Amazon Kindle

If you haven’t heard of the Kindle already, it is a family of electronic reading devices. On the majority of the slates in the Kindle family, instead of a traditional LCD, which is backlit and can harm your eyes if used for an extended period of time, there is a unique E-Ink display. This is great for reading because there is no backlight, and it looks exactly as if you were reading off a paper book. Another great feature of the E-Ink display is the low power consumption– instead of using electricity to power the display, it only consumes power when the page is changing.

The Amazon Kindle has been around a little while. The first generation device was a landmark in electronic reading devices. It had a great E-Ink screen and 3G access, which meant that you could download a book in tens of different countries– for free.

Fast forward a few years and Amazon now has a several different devices under the Kindle name. From Kindles with keyboards, to touchscreen devices and the Kindle Fire tablet, there is a reader for everyone.

All of the Kindle devices, with exception of one, come with a couple of cool features. First, they can store audiobooks. With an integrated headphone jack, simply plug your earbuds in and hit play, and the Kindle will read the book to you. Audible.com has over 60,000 audiobooks ready for download on your Kindle. In addition to audiobooks, the Kindle can play MP3s, such as music, while you read. Simply plug the device into your commuter with the USB cable, and drag the songs over.

The Kindle devices don’t just do books: the Newsstand feature places magazines and newspapers, such as Time and The New Yorker, right into your hands. You can purchase a subscription right on the device and new issues are downloaded the instant they are released.

Kindle Keyboard

This is a Kindle classic– a 6 inch E-Ink screen, a full QWERTY keyboard, and optional 3G connectivity. Not only is a great reader, but it’s really cheap: as low as $99 for the WiFi only version. The battery life is phenomenal, and you normally will never have to think about charging the device. With the wireless connectivity off, as it will be most of the time, you can read books for about two months. It’s also really light: only a 8.5 ounces, and with the Kindle Keyboard’s 4GB of storage that can store over 3,500 books, you’ll really be able to take a lot of weight out of your backpack.

Kindle Touch

The Touch is a new addition to the family. Unlike the Kindle Keyboard, the screen covers the entire front of the device, which increases the reading area. And because there is no keyboard, it’s lighter by 12%. It can store the same 3,000 books and has both 3G and WiFi options.  Even if there is no physical keyboard, you’re not missing out– there’s still a on screen, touch keyboard to help you navigate through the Kindle bookstore.

3G versus WiFi

For the Kindle Keyboard and Touch there are a two options for wireless connectivity: 3G plus WiFi, or plain WiFi. If you opt for the cheaper, WiFi only versions, you will only be able to download books when connected to a WiFi hotspot. If you rarely download books, this may be fine for you– just download books when at home, work, or right before you takeoff from the airport with the free wireless access. But if you’re on the road and you run out of books, then you are out of luck.

This is the main advantage of the 3G version: if you are out and about, you can flip on the 3G wireless, browse the book store, download a book, and begin reading, all while you’re in the car or train. There’s no need for WiFi at all, but you still have the option of turning it on if you’re at home and downloading large files such as audiobooks. Not only do you get the 3G access in the United States, but you get free connectivity in over 100 countries globally as well. If you are a frequent traveler, the 3G is really convenient.

A hidden feature of the Kindle is the “Experimental Web Browser.” Basically, it will allow you to browse the web over the WiFi connection if you have the correct Kindle. If you are on the road and happen to be near a WiFi hotspot, and need nearby restaurants, you can simply pull up Yelp and find reviews on your Kindle.

Special Offers

When purchasing a Kindle, you may also notice the choice between “With Special Offers,” or without. Special Offers, in simple terms, are ads. They are only displayed on the screensaver if you have not touched your Kindle for a couple of minutes and on the home screen. They will never appear when you are reading a book. For some, saving $40 may be worth having these ads. In fact, some of the ads are actually good deals. For example, at one point there was a 25% off coupon for laptops purchased on Amazon.com– but you could only use the coupon if you had a Special Offers Kindle. Most ads won’t be useful: $30 off Yoga Classes, ads for AT&T, and $1 Kindle Books you don’t care about.

It’s up to you to decide whether Special Offers is worth the money saved, but if you purchase a Special Offers Kindle, you can always purchase an upgrade on your Kindle to remove the ads later. Remember, hardware-wise there is no difference, it’s simply whether ads are displayed or not.

Kindle and Kindle DX

At only $79, the “Kindle” (no suffix or nickname) is one of the cheapest, and most feature filled E-Reader. You get the same E-Ink screen, light device, and month-long battery life, but for a really low price. However, there is a tradeoff: there are no audiobooks, and the device can only store about 1,400 books. While you probably will never hit that limit, the lack of MP3 playback and audiobooks may be a deal killer for some. In addition, there is no touch screen or keyboard– just a D-Pad. While this is a great deal for the budget conscious consumer, most will prefer the Kindle Touch or Keyboard for $20 more.

The Kindle DX is a more specialized E-Reader. It’s huge, and much more expensive at $379. The DX comes with a 9.7 inch screen– as big as an iPad. However, it’s still an E-Ink display, so you get the same great outdoor reading experience. While it is big length and width-wise, it is still extremely thin. In fact, it is just as thin as the other members of the Kindle family. It also comes with free 3G access and can carry up to 3,500 books. If you don’t mind the bigger form factor and appreciate the large screen, the Kindle DX is a great device. But for casual readers who want a light, portable E-Reader, it may make more sense to choose one of the smaller Kindles.

And introducing…the Kindle Fire

The recent addition of cheaper Kindles and the Touch are welcomed, but they all build on the same, standard E-Reader format. While there’s nothing wrong with this, there are some people who would prefer a radically different device.

This is where the Fire comes in. Unlike the other Kindles, and like an iPad, the screen is a full color LCD. While this may not be ideal for some readers, the Fire isn’t designed just for reading. In addition to the millions of books available on the Amazon store, you get access to 18 million TV shows, apps, movies, songs, books, newspapers, magazines, and more. The 7 inch IPS display is great for streaming movies from Amazon’s library, and magazines are simply beautiful, especially when compared to the black-and-white displas of the other Kindles. For the multimedia junkie, this the device.

Younger kids that love books make take to the traditional Kindle devices, but the Fire is great for children as well. During story time, simply bring up a full-color children’s book, complete with beautifully illustrated pictures.

With the device, you get one month of Amazon Prime. Simply put, Amazon Prime a subscription that includes streaming movies, free books, and free two day shipping on most items purchased from the Amazon store. If you buy the Fire, you will probably need (or at least really want) Prime due to the multimedia focus of the device. There are included apps for streaming the free movies included with your Prime subscription, and you can purchase rental rights for new releases. The Fire, based on the Android operating system, has email, Facebook, Netflix, Twitter, and a web browser. All of this for only $199– less than half the price of an iPad. This is the device everyone has been talking about– it’s a cheap tablet that actually makes sense to buy. Paired with the $80-a-year Prime subscription (only $40 for college students!), this deal is unmatched by anything from Apple, Vizio, Samsung, or any other tablet vendor.

There are a few cons when compared to the traditional E-Ink Kindles: it’s heavier, doesn’t have the E-Ink screen, and the battery life is much, much lower. These are tradeoffs that will have to be made for a device like this, because it isn’t really an E-Reader. It’s a lot more than that, and it’s something that any book worm or cinephile will absolutely love for the holidays.

Buyer’s Guide

College & High School Students

It’s getting to be towards the end of the quarter, and as the year goes on the classes are getting harder. Your kid’s TI-83 may not cut it anymore. Times have changed, and there are some really cool new calculators on the market, and amazingly, they aren’t that much more expensive either:

TI N-Spire Touchpad

Non CAS | CAS

The TI N-Spire is an amazing calculator– I have on myself. First launched in 2008, Texas Instruments has made a few changes to make using it a little easier. Instead of being interspersed with the numeric keys, the letters are placed at the bottom of the keypad. While it was previously common to accidentally hit these keys, their new placement makes this very difficult to do.

In addition, the TI N-Spire has a new Touchpad in place of the older, circular D-Pad style keys. This improved navigation pad makes it easier to guide the cursor around on the screen.

The TI N-Spire Touchpad also makes a great present for high school students. Texas Instruments allows all N-Spire owners to request a TI-84+ keypad at no extra cost. To use the second keypad, push on the switch on the back of the calculator to pop the keypad off. Then, simply snap in the TI-84+ keypad, and turn the calculator back on. It’ll function exactly as if the N-Spire were a TI-84+. Want the advanced features such as 3D graphing? Simply pop the N-Spire keypad back in.

This means that in addition to the new, advanced capabilities that are included with the N-Spire keypad, you can use the calculator as if it were a TI-83+ or TI-84+. This is a great feature for classes in high school designed for the older family of calculators, while still having the more advanced N-Spire keyboard for college and calculus.

TI N-Spire CX

Non CAS | CAS

For the kid who always likes to have the latest technology, there is the TI N-Spire CX. This thing is guaranteed to make any math geek smile: the first thing you will notice is the color, backlit screen. Though slightly more expensive, the N-Spire CX comes with a color screen, thin design, and rechargeable battery. This mini-computer is possible the most advanced calculator by Texas Instruments, and it is still approved for use on the SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP and IB exams. It is also permitted on some state exams. Amazingly, this is TI’s lightest calculator.

With the latest TI N-Spire software, you can load images and color graphics onto the calculator. This allows you to graph some pretty unique stuff right on top of real world images. With the color screen, the 3D graphs look pretty cool on this computer– it’s hard to call this thing a measly “calculator.”

Software

Both of these calculators, whether you purchase the more traditional TI N-Spire Touchpad or the advanced CX model, come with the TI N-Spire OS 3.1. This cool software upgrade comes with support for 3D graphing, more data collection tools, picture viewing, features for graphing statistics, and differential equation graphs. Any calculus student knows how much of a pain differential equations are– the newest TI N-Spire software makes graphing them a breeze, while an AP Statistics student will appreciate summary-level frequency plots and more.

And for the programmers, version 3.0 of the software allows you to run programs written in Lua.

Have the older TI N-Spire with the Clickpad? You can upgrade your calculator to the same software for free from Texas Instruments

CAS vs Non CAS

One feature I find that people are consistently confused about is the CAS– computer algebra system. The newest TI N-Spire calculators, both Touchpad and CX, come in two flavors each– without the CAS, and with.

The Non-CAS version of the calculators lack certain advanced functionality, but are usually permitted on the SAT, PSAT, ACT, AP, and IB exams. In contrast, the CAS versions are usually only permitted on the SAT and AP exams.

The Computer Algebra System adds some advanced solvers and functionality:

• Solving systems of equations
• Solves for derivatives and integrals
• Expands expressions
• Solves expressions and returns the roots
• Factors expressions
• Finds the minimum and maximum over specific intervals
• Finds zeroes of the function

In addition, the CAS versions of the calculators are often more expensive, though usually only by $15-$20.

It’s up to you to determine what version is right for you. Are you doing a lot of complex calculations, but do you not need a calculator for the IB or ACT exams? You may want to consider the CAS. However, if you are looking for a cheaper calculator and compatibility with a wider range of exams, the non-CAS version may be appropriate.

It’s also worth noting that the CAS versions of the N-Spire Touchpad are not compatible with the TI-84+ keypad, though students in lower levels of math that need the compatibility of the TI-84+ will likely not need the CAS anyways.

Quick Guide

TI N-Spire Touchpad

An amazingly powerful calculator, complete with 3D graphing and a Touchpad to control a cursor.

Buy on Amazon for about $115.

TI N-Spire Touchpad CAS

For a couple dollars more, an integrated Computer Algebra System is included to solve more complex equations.

Buy on Amazon for about $140.

TI N-Spire CX

A color screen, rechargeable battery, and thin design make this the most advanced TI calculator.

Buy on Amazon for about $140.

TI N-Spire CX CAS

You get all of the above, plus the computer algebra system.

Buy on Amazon for about $150.

Need a great gift for Mother’s Day or Father’s Day? Look no further—theAmazon Kindle is the perfect present for mom or dad. This sleek device has been redesigned and is now thinner than a pencil, much faster, and the battery lasts a lot longer.

UPDATE 11/21/11: Amazon has released new Kindles. Check out our new guide here.

The Amazon Kindle 2 has an E-Ink display which means that the device uses no power to keep the screen on. The E-Ink screen will not only give you days of battery life but the screen is easy to read indoors or outdoors in full daylight. The screen does not have a backlight and is matted, which means there is no reflection. The Kindle 2 has 2GB of internal memory that will hold over 1500 books, and not only can you read the Kindle, but it can read to you. The Kindle 2 features a text-to-speech function that will read aloud—perfect for those long car rides where you do not want to stare at a screen for a long period of time.

Purchase Now from Amazon

Buy the Kindle 2 from Amazon

TI’s new Touchpad has improved in many ways—it features a new rectangular pad that allows you to control the cursor easily, the buttons have been rearranged to make typing easier, and some of the buttons have been relabed to fit the new TI NSpire OS’s new functions. One huge difference between the old keypad and the new Touchpad is the location of the letter keys. A huge complaint with the previous NSpire was that the letter keys were easy to accidentally press. I myself have experienced this, often typing “30*5n0” instead of “30*50”. The new location of the letter keys helps those with larger fingers type more accurately. You may notice that the keyboard is still not a “qwerty” or similar layout–the “qwerty” keyboard was one feature that disqualified the TI-92 from being used on the SAT and other standardized tests, so TI made a wise decision when sticking with the “abcd…” layout.

With the new Touchpad, TI is releasing a new calculator body as well. This body looks very similar to the old TI NSpire—wide at the top, narrower at the bottom. However, the new TI NSpire comes in a few new colors—white and black. The black version of the TI NSpire is the CAS model. The CAS model comes with Computer Algebra System capabilities, which basically allows you to manipulate mathematical expressions in symbolic form. The non-CAS version comes in white and dark blue—a difference contrast from the light blue case that the original NSpire was released with. The newest TI NSpire models come with a new and welcomed feature—rechargeable batteries. But be warned—these batteries do not usually come with the actual handheld but need to be bought separately. The rechargeable batteries will run you about $10.00 to $15.00, but it is worth it if you are burning through the traditional AAAs. You still have the option of using the regular AAA batteries with the new NSpire in addition to the new rechargable batteries.

Purchase From Amazon

The magic behind the Amazon Kindle is a new display technology called “E-Ink” and a built-in wireless cell phone modem. The E-Ink display is unlike any LCD monitor currently on your personal computer, cell phone, or PDA. The E-Ink screen is changes each time you “turn” a page in the book. After the flip, the display remains on but does not draw any power. It is similar to spray painting an image on an etch-a-sketch screen and then erasing and redrawing the next screen when you need to. What is so cool about this technology is that it is super easy to read both indoors and outdoors. The display looks like real ink on a real piece of paper. There is no eye strain or glare that you normally see with a traditional backlit LCD display. On top of that, since the display uses no electricity, once it has painted the screen, the Kindle can last a week or more between battery charges.

The other really cool technology in the Kindle is the built-in cell phone modem. Kindle owners do not need a cell phone nor are there monthly fees for owning a Kindle. Amazon.com pays all the associated cell phone bills associated with your Kindle when you download books to the reader. By using a built-in wireless modem which uses the cell phone network, you never need to hook your Kindle up to a computer or even to a wireless network access point. Wherever you can get a cell phone signal, you can surf the Amazon Kindle bookstore and download new books with a few pushes of a button.

Just imagine where this technology could lead us in the next few years! No heavy math, Spanish, English, or history books to carry around. No forgetting the book you are supposed to read in class that day. Everything can be available at your fingertips, anytime you want it. To top it off, Amazon even provides 100% free access to Wikipedia from your Kindle so you can look up references to subjects, any time you want.