Amazon Kindle DX and Esperanto
The latest e-book reader from Amazon.com, the Amazon Kindle DX, now includes native Esperanto language support. I've successfully converted an HTML file (with ĉ=& #265; etc., and specifying the UTF-8 character set in the header); the accented characters then appear correctly on the Kindle DX. The font size can be set to one of six different sizes, and the accented letters are displayed correctly in each size.
The original Amazon Kindle did not support the Esperanto alphabet. Thanks to those who wrote to Amazon asking for Esperanto language support.
The Kindle DX also includes native support for PDF files, which allows you to read, for example, the "Inko" collection and the Oz books. The PDF files will correctly display the accented letters, but they cannot have an active table of contents, nor do they support a changeable font size. I've found that the Inko and Oz books look very nice and can be read quite easily on the Kindle DX.
David
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Recommended Books
Esperanto: Learning and Using the International Language.
By David Richardson.
See more recommendations for
beginners, next steps, and advanced readers.
E-USA: Esperanto-USA
For more information, contact info@esperanto-usa.org
Or call 1-800-ESPERANTO.
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Comments
Don't forget Kindle 2
June 22, 2009 by hoss, 22 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 2720
Unicode support (or at least, support for the “Latin Extended-A” segment where Esperanto's accented characters live) is also part of the software for the smaller Kindle 2. Strangely, Amazon didn't mention the Unicode support in any of their online specs that I could find before buying the thing, and even tech support didn't seem to have a good idea either. But some experimentation revealed that all works quite well.
The only problem is in indexes; for example, when using the Reta Vortaro on the Kindle, accented characters show up as blank squares in the index. This isn't such a bad thing, really, since indices are meant to be searched, and when searching there's no way to enter non-ASCII characters via the Kindle's keyboard anyway. As a workaround, I've been using a version of ReVo with an x-method index and Unicode entries. It's very handy!
Cool, but...
June 21, 2009 by russ, 22 weeks 2 days ago
Comment id: 2717
Cool, but I remain reluctant to plunge into e-book technology after reading so many articles about obnoxious copy protection. E.g.:
http://justanothermobilemonday.com/Wordpress/2009/06/20/what-amazon-does...
"Apparently, Amazon or the publishers have imposed an unadvertised download limit on every book. What this means is that once you reach the download limit, you will need to repurchase the book if you want to download it again. The problem, however, is that this download limit is not visible anywhere on the Kindle or on the Amazon website. They do not tell you that there is a limit, what the limit is, or when you are nearing the limit. "
Also when I read books these days, I tend to underline and make notes a lot anyway. :)
I think download limit only applies to distinct devices
June 25, 2009 by Ted Alper, 21 weeks 5 days ago
Comment id: 2725
that is, you can download unlimited number of times to same kindle [or, if your damaged kindle is replaced, to the replacement]; it's only if you want it on your iphone and your kindle and other devices that you might hit the limit.
Avoiding DRM
June 22, 2009 by hoss, 22 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 2721
Luckily the DRM restrictions only apply to stuff purchased through Amazon's store. The device itself can simply be used as a reader for unprotected files in Mobipocket format or Amazon's own Kindle format (which is actually just a derivative of the Mobipocket format). Both file formats can be created from unprotected HTML or text files—like those from Project Gutenberg, for example—and then freely transferred to and from the Kindle as desired.
Many ebook readers support notes and highlighting now. I'm not sure about how it works with Sony Reader, but the Amazon device permits quick bookmarking, highlighting, and notes bound to a particular spot in the text. The information is stored in a simple text file that can be copied to your desktop computer. As someone who likes to save favorite excerpts from books for later reference, this feature is really handy; I no longer have to make a (paper) note of the desired sections and then manually type them in later; they're automagically are added to the plain-text "notes" file as I highlight.
interesting...!
June 23, 2009 by russ, 22 weeks 1 day ago
Comment id: 2722
Hm, I didn't know note-taking was possible! That makes it potentially more attractive for me indeed.
But reading more about it at http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Amazon_Kindle I get the impression it's not quite ready for prime time... various technical issues and high price, and the screen appearance/resolution looks rather gray and unattractive to me especially compared to a real paper book - it seems like one could just as well use one of those little Asus computers (which cost less) and have a full-fledged computer of about the same physical size, and not just a dedicated e-book device.
Also unattractive to me (in Poland) is:
"The Kindle is not available outside the US due to import/export laws and other restrictions." (though of course I could work around that if I really decided I wanted one).
By the way, note-taking in books has become a major part of my Esperanto routine for improving my vocabulary. I note words as I read them, then when I finish a chapter/section/whatever, I verify the "interesting" or unknown words in a dictionary, add them to my flashcard program (http://jmemorize.org) and even check if there are already English translations in Reta Vortaro (http://reta-vortaro.de) and add them if they're missing and the word seems sufficiently worthy. (If I'm REALLY feeling industrious, I sometimes add Polish definitions as well, but that's rare... :) I highly recommend such note-taking during reading to improve vocabulary.