King James for the New Age
May 13, 2008
The King James Bible for Kindle
What’s new in the 2008 King James edition? Maybe not much in terms of real content change, but the delivery system has sure changed. You can now get it over the cell phone network! Or how about the current issue of The Wall Street Journal for 75 cents… delivered wirelessly! Gutenberg would indeed be proud. So how has this come about?
Enter the Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device
There have been many e-book solutions proposed over the years, but IMO this is the first one with merit. In addition to a crystal clear reader that wirelessly downloads books for a fraction of their printed cost, you also get lifetime free internet access using the Sprint network. OK, it’s not a killer app web browser, but it’s FREE!
I may not be able to give up “real” books quite yet, but this sure beats toting War and Peace in my carry-on for that that 13 hour airplane flight!
A wide screen under your tree?
December 29, 2007
If you’re still using a 17″ display, perhaps Santa inadvertently missed your chimney. Today’s publishing (and general computer work) demands require a lot of monitor real estate. A 20″ or greater display should pay for itself quickly in saved time, not to mentioned reduced eyestrain.
A recent MacWorld review compared the most recent crop of 20″ LCD monitors. Top pick was a unit from NEC; with street prices at around $350. A couple of caveats when using LCDs for prepress work:
1. Off the shelf, these consumer units may be miles away from being correctly calibrated. You’ll need a software hardware combo such as the Huey from Pantone to set things straight. At $89 it’s easily worth the money; in fact, we use it here at Copies&Ink. Here’s a video about the unit:
2. While big displays are now much more affordable, they should be considered consumer units, not suited for high end color work. So consider your needs and expectations before making the investment. It might be worth considering an Apple Cinema display or other mid to high price unit, if your need exceeds that of pleasing color.
What’s in your design studio? How has it worked? Drop us a line or a comment!
