Are you one of those baby boomers, like me, who wants to be in the know? Do you remember what it was like to consult an encyclopedia before the days of Googling for the answer? Would you like to travel with an electronic encyclopedia in your pocket just in case there’s a question about the next port on your luxury cruise?
With WikiReader, you’ll always be in the know. Requiring no internet connection, the 4.5 oz [amazonify]B002N5521W::text::::WikiReader[/amazonify], produced by Openmoko ($99), has a 3.5″ touchscreen with an onscreen keyboard. Two AAA batteries keep it running for approximately 90 hours. SD or SDHC cards are used to store the more than 3 million Wikipedia articles on the reader. A $29 annual update subscription (two updates per year), keeps the WikiReader current.
Conde Nast Traveller has nominated WikiReader for Innovative & Design Awards 2010 saying, “WikiReader is a beautifully simple idea: all of Wikipedia’s content on a little machine as portable and user-friendly as…well, a book.”
We tested the WikiReader on our coastal California sports car road trip. Driving out to Mission San Antonio de Padua near Paso Robles, I turned on the WikiReader, then entered “Mission San Antonio de Padua”. The Wikipedia entry appeared. I read Alan the details of the mission’s history as he zipped our sports car through the curves and hills near Ft. Hunter Liggett Army Base. Upon our arrival, we were educated about the mission.
The one improvement that I would suggest is a brighter screen, preferably in color. I found the dull screen hard to read unless I was close to bright lighting. Also, it would be nice if the WikiReader included graphics as that has been stripped from the Wikipedia articles. Of course, these suggestions would probably affect the weight and battery usage of the device.
So who ‘s going to use a WikiReader in this day of connectivity via smartphones and iPhones? I think my baby boomer friends, who aren’t computer or internet savvy, would enjoy using a WikiReader. It’s also appealing for older seniors totally unfamiliar with computers, such as my 80-year-old mother who values being in the know, too. It’s also a convenient device when connectivity isn’t available (or is too costly) to smartphone and iPhone users traveling internationally.
Would you like to win a WikiReader? We’re giving one away to help celebrate My Itchy Travel Feet’s 2nd anniversary. Tell us what you would be researching on your WikiReader. Enter the contest by leaving your comment at the end of this post. Please include your email address for contact purposes. Contest ends on Thursday, May 27, 2010 at 11:00 p.m. Arizona Mountain Standard Time. Winner will be announced as soon as possible. Remember, according to our general contest rules, the winner must be a U.S. resident and respond within 48 hours of receiving the notification email; or we chose another winner.
Disclosure: Openmoko has provided a WikiReader for our review and as a contest prize. I have also included an Amazon link to WikiReader
UPDATE: May 27, 2010, 11:01 p.m.. This contest has expired. As soon as the winner acknowledges receipt of my email, I’ll make the announcement.
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At home, I'm constantly running to my computer to answer questions that come up in conversation. On the road, especially internationally, I just have to let my curiosity kill me, like the cat. That's where I'd find great value in the WikiReader–when I'm away from my normal possibilities of internet connection.
cdziuba@aol.com I am a news junkie, so I would love to have news at my fingertips, and also access to info needed when I travel, like good spots to eat, or nature preserves.
My kids are always asking me questions, that I really can't answer…hate for them to think I don't know much. This would be perfect to find those answers when needed. This is really a wonderful gadget. Thanks for this chance.
rickpeggysmith(at)aol(dot)com
I'd be researching training for ironmans.
I would love this! It would be great to take along on vacation. We enjoy going to historical sites and we could research them as we go! Great idea!
jedoggett@embarqmail.com
What a cool toy! I would, of course, research where to eat while traveling.
I would use the WikiReader to solve trivia arguments with my family.
abfantom at yahoo dot com
Twitter: travelwonders
May 20, 2010 at 11:04 pm
Interesting idea. even nicer would be for the content to be pluggable into an iPhone/Android/Kindle etc etc. under the same arrangement. Otherwise it is just ANOTHER electronic device to carry.
I've never seen one of those before. Pretty cool!
Would love to use it when I'm out and about exploring the historic sites around here. Would help me explain these places to my kids.
chipdip2010(at)hotmail(dot)com
I would love to use this to read books
I have to admit, this one is new to me. Very cool.
Never knew about this fun toy. I'd use it to help me find my way out of places – I always seem to get lost when I travel!
What a neat little gadget! I'd probably use to research the history of the places I'm visiting while traveling. susanejohnston AT gmail
I'm forever looking up everything and anything. We travel to different places but would probably get the most use out of it for the Orlando and Kissimmee, FL area.
I’m constantly researching: about animals (I have parrots, a dog and a cat), about music (I do music reviews on-line), about movies (I write movie reviews on-line), about books (I’m an avid reader and love to know the stories of the authors), and anything else that peaks my curiosity, which is constant, so this WikiReader would work for me!
I’d research Oklahoma for a trip we’ll be taking there.
I would research Oklahoma for a trip we’ll be taking there.
Would be awesome for the long road trip we are about to embark on soon!
Thanks for the chance.
mogrill@comcast.net
I would be researching Las Vegas, we are going there for New Years Eve!
What a wonderful little device! Clients often come to me before their trip to Africa and say “my books are taking up a lot of room in my suitcase!” But with this little hand held wikki device, you don't have to travel with ALL your books. You can just look it up on an electronic device that looks like it would weigh a pound at the most!
Great resource!
Would make a great travel tool. Neat idea.
I would find the best fishing spots in Alaska!
I would research Florida
so cool!
I'd use this to impress my friends! woot! I'm research all the cool stuff.
looks really neat especially traveling.
as a library science student this would be a GREAT tool to have. even away from the library i could have the answers! thanks for the opportunity!
i'd research magnets, and rainbows probably. joseph stalin as well.
I would use it to research whatever my professors ask me to, as doing research is synonymous with college. Having a portable device as such would make life so much easier in getting a degree.
I would actually be researching a number of historical items, such as Secret Weapons of World War II, Economic Theories and Principles and even concepts espoused by my own field of Psychology
My daughters would use this for their school. I would use it for things I am interested in also. I didn't know they had this out..Nice idea
I would use it to research other gadgets because I love cool new gadgety things!
random trivia!
I would love to try one of these out. I love to read so this would be a great thing for me.
constancelavery at msn dot com
The WikiReader is really neat! It would be very handy to have one of these as I am a senior but don't have a smart phone.
Electronics, always coming out with something new that I have to learn about.
Neat little device
With travel issues like weight and checked baggage charges, let alone lost luggage, this would replace travel books for my trips. I am headed to Spain in November and this would fit nicely in my carry on. It is about time that travelers had this innovative travel aid.
I would use it to research all sorts of things. From information on artists at the museum to history of cities I travel to. Thanks.
I would research about world events and history, thanks!
It would be great for research
I have won a trip to Scotland so I would be checking out what to do in Scotland
I would look up historic landmarks to visit pertaining to the state and area that we were in at the time of our trip.
Thank you so much for the chance to win.
jweezie43[at]gmail[dot]com
Twitter: http://chisumscrew.blogspot.com/
May 26, 2010 at 2:50 pm
I would look up beaches near my mil’s home in alabama.
What a great ‘gadget’! Definitely would use this!! We home teach and we travel much! Having access to an encyclopedia without having to resort to the laptop would be AWESOME! We do GeoCaching, EarthCaching and are starting to do Markeroni! A portable source for such info would definitely be a great added dimension to our adventures!
For me a condensed/handy encyclopedia is a dream come true, as I was an odd child — I sat and read encyclopedias for hours on end, just for fun! LOL! I have a friend to this day who calls me a ‘walking encyclopedia’ because of it. I’m not, really, but WikiReader could change that… tee hee hee… Additionally I think that this could really add dimension to Wikipedia as perhaps more people would be encouraged to upload more info and would be especially cognizant of accuracy to be shared with others.
Additionally we have LOTS of friends who home teach and LOTS of friends who travel as much or more than we do who I am sure would love it also! Thanks for sharing this! Enjoyed reading your CA Coast blogs… we are parked in Humboldt County on the North Coast right now! Beautiful!!
This would be so helpful and just fun to use!!!
i’m going out west for the first time this summer, it would come in handy if i come across a word from a dialect I don’t recognize! lol!
It would be great for settling arguments with family members when an internet connection is not available. We all always think we are right!
would use it for travel, for helping kids with homework research, for figuring out those nagging questions you know you should know the answer to, and for learning something new every day. thanks
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