Comments on: WikiReader Review http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/ Gadget reviews and news by Julie Strietelmeier and friends since 1997 Sun, 27 May 2012 00:39:26 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v= By: upisdown http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-149218 upisdown Sat, 26 May 2012 17:51:10 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-149218 I bought one and it's a disaster. Every entry it says upload failed, reset wikireader. This product is garbage. I bought one and it’s a disaster. Every entry it says upload failed, reset wikireader. This product is garbage.

]]> By: J http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-148431 J Tue, 22 May 2012 18:45:33 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-148431 I just ordered one - I'm a merchant mariner, and the internet connection on the ship is ridiculously slow. Plus, I have to wait until I'm off duty or on break to use the computer... today marked something like the thirtieth hour long argument, in as many days, that could have been solved in 30 seconds with the right source material at my fingertips. It's worth the cost just for the aggravation it'll spare me, trying to convince an idiot that Fat Man was a plutonium bomb. =/ I just ordered one – I’m a merchant mariner, and the internet connection on the ship is ridiculously slow. Plus, I have to wait until I’m off duty or on break to use the computer… today marked something like the thirtieth hour long argument, in as many days, that could have been solved in 30 seconds with the right source material at my fingertips.

It’s worth the cost just for the aggravation it’ll spare me, trying to convince an idiot that Fat Man was a plutonium bomb. =/

]]> By: Danuel http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-130654 Danuel Sat, 31 Dec 2011 03:03:28 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-130654 wow... buying this one in this moment!!! incredible! i think its weird no one has thought of this before wow… buying this one in this moment!!! incredible! i think its weird no one has thought of this before

]]> By: Todd http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-54360 Todd Sun, 24 Jan 2010 00:28:29 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-54360 I bought one and I love it,it is great when you are reading and need to look up a word or your reading an article in the paper and want to research the person or info there writing about. but needs a backlite I bought one and I love it,it is great when you are reading and need to look up a word or your reading an article in the paper and want to research the person or info there writing about. but needs a backlite

]]> By: Vivek Kapoor http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-52894 Vivek Kapoor Tue, 05 Jan 2010 15:38:45 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-52894 I've just proceeded to buy this. My personal opinion is, you don't have any dependencies when using something like WikiReader - all you have is right there with you. With the only dependency being the battery, you can be sure that no matter where you are, you will have access to the entire knowledge base at your fingertips - and you don't need a Wifi, a cell provider, power supply, or in fact the Wikipedia website to be up-and-running to use it. Heck, if you get a 3V solar cells, and you're in a jungle, you can just hook them up and use Wikipedia, completely "renewable"! Of course, being in a jungle is not something which is common, and maybe doesn't make sense, and it also doesn't make sense for the folks who're constantly connected to the Internet (I am though, in fact I have redundant connections), but it is for those times when you're not connected and you wish you had access to Wikipedia. Honestly, I'm just itching to grab it and keep it as Priority 1 in my list of things to take and run when calamity strikes! ;-) I’ve just proceeded to buy this. My personal opinion is, you don’t have any dependencies when using something like WikiReader – all you have is right there with you. With the only dependency being the battery, you can be sure that no matter where you are, you will have access to the entire knowledge base at your fingertips – and you don’t need a Wifi, a cell provider, power supply, or in fact the Wikipedia website to be up-and-running to use it. Heck, if you get a 3V solar cells, and you’re in a jungle, you can just hook them up and use Wikipedia, completely “renewable”!

Of course, being in a jungle is not something which is common, and maybe doesn’t make sense, and it also doesn’t make sense for the folks who’re constantly connected to the Internet (I am though, in fact I have redundant connections), but it is for those times when you’re not connected and you wish you had access to Wikipedia. Honestly, I’m just itching to grab it and keep it as Priority 1 in my list of things to take and run when calamity strikes! ;-)

]]> By: Jeff http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48777 Jeff Mon, 16 Nov 2009 17:04:49 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48777 I bought one of these and I love it. I am the target audience for this though, since I only carry a work cell phone. A device like an IPhone only lasts for a day on batteries. This runs for 90 hours of on time on a set of AAA batteries. If you were to add a color display, you would kill the battery life. Not only that, adding images would require something like a 500gb SD card. Right now, all the text of Wikipedia takes just over 4gb on the 8gb SD card it uses. I agree that some sort of bookmarking would be nice, and that tables and math displays need to be addressed. From what I have heard, they are working on the tables/maths issues. It's open source, and the entire codebase is available on github. I hope use that to change the the power on splash screen to Dont Panic, in large, friendly letters. I bought one of these and I love it. I am the target audience for this though, since I only carry a work cell phone.

A device like an IPhone only lasts for a day on batteries. This runs for 90 hours of on time on a set of AAA batteries. If you were to add a color display, you would kill the battery life. Not only that, adding images would require something like a 500gb SD card. Right now, all the text of Wikipedia takes just over 4gb on the 8gb SD card it uses.

I agree that some sort of bookmarking would be nice, and that tables and math displays need to be addressed. From what I have heard, they are working on the tables/maths issues.

It’s open source, and the entire codebase is available on github. I hope use that to change the the power on splash screen to Dont Panic, in large, friendly letters.

]]> By: Julie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48670 Julie Sun, 15 Nov 2009 14:40:48 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48670 @thenikjones I haven't tried this on my iPhone, but I just googled for wikipedia iphone app and found this: <a href="http://collison.ie/wikipedia-iphone/" rel="nofollow">http://collison.ie/wikipedia-iphone/</a> @thenikjones I haven’t tried this on my iPhone, but I just googled for wikipedia iphone app and found this: http://collison.ie/wikipedia-iphone/

]]> By: thenikjones http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48655 thenikjones Sun, 15 Nov 2009 08:41:33 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48655 Can you download Wikipaedia to an iPod Touch? If so, that may be the better option - more expensive, but a LOT more versatile. Can you download Wikipaedia to an iPod Touch? If so, that may be the better option – more expensive, but a LOT more versatile.

]]> By: pruet http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48593 pruet Sat, 14 Nov 2009 04:34:06 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48593 Thank Julie!, well, it could be an ultimate reference tool for science students if it can do so. Thank Julie!, well, it could be an ultimate reference tool for science students if it can do so.

]]> By: Julie http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48471 Julie Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:40:16 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48471 @pruet I just checked and it shows the one line equations (but not the subscripts), but not the arrays. @pruet I just checked and it shows the one line equations (but not the subscripts), but not the arrays.

]]> By: pruet http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48470 pruet Thu, 12 Nov 2009 21:35:31 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48470 I'm wondering if I can ask a question, can it show mathematical symbols ? Something like "Matrix (mathematics)". Thanks. carly, I think it's this one http://xkcd.com/548/ I’m wondering if I can ask a question, can it show mathematical symbols ? Something like “Matrix (mathematics)”. Thanks.

carly, I think it’s this one http://xkcd.com/548/

]]> By: carly http://the-gadgeteer.com/2009/11/12/wikireader-review/comment-page-1/#comment-48442 carly Thu, 12 Nov 2009 15:29:38 +0000 http://the-gadgeteer.com/?p=25108#comment-48442 I can't find the link right now, but this reminds me of that XKCD strip where the Kindle is the Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. I can’t find the link right now, but this reminds me of that XKCD strip where the Kindle is the Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy.

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