SQL Server
I am testing out a Kindle 2 from amazon.com because my daughters’ school is forming a Kindle eLibrary. It’s the latest in eBook readers and so far has impressed. My motivation also is to stop carrying so many heavy books on long trips. The airlines’ 50lb limit on my checked luggage is just too close these days. I can download my training manuals for my classes. And I have found many SQL books and blogs available. The Kindle 2 is surprisingly thin and comfortable to hold and most importantly – read. You can download books via its whispernet technology in a matter of seconds. There are thousands of books to choose from and many are actually in the public domain and therefore, free. Most books are discounted heavily because of reduced overhead. For instance, Brian Larson’s book on SSRS 2008 is $28.34 as opposed to the list price of $49.99. You can be reading it in seconds. The Kindle 2 has an experimental feature called text-to-speech so that it can read to you through the provided speaker or via headphones. This is not new technology but it’s impressive how close they are getting with the computer generated human voices. It’s easy to turn on and off and may be useful when you are driving and want to listen to your latest book, newspaper or blog. I subscribed to Brent Ozar’s SQL blog by searching the Kindle store for SQL Server and then using the Narrow Results by Category feature. Very entertaining. It is downloaded automatically when a new entry is posted by Brent. The beauty of the Kindle is that it uses very little power when it’s asleep but it will download your subscriptions when they become available. For instance, I subscribe to The Independent newspaper from the UK. When the daily edition is published it appears on my Kindle immediately. The display is reflective so that it can be read in bright sunlight and is surprisingly crisp even with graphics and illustrations. One article in The Independent peaked my interest during my test, and related to Apple’s pending announcement of their “iSlate” product on Jan 26th 2010. It’s all hush hush, but I wonder how it will compete with the Kindle? Watch this space. cheers Brian
