So, in an earlier article I mentioned the Amazon Kindle vs. the OLPC. I've been thinking a bit more about this, and have decided to do an in-depth comparison
| Amazon Kindle | OLPC | |
| Reads Books | Books bought from Amazon | Books from Project Gutenberg |
| Web Access | Kindle Store, paid subscriptions. Black and White | Full web access (in color) |
| Newspapers | Upon Subscription | Websites, some free, some upon online newspaper subscription |
| Blogs | Select blogs (about four) upon paid subscription (no /rc/etc blog!) | All blogs |
| Reading Offline | All content on device (Unknown hard disk size, though) | Saved HTML files, page left open |
| Wireless | EVDO, avg. 4.5 mbps | 802.11b/g/s |
| Documents | Send PDF, DOC, JPG, PNG to kindle for $0.10 each | Free, in a multitude of ways |
| Operating System | Unknown | Linux |
| Document Editing | None | Full |
| Compatibility* | Windows | Every OS |
| Applications | Amazon Provided, mostly fee-based | Open Source, expandable |
| Screen | 4-level gray, no backlight. 600x800 non-rotatable | 1200x900 in color, 2400x1800 grayscale. Rotatable, backlit if needed. |
| Input | Tiny nonstandard QWERTY keyboard with irregular buttons | Small QWERTY keyboard (designed for children) |
I tend to err toward the OLPC, because it costs half as much and does more. Oh, and a really crisp grayscale screen, which would be great for reading books. (Because of the display technology, resolution is doubled in grayscale mode. It is all explained on Wikipedia).
Happy Thanksgiving, Amazon. Hope the Kindle didn't burn your turkey.
EDIT: Some inaccuracies have been pointed out in the comments, and the table has been updated accordingly.
*To clarify: compatibility means computers that it can talk to or sync with (because the kindle can sync documents as a way to avoid the 10 cent fee). The OLPC can use wireless to talk to any computer.
Technorati Tags: Amazon Kindle, Linux, OLPC, Open Source
4 comments:
Comparison is interesting but not very useful as you're comparing a book reader to a computer. Also, OLPC is meant for undeveloped countries. OLPC is also clam-shell form factor. Tablet form is better for reading.
Like I said before the main feature of Kindle is the display. It does not need power to maintain the display once displayed while LCD needs to be refreshed. I suspect if the Kindle is turned off the page would stay up if it is not erased. So the Kindle display is literally like electronic ink.
From reading the Amazon reviews, many users turn off the wireless function so the the battery last for weeks.
Another device that uses e-ink is Sony Reader. I think it supports PDF. Maybe a comparison with that is better. At least there, you are comparing book reading devices.
@etc/rc: I agree with you that the OLPC is much more interesting than the Kindle. However your comparison is a bit inaccurate at places:
Compatibility: I don't think "every OS" is justified as the OLPC comes without an optical drive and hard disk. So installing another OS should be impossible. However you could likely boot something another Linux from an USB-stick.
Price: Kindle $399 vs OLPC $399 (however you actually buy two, one being donated to a child! Plus you get one year of free T-Mobile WiFi access with the OLPC)
Keyboard: However the OLPC also has only a small keyboard as it is designed for child-sized hands.
http://www.nytimes.com/2007/10/04/technology/circuits/04pogue.html
@anonymous: "OLPC is also clam-shell form factor. Tablet form is better for reading."
The OLPC display actually can be rotated in a tablet-pc like manner (180 degrees).
I appreciate your comparison. As soon as I learned about the screen technology on the OLPC, I thought it might be a better alternative to the Kindle. When I tried the e-ink technology, I was very disappointed by the slow refresh speed. I found e-ink to be unusable. I think the OLPC screen might be a much better alternative.
The OLPC display specs you posted are wrong. The real specs are 1200x900 with the backlight turned off, in this mode the display is only readable under a very bright light. If you're using the backlight the resolution quickly deteriorates to something like 640x480, depending on how much ambient light is available. Basically the more you rely on the backlight, the lower the effective resolution of the OLPC display. It's not really suitable for reading. It's a toy for kids. If you want to read ebooks and such, get a Kindle.
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