So it looks like the Viliv S10’s pricing is going to start at $699. That’s according to Dynamism, anyway. I like the WXVGA display and the 7-10 hour battery life, but $699, and that’s for a model with Windows XP and a 60GB hard drive. Yeah, right.

I’ve been working pretty hard on a few projects as of late, and that generally results in my taking mini-breaks by wandering around my room and tidying things up. It’s started to seem pretty ridiculous to me that I have so many papers. When writing, it’s just easier to brainstorm and work out outlines with a notepad and a piece of paper. It might not be as fast and the result is quite a bit harder to read, but it’s just easier for some reason.

So I’ve been doing a lot of thinking lately. I have a few ebooks, mostly from Project Gutenberg, as well as an ancient 18-volume set I’m slowly scanning/converting to ebook form so I can take it on the road (and not damage it by reading). I’ve considered buying an ebook reader, but have never really needed one. I used to have a Tapwave Zodiac (PDA) which I used as an ebook reader. The screen broke though, and I eventually replaced it with a Nokia N800, an internet tablet, which has gotten the most use from me as an ebook reader so far. I stopped using that a year or so ago. Since my cell phone can pretty much do all the same things, it’s impractical to the N800 around anymore, even if it did have a bigger screen (and better web browsing).

So here’s the deal: I eventually discarded the idea of using a dedicated ebook reader. Something like the Kindle, that really only reads ebooks seems impractical. I can use my phone for that, however it’s screen is almost too small for that purpose. I’m currently using my eeePC 901 for ebook reading more than anything else, but it can’t fit in ,y pocket, so it’s not as practical as my N800 was, or as my cell phone would be. I’m really just waiting until someone comes out with a HUGE cell phone that combines the best features of the N800 and my current cell phone. Perhaps the N900? We’ll see.

Asus has kind of angered me with their abandonment and mistreatment of their 9″ netbook line (saying they wouldn’t make any more 9″ netbooks, then releasing the 9″ T91 without many of the advertised features, and refusing to release the more advanced versions unless the crappier model sells). However, they’ve actually managed to capture my interest with a dedicated ebook reader. I give you, the EEE Reader. A dual-screened, foldable (like a book), touchscreen ebook reader, probably available in 7″ and 9″ models.

EEE Reader

Asus really took the world by storm with the eee PC 701. Everyone was talking about them. They piqued everyone’s interest in offices and coffee shops. I have one. The netbook is something I’ve been desiring for a long time, long before they existed. I think the desire started back as a kid watching the cartoon “Inspector Gadget.” Penny had a computer book, a portable computer mostly used to hack into any electronic device in the area. Imagine my disappointment when I asked for one some Christmas, and was told by my mom that they don’t exist. Despite the fact that it was imaginary, the idea was still planted in my head of how cool it would be to have a computer–smaller than a laptop, bigger than a PDA, that I could take everywhere with me.