Overall: The Wifi is a very light reader with a smallish touch screen (6 inches). The touch screen is very responsive and the on-screen keyboard is easier to use than on my antiquated HTC Eris smart phone. The browser, as expected, is slow and has a god-awful flicker rate, which makes it a little painful when browsing for books. However, the ease of use is a big bonus with this device, especially at the $129.00 price point.

How it works for getting library books from Overdrive: There is an actual button on the second home screen of the Wifi that is labeled “Public Library” (along with a “Google Books” button). When you click on the library button you are taken to a web page in the browser that lets you search your local library. You select your library and you are directed to your library’s mobile site, where you can login and begin browsing or searching for books. As noted, the flickering of the screen while browsing is pretty awful and I’d be careful if you have photosensitive epilepsy, but you may be able to tolerate that if you don’t want to shell out the money for a Kindle Fire. Once you find a book, you check it out and download it to the ereader. There is a notification bar at the top of the screen just like on any Android phone that will alert you when your download has finished (aprox. 30 seconds). You pull down the notification screen, select your file and start reading.

The screen is the same e-ink, low glare, non-backlit, battery saver as all the other Sony readers, which I happen to like (less icky fingerprints, readable in bright light/sunlight, saves battery). There are also features similar to the old Kindle readers: the ability to change the font many more sizes than older Sony readers allowed, and also the ability to define words, search words on Google or in Wikipedia, make highlights and notes. The battery lasts at least two weeks if not three with the wi-fi on and while reading.

Overall, I give it an 8 out of 10 as a good, basic ereader. Kudos on the Public Library button and the ease of use with clunky Overdrive, and the battery life is especially better than the Kindle Fire. If you don’t need a tablet but still want to be able to download your library books directly through the device, the Wifi is terrific and definitely worth the  $129.00 price tag.

Final Word: Until Overdrive brings the Overdrive Android app into the Amazon App Store, the Sony Wifi is WAY less clunky to use for shopping for library books on Overdrive. Not only is there currently no Overdrive app available for the Fire, the Overdrive mobile site does NOT work on the Fire, forcing the user to use the regular site, which is very, very ugly on such a small screen. So if all you want is an ereader and not a media device, the Sony Wifi is a very good bet.

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Major Points:

1. So far, there is no Overdrive app to use. Not sure if Amazon will be adding one to the app store or not but stay tuned for more info.

2. When going to the Overdrive website for our particular library cooperative, the Silk browser does not currently redirect to the mobile site and when I took myself to the mobile site I discovered that it didn’t work in the Silk browser. This is a major issue, since the screen is small, at 7 inches, and the regular, non-mobile Overdrive website is clunky at best and is an absolute nightmare on a small screen.

Essentially, going to the Overdrive site on the Fire is the same as doing it on your computer. You will login to our Overdrive site, you shop for your books, check them out, then select “Get for Kindle”, which takes you out to Amazon to finish the transaction and send it to the Fire.

*In order to access your download you must sync your Fire tablet.

So no major breakthrough here without an app, but I expect to find one in the app store in the future. Although I have been wrong before….

And my opinion on the Fire in general? Thanks for asking! I think the apps loaded pretty fast (I played a round of Angry Birds, took a look at a fitness app, read a book, checked IMDB) and the browser is pretty quick, considering the Fire is no iPad killer. I used Yahoo email to check (because that’s a slow loader at the best of times) and the Amazon Silk browser handled it well…better than my 2 year old XP laptop does. I  watched a minute or two of a movie and checked out a t.v. show. The volume is very low so I recommend headphones or a set of portable speakers, but the image quality was very good and it streamed beautifully.

I’ve already found a couple of Android apps that will not work with the Fire (Overdrive is one, Zinio magazine app is another) so I’m not sure of the breadth of apps that will be available for this.

OVERALL: I’m not happy with the way it currently handles Overdrive, this device is not for people who actually NEED a tablet, it’s more like an enhanced ereader that let’s you stream movies and listen to  music. Stick with the iPad or an actual Android tablet (like the Samsung Galaxy, etc.) if you want more. And if you are looking for an ereader that works nearly seamlessly with Overdrive and without all the bells and whistles, consider the Sony Wifi Reader, which I review in another blog post.

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

I have a feeling that the Kindle will remain the Walkman brand of its day and will continue to crush the competition. I will have my own hands-on report on the Fire, focusing on how it works with Overdrive library downloads, as soon as it’s released so stay tuned.

Gizmodo comparision between the Fire and the Nook tab: http://gizmodo.com/5857041/nook-tablet-vs-kindle-fire-the-differences-add-up?tag=Nook-tablet

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

In the meantime, please go read Janet Cloninger’s review of the Sony WiFi. She details all of its features and included bunches of photographs. All I can say is, “Thank you, Janet, for making my life easier!”

http://the-gadgeteer.com/2011/10/28/sony-reader-wi-fi-prs-t1-ebook-reader-review/

–contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Our staff are all trained to assist patrons with Kindle downloads and questions and we also have Kindles for loan to Avalon property owners. Available titles are increasing all the time and we are very excited about the opportunities for ebooks in the near future. Check out the Ebook blog for all of the newest and hottest titles available to Avalon Free Public Library patrons and to go directly to the South Jersey Digital Download page, just click here.

We will also be giving a Kindle download class again very soon, so keep an eye on our Classes/Programs site for more information.

Legacy Letters (which is a compilation of letters written to victims by their loved ones)

After the Fall: New Yorkers Remember September 2001 and the Years that Followed

Angel in the Rubble: The Miraculous Rescue of 9/11′s Last Survivor

Thunder Dog: The True Story of a Blind Man, His Guide Dog, and the Triumph of Trust at Ground Zero

Decade of Hope: Stories of Grief and Endurance…

Until the Fires Stopped Burning

102 Minutes: The Unforgettable Story of the Fight to Survive Inside the Twin Towers

What We Saw: The Events of September 11, 2001, in Words, Pictures, and Videos

I don’t want to clutter my phone up with a bunch of MP3 files so this is a great way for me to have access to my music and my audiobooks on the go. I just plug in headphones or jack the phone into my car stereo, boot up the app, and play away. You can randomize all tracks or tracks within an artist group or on an album. I haven’t had any issues with the quality of the stream (keep in mind that may vary by carrier. I use Verizon).

As far as the interface goes, it’s pretty decent. I have two complaints: the player refreshes every 10 min. whether you like it or not, which will drain battery life. You can manually refresh it MORE frequently but not set it to refresh LESS frequently. It does waste a lot of battery on the Motorola Droid, but then, so does everything else that provides streaming media (YouTube, Slacker Radio, Pandora, etc.). Another perk is that you can also play on-device music through the player too, which is a preferable interface to the player that came with my Droid. My other complaint? (and this may be device specific) is that whenever I get a text message the stream is interrupted and doesn’t start back up unless I manually hit “play.” That’s irritating as hell, especially if I’m having an active text-versation while listening to some tunes. I thought that an update might change that but it hasn’t yet and it may only be an issue with this model of Droid. All-in-all, I’ve had at least $20.00 worth of joy using it so far and being able to leave my iPod at home when I go for a walk.

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

Scars of a Chef, by Rick Tramonto. This memoir traces the life of Chef Rick Tramonto , famous for restaurants and cookbooks, who began as a cook at a Wendy’s fast food restaurant and clawed his way up to the top, in spite of multiple obstacles.

Season to Taste: How I Lost My Sense of Smell and Found My Way, by Molly Birnbaum. A memoir of an aspiring chef who had to leave culinary school because of a severe car accident that left her without a sense of smell. The book follows her journey of learning to smell again and falling back in love with food.

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker

-contributed by staffer Shannon Baker