Wikipedia reader is an expensive toy for kids at $99
Color me perplexed with the new WikiReader. With an army of Wikipedia applications available for mobile devices, why would anyone shell out $99, or any cash at all, for a standalone Wikipedia device? WikiReader is a portable device that promises to put Wikipedia in your pocket, but does it actually deliver? My first thought was, “Okay, which mobile network does it connect to? Does it have Wi-Fi?” None and no. So how does it get its information? It uses a memory card! This led me to my second thought, “What about the rapid and frequent updates that Wikipedia gets? How will this device deliver that content if it comes packing a memory card?” The simple, yet stupefying answer is simple: you sign up for email updates which allow you to receive a new memory card with updates, or you can download the updates and put them on a memory card (the latter requires you to have a memory card reader).
If I had to come up with a list of everything a new content delivery gadget could possibly do to hurt its chances of doing well, this product would definitely encompass that list. And then some.
Of course, the flip side is that this can replace owning an encyclopedia volume at home. The information in those books are never physically updated and a good chunk of it is pretty reliable. But does anyone use those anymore? With its simple yet clunky build and interface, it looks more like a product of the 1980’s than one from the 21st century. So who is the target demographic for the new WikiReader? Children, apparently.
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[...] Original post by Marc Flores [...]
I have a great Wikipedia reader that fits in my pocket and can access the Internet. It’s called an iPhone.
That’s exactly what I was thinking. Actually, anyone with a cell phone and data access can get to Wikipedia. I guess I’ll give the device an “A” for effort, but a big fat “F” for practicality.
In response to another comment. See in context »Another reasonable demographic for this reader is older folks who don’t have all yer new-fangled iPhones and Wi-fee-fi-fo-fums, dang it!
Seriously, the first thing I thought was this is great I’ll get one for my mother and father-in-law. They’re getting on in age and don’t have a clue about technology, but are amazed at all the stuff my wife can find out for them on the interwebs.
But immediately I thought, we’ll have to set up internet or phone service for them or some such. The fact that it is on a card is great. Sheesh, people living on the digital edge makes everyone think that they have to have the latest and greatest. Joe Bob in Iowa updated the article on puffer fish and now the entire encyclopedia is stale.
I live on that edge too, but still, you’ll have to pry my Encyclopedia Britannica from my cold dead bookshelves at my estate sale.
I can barely even comment on this idea.
Who is going to sit behind a computer, to update a memory card, to put in a device to carry with them, when they are already sitting at the computer and need to look up the information anyway?
How big is the memory card to carry all of Wikipedia? I mean seriously c’mon people!
Might as well buy 8Tracks to take your music on the go…
I suppose you don’t have grandparents or other oldsters in your life who might be interested in having access to the vast amount of information on wikipedia but are not great with gadgets and certainly don’t have computers or the Internet.
Of course if you have all that, it seems kind of lame, but then, my father-in-law just last year finally sold his Pinto station wagon which had in it – you guessed it – an eight track stereo!
In response to another comment. See in context »