to make a new smartphone a last-minute holiday gift, a post-holiday indulgence or a 2011 resolution. For more holiday gift ideas, see our Holiday Wish List series.

Happy Holidays from GCFLearnFree.org!

So What is Streaming?

Nearly anything you listen to or watch over the Internet – YouTube, Pandora, Hulu is streaming. Rather than waiting to download an entire file, you can watch the file as it comes in or streams to your computer.

Enter the Roku Player

The Roku player is a small back box that connects to your home network and to your TV. It offers a user friendly interface that makes it easy to navigate a wide range of content from Pandora for music to Netflix and Hulu for movies and TV. You can also access a range of special channels like KungFu or Baseball, although those may have extra charges. In addition, a range of TV and movie rental options are also included.

Roku offers three models, the HD, XD, and XD|S that connect to your TV and your home network. The devices range from $59 – $99 depending on the features. All of the models offer a relatively low-cost entry into the world of streaming media.

Other Options

If you have a current video game console (Xbox 360, Wii, Playstation 3) you may be able to get streaming media including NetFlix. Also, many Blu-ray disk players and even some TVs have the ability to access streaming content. Finally, there are a number of competing streaming devices that include:

• AppleTV – similar to the Roku, no Hulu, so it is limited to Netflix and iTunes rentals. It can display content stored on other Macs and PCs, so this may be a better option for people with large iTunes libraries.
• Boxee – This box holds a lot of promise, but the software has been struggling to match competitors, at this point the Roku is a better option.
• Revue – One of a family of new devices that utilize GoogleTV, the Logitech Revue attempts to bring a search feature to your TV. Although they have a growing number of services available, the Google TV boxes are complex and over three times more expensive than a Roku Box.

Before you make the leap

• Do you have a fast internet connection? For even reasonable performance, you will need a download speed of at least 1.5 Mbps. Dialup and most basic DSL plans are simply too slow. Even some low end plans from Cable and Satellite may be too slow. Check you connection at Speedtest.net.
• Do you have a home network? You will need a Wi-Fi or a wired connection for your Roku.
• Do you want current content? Although the libraries of movies and TV shows are catching up, Netflix does not have the most up-to-date shows and movies. Hulu and other services are spotty, they may have current episodes of some shows, but many networks are missing entirely.
• What about your TV? You will need a TV with an HDMI port for the best picture, although some Roku players do support Composite and Component connections.

So now you can decide if a streaming device like the Roku player is worth putting under the tree this year. Of course, even more streaming options will likely come out in 2011, but for a maximum price of $99, the Roku is not a bad buy.  For more holiday gift ideas, see our Holiday Wish List series.

Why is it considered revolutionary?

The iPad has created an appealing middle ground. It’s a device that fits beautifully between tiny, limited mobile devices and larger, bulkier laptops, computers and televisions. Imagine opening something that has the size, weight and feel of a magazine, and being able to watch a video, change an appointment in your calendar or flip through your own personalized news items. Its innovative design makes it physically comfortable, quickly responsive and functionally powerful.

The iPad is also revolutionary in how it serves you content. There are numerous apps, such as Flipboard and Pulse News, that can apply filters to customize the information you receive based on your interests and networks. Informational content is displayed in a magazine type layout giving you just enough to get a taste of an item, helping you to decide whether to commit to it or move on.

Apps obviously greatly enhance the iPad experience and can  range from being useful and productive to playful and addictive. Either way, they can affect and color your life in varying ways. Apps on the iPad also have the advantage of being designed under the high standards required by Apple. Some feel this greatly limits the market for apps, but Apple promotes that this is the best way to guarantee that the iPad remains highly efficient and that the apps it approves are effective.

Check out this video of the iPad in action and judge for yourself.

What are the disadvantages?

• Flash content is limited, so the features on some websites you visit may not work. However, most popular websites are providing an iPad app for overcoming this issue.
• There are no USB sockets or drives for uploading files. You can access and edit files and documents on your iPad, but they will need to be uploaded and accessed via the Cloud.
• There is no camera, but there will likely be one added to the next version.
• Unlike a mobile phone, you must have Wi-Fi access to use the basic iPad model. The pricier 3G model ($600+) will provide access from anywhere, but it requires a monthly fee.

So now you can decide if the iPad is the gift to get or give this year. Of course, as with all technology, you must also keep in mind that a newer version of the iPad will likely be coming out this spring. Happy shopping!

Do youever find yourself bored or looking for something new and exciting to do? If the answer is yes,you have to check out Meetup.com. Meetup is the largest network for local groups. The idea is to bring people in local communities, that share common interests, together face-to -face to enjoy a group activity.  You can join your local singles, fitness, dodgeball, flag football, stay-at-home mom, wine aficionado groups and more. Trust me when I say there is a group out there for everyone! All you have to do is register for a free account, type in your city, state, or zip code, and search for a local Meetup group of your choice. You can also browse Meetup categories to narrow your search.  You can join as many groups as you would like.  The time, date, location, and details of the event are listed on the group’s page. To attend a Meetup you are encouraged to RSVP. Before the Meetup you usually receive a reminder email and if your event is canceled you usually receive a cancellation notice from the  group administrator. Let’s take a look at how to set up an account and find the perfect group to join!

The Freecycle Network™ is an online grassroots not-for-profit organization whose mission is reduce waste by connecting local members that have items they no longer need to other local members who need or may be looking for those items. Using Freecycle is a great option if you originally planned to donate the item, but have determined that it doesn’t meet IRS tax-deductible donation standards.  Typical Freecycle items range from closthes, to broken chairs, to empty baby food jars, to DVD covers –  just about anything that someone else might be able to use.  Just because it doesn’t meet IRS criteria, doesn’t mean it isn’t useful!  And you’ll be doing something good for the Earth, too, by keeping these items out of our landfills.

Here is how it works: You find a group in your area entering your location in the box that appears on the Freecycle home page.

You’ll get a list of all the Freecycle groups in your area, and can click on one of them to join.  You’ll need a Yahoo! account to join a local Freecycle group…but don’t worry,  this is free, too!  Once you have joined a local group, you can view or post messages.

Most messages fall into a few categories:

• OFFER.  Include the word OFFER in the subject line of the post, along with a very brief description of the item(s) you are offering.  In the body of the post, provide more details about the item and the general pickup location.  For example, a recent post offering a piano looked like this:
  
• TAKEN.  When the item is claimed by someone, it is time to post that the item is TAKEN or TAKEN PPU (pending pick up — which just means someone has claimed it but it hasn’t been picked up yet).
• WANTED.  Use this in the subject line, along with a brief description of what you want.

You can set up how you want to get the posts when you are setting up your user profile.  I choose to receive a daily digest of posts so that I can see in one daily email what is needed or available in my area.  This way, I can watch for something I need, and I can see if I have something that someone else needs — without getting an email each time someone posts something.

Freecycle is completely free.  You can subscribe and unsubscribe at any time.  I hope you consider joining or starting a Freecycle group in your area.  You’ll be helping yourself, your community, and the Earth!

Old School

New School

Macbook: What’s New?

Body:New aluminum body which makes the Macbook sturdier and lighter.

Glass display:Edge to edge glass. The metal frame around the screen was eliminated.

Multi-touch touchpad:Eliminates the buttons and now you can do everything on the touchpad like right click, left click, select, and more.

Keyboard:Illuminated keyboard that lights up when you type. This feature was previously only offered on the Macbook Pro and Macbook Air. This is one of my favorite Macbook features!

The NVIDIA GeForce 9400M (a.k.a. graphics card) makes your graphics and images faster and crisper.

Memory:Faster memory that allows your computer to keep up with the speed of your fingers!

Learn More

Macbook Pro: What’s New?

Body:Apple introduces the unibody; a single piece of aluminum provides a more durable and light weight machine.

Display:Edge to edge glass eliminates the frame and makes the display more power efficient.

Multi-touch touchpad:Eliminates the buttons and now you can do everything on the touchpad like right click, left click, select, and more.

Learn More

]]> http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2008/10/fresh-apples/feed/ 0 http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2008/10/how-to-buy-a-digital-camera/ http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/2008/10/how-to-buy-a-digital-camera/#comments Thu, 09 Oct 2008 18:20:07 +0000 allison http://blog.gcflearnfree.org/?p=439 How to Buy a Digital Camera

What is Digital Photography?

Digital Photography is a newer form of photography that uses digital technology to capture and produce digital images. This type of photography does not require film or a dark room. And forget about dropping film off at a lab and waiting for it to be developed. With a digital camera you can upload your pictures to a computer and view, save, edit, and share photos within minutes. In this podcast we’re going inside a local camera store to show you what to look for when buying a digital camera.

Types of Digital Cameras

DSLR or the digital single lens reflex camera One of the most popular camera types among professionals and serious amateurs is the single-lens reflex, better known as a digital SLR. These cameras are expensive but have certain advantages over other camera types:

• You can change lenses.
• You see the scene through the lens so what you see is what you get.
• You can select from a large variety of accessories, including powerful flash units.

Fixed Lens Just like their name implies, a fixed lens camera has a lens that can’t be removed. Some higher end fixed lens cameras have a zoom lens and other functions much like the SLR.

Point and Shoot This is the most popular type of digital camera. They have fewer controls, and are small in size. The most popular point-n-shoot are those built into cell phones.

Take a look around GCFLearnFree.org to see all the topics we offer.

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