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Below are the 20 most recent journal entries recorded in
rudemistress' LiveJournal:
| Friday, October 30th, 2009 | |
| 3:49 pm | From the annals of "Smart Products with Stupid Names" I'm surely not the only one here who's seen news of the Nook E-Reader. (Now say that out loud. Say it faster.) I must admit, if I didn't already have a Kindle, the Nookie would be looking really, really nice for me. In fact, if the next generation of Nookie can handle Kindle-format files, I just might keep using my Kindle until the book savings make up the cost, and then upgrade to a Nookie. The real genius of the Nookie, IMO, is that it takes the cool parts of the Sony device AND the Kindle and apes them both. The major difference over the Kindle is, IMO, that B&N will let its users lend their ebooks out to friends, as opposed to Amazon's "gated city" approach to bookselling. Seriously, if Amazon doesn't want to get its digital-format ass handed to it by B&N, they need to build a lending feature into the next Kindle version. If they refuse to change, they might survive for a while on the backs of users who've already invested in a bunch of Kindle-format books that can't be switched over to a different device, but even there, the other booksellers can kick Amazon's behind simply by aping another one of the Kindle's features: file conversion. I probably have more books on my Kindle by now that I poached for free off the web as DOC and TXT files than that I bought from Amazon. And you know why that's possible? Because Amazon happily lets its users convert files to Kindle format online. It won't take a lot more innovation on B&N's or Sony's part to facilitate Amazon-purchased migration. (In case you're wondering, I prefer purchasing ebooks from Amazon to converting them from free downloads. I like writers to get paid for their work. But I was unemployed for several months and it's a lot easier to justify downloading bootleg novels when you don't have a steady income.) Other differences between the Kindle and Nook don't really make a difference to me, but other users might feel differently. Some of these differences are: a) color display of book covers--I can frankly do without the pretty colors, but you might like them, b) touchscreen display--again, useful but not really germane to the reading of books, c) WiFi access to full text of any book within a B&N store--more useful to B&N than to the user, IMO, d) choice of rubberized backing in different colors--cute, but not really relevant to me, e) personalized screensaver--utterly irrelevant to me, but you might like it, f) removable battery--actually, the Kindle 1.0 has it, and g) memory card slot--again, I have this in my current device, though Amazon discarded it for the new edition. What I think the bookselling industry in general really needs to do--and this is another area in which Amazon will probably have to follow B&N's lead or lose its shirt--is choose/develop an standardized ebook format, design their reader devices to accept it, and sell all their ebooks in that format. The Nook accepts files in ePub format, which also works for the Sony Reader, and I don't know if ePub files can be converted to Kindle format. (Supposedly, just about anything could be sent to the Kindle, but I once tried a PDF that didn't show up at all.) If they want to have a really free market, they'll let you buy any device and then use it for ebooks purchased from any company. You could buy ebooks from Amazon and read them on your Nook, or buy the materials from B&N and read them on a Kindle. Other manufacturers will probably come out with equivalent e-reader devices in the future, and other businesses will probably want to sell ebooks. Both Amazon and B&N seem to think the greatest money is to be made selling as many reader devices as possible, and they're willing to sell e-books at a loss (which really ought to be cheaper than print books starting from the publisher) in order to grab market share for their devices. I think they'll both do much better business if they blow the device-file relationship wide open and then compete to see who can sell the most ebooks, whether readers view them on a Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader, laptop, iPhone, or whatever. And that competition will probably be a matter of marketing, more than anything else, but there should be more to marketing than just being the first one to sell a reader device to a given customer. And when they create a big enough market for ebooks, then they will be able to convince publishers that ebooks do NOT, in fact, cost as much per copy to produce and sell as do print books, and there will be greater variation in ebooks' price upon release. No paper, no ink, no binding, no warehousing, no transport--there's no reason why an ebook should cost as much. Current Mood: Fixin' for a fight |
| Sunday, September 27th, 2009 | |
| 9:16 pm | This is the passage I read today at The Writers' Center. Actually, this is the passage I would have read, given a 10-minute time limit. As I had a 7-minute time limit, I just read about the last 2/3 of it. This is from my second novel, User Assembly is Required, which I wrote in August and September of last year. ( So give me his name, Jezebel! ) |
| Saturday, July 11th, 2009 | |
| 11:31 am | I have a Dreamwidth code for distribution. Would anyone like to use it? |
| Wednesday, July 1st, 2009 | |
| 3:05 pm | Random Ejaculation of the Day I love puppies with little warm tongues. Especially dachsund puppies. |
| Friday, May 22nd, 2009 | |
| 4:59 pm | I can has job nao! I start two weeks from Monday. I'll be working at the Peace Corps, but in their DC headquarters, which means I get to work in an air-conditioned office and do my job in English and get paid a living wage! *dances* I can keep up with the rent! I do not have to debase myself! Current Mood: Fan-Tabulous |
| Tuesday, May 5th, 2009 | |
| 4:41 pm | Baaaaaa! I has joined Dreamwidth. My new identity over there is alyson_m. I'll be journaling mainly about my pro writing endeavors. |
| Tuesday, April 7th, 2009 | |
| 1:18 pm | Yayz! Vermont is now the first state to grant civil marriage equality by a legislative vote, over a governor's veto! Current Mood: impressed |
| Friday, April 3rd, 2009 | |
| 2:50 pm | *opens champagne* State Supreme Court of Iowa: Making homophobes' heads explode since 2009! Current Mood: Fan-Fucking-tastic |
| Wednesday, April 1st, 2009 | |
| 1:06 pm | Bring it, bitches. I'm waiting for someone to show me a good April Fool's prank. It doesn't even need to be convincing, just creative. |
| Wednesday, March 18th, 2009 | |
| 9:53 pm | Emo aspiring writer is emo ZOMG YOU GUYS. I HAVE JUST WRITTEN THE LONGEST SYNOPSIS FOR A FIRST NOVEL IN THE HISTORY OF WRITING, EVER. NO I AM NOT PLEASED WITH MYSELF. SHIT. I'M GOING TO GO ANAESTHETIZE MYSELF WITH LAW & ORDER NOW. BYE. Current Mood: embarrassed |
| Friday, February 20th, 2009 | |
| 3:29 pm | Well, I was TRYING to work on my synopsis, BUT... ...THERE IS NO QUIET AREA IN THE LIBRARY. NONE, I TELL YOU. Current Mood: GRRRRRR |
| Monday, February 9th, 2009 | |
| 12:50 pm | NO I WON'T DO YOU HEAR ME, AMAZON? I will NOT buy another Kindle this year, even if I DO find another, well-paid job before my bank balance starts making me squirm, no matter HOW sleek, efficient and iPod-like it may be. I will NOT upgrade my reader device until it is full of data--or you come up with a model with a non-sucky Internet browser, and allow us to purchase ebooks as gifts. Or at least, I won't buy another device until I've bought enough books to make up the cost of the one I've already bought, anyway. And I'm nowhere near that point. So, I really like how pretty you've made the 2.0, and how you cleaned up those damn page-turn buttons--let's face it, the ones you have on the 1.0 are too big to be allowed, and I like how the 2.0 doesn't cost any more than I paid for my 1.0, but Amazon? Now's NOT the time! Current Mood: In Denial |
| Friday, February 6th, 2009 | |
| 4:20 pm | Not impressed, caffeine. Dammit, how many cups of coffee do I need to drink in a day? I had a second earlier this afternoon and I'm still feeling lethargic. I once drank four cans of Nescafe in one afternoon, and I won't be doing that again, but two cups in a day really ought to be enough to wake me up. Current Mood: apathetic |
| Wednesday, January 28th, 2009 | |
| 11:11 am | When corporations get too clever for my own good. I just tried Genius on iTunes for the first time a few nights ago, and I must say, whoever designed that program is dangerously clever, both in business and creativity. It is objectively obvious as a way for them to sell more music, but you know what? It's also a REALLY FUCKING SMART way for them to sell more music. I tried my Genius list, found a few songs that I'd heard and liked, so I bought them, found a bunch of songs that were meaningless filler, so I didn't buy them, and found this one song that I'd never heard before, by a band I'd never heard of, and simply had to have it. It was mainly by this piece of programming that I ended up buying 25 songs instead of 5. (All that, and I still forgot to get Hallelujah, blast it.) Well, I can't blame Genius for all of that, since I've also been exploiting Google as a lyrics-reader. But Genius has to take the blame for a heavy part of my binge. Those cunning corporate bastards. The downside to iTunes is that now, whenever I turn on my car radio, nearly all the good songs are already on my iPod. |
| Thursday, January 15th, 2009 | |
| 12:06 pm | That's right, bitches!
English GeniusYou scored 100% Beginner, 100% Intermediate, 100% Advanced, and 100% Expert! You did so extremely well, even I can't find a word to describe your excellence! You have the uncommon intelligence necessary to understand things that most people don't. You have an extensive vocabulary, and you're not afraid to use it properly! Way to go!
I'm so pleased with myself. |
| Saturday, October 4th, 2008 | |
| 6:45 pm | Uh-oh of the day. Guys, today my dad showed me a picture of Emma Watson exposing her boobies. Where's the wank? |
| Friday, September 26th, 2008 | |
| 12:09 am | I AM VERY PLEASED WITH MYSELF. I HAS KINDLE. I IZ POSTIN WIT MAH KINDLE RITE NAO. Current Mood: Fan-Fucking-tastic |
| Monday, September 22nd, 2008 | |
| 3:50 pm | *does evil eye in Amazon's general direction* Now that I've finally finished Teh Evol Short(ish) Story, I'm trying to order me a Kindle! I mean, since I'm hemorrhaging money for the next month or so anyway, might as well quit putting it off, AMIRITE? It's my reward for finishing the story, and I've been meaning to get one...pretty much ever since I heard about them in Newsweek last winter. Except now Amazon keeps crashing my browser. I know I shouldn't be shopping online at work, but...come on, how many people work in this building and DON'T goof around on the Internet at work?! I wanna order me a new toy, blast it! ETA: I has did it! Amazon didn't crash my browser at home, amazingly enough. My new toy is on its way! I will be no company at all at the family's annual beach trip this weekend! (Yes, my dad's side of the family gathers at the beach every late September. And we don't even go far south for the trip, either, we go to Delaware. No, I'm not sure what the point of it ever was, but it turned into a tradition. And I have little respect for tradition for its own sake, but I don't see my rellies very often, either.) Current Mood: annoyed |
| Saturday, September 20th, 2008 | |
| 8:23 pm | Ah did it! The story I was supposed to finish in August (*hysterical laughter*) is now finished! Not edited, but...finished! Now what the fuck do I DO with the stupid thing?! Current Mood: Happy-Dance |
| Friday, August 29th, 2008 | |
| 5:46 pm | Woo and Hoo! I received my first paycheck in the mail today. (Don't worry, I've requested direct deposit, but it takes a few weeks to kick in.) And...I WROTE PR0N ON THE TRAIN COMING HOME. WITH SOMEONE SITTING RIGHT NEXT TO ME. Okay, it was only a wee bit of smuttiness. And I tried to keep the text covered up with my hand so she wouldn't see what I was on about. And I certainly don't think she was looking at what I was doing. But she may have seen some anyway. Current Mood: Caffeinated |