Category Archives: ebooks

Ubuntu is #4 on the iBookstore…

…or, more specifically, my book THE UBUNTU DESKTOP BEGINNER’S GUIDE is (or was, by the time you read this) #4 for the Operating Systems category on Apple’s US iBookstore: I am frankly baffled as to why this is the case … Continue reading

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thank you, all

I started blogging about Ubuntu Linux in 2008, after I happened to mention in passing some troubles I had with Ubuntu 8.04, and noticed the next day that one post got 3x as many hits as the rest of my … Continue reading

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Barnes & Noble Announces Nook HD And Nook HD+ 7 And 9 Inch Tablets

Today Barnes & Noble announced two new Nook tablets – the Nook HD, a 7 inch device, and the Nook HD+, a 9 inch device. The Nook HD has a substantially upgraded display with a 1440 x 900 resolution, and … Continue reading

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The Apple iPad 3 vs. the Kindle Fire HD – Amazon’s reductionist ethos

Let’s talk about shiny toys. Specifically, the new Kindle Fire HD. I read a lot of tech news, so when the original Kindle Fire came out and the new Fire HD arrived, I was amused by the reaction of many … Continue reading

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Ars Technica Reviews The Amazon Kindle Fire HD 7

Ars Technica has a mostly negative review of the 7-inch Amazon Kindle Fire HD. Still, I suspect the reviewer missed the point. The Fire HD isn’t intended as a full-fledged tablet computer. Instead, it’s met as a passive media consumption … Continue reading

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Is The Kindle Fire HD Easy To Repair?

The iFixit teardown seems to think so. Given Amazon’s commitment to low prices, it was probably easier to build a tablet that offers easy repair accessibility, rather than relying on glue and solder and other Apple-style design choices. So if … Continue reading

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A hands-on Kindle Fire HD 7 inch review

Here’s a good hands-on review of the 7-inch Kindle Fire HD. Weirdly, the Kindle Fire HD does not seem to have a native camera app – the only way to access the camera is through the Skype client. But overall, … Continue reading

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further thoughts on Kindle Fire HD ads

Here is an excellent editorial analyzing some of the motivation behind Amazon’s ad policy on the new Kindle Fire HD tablets. It’s important to remember that the Fire HD isn’t designed as a tablet as such, but as a storefront … Continue reading

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Disable the Amazon Kindle Fire HD ads?

It appears Amazon has changed its mind, and will allow users to disable the ads on the Kindle Fire HD tablets in exchange for a $15 fee. I suspect not too many people will actually pay this. I’ve noticed that … Continue reading

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Kindle Fire HD Advertisements Can Never Be Turned Off?

It appears that the new Kindle Fire HD tablets will all come with built-in homescreen ads, and that those ads can never be turned off. The older Kindle ereaders with Special Offers allowed the user to opt out of the … Continue reading

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