A Cheap Alternative to the Pricey Amazon Kindle 2: Ten-Year-Old Windows CE Handheld PCs for $100 or Less

A Cheap Alternative to the Pricey Amazon Kindle 2: Ten-Year-Old Windows CE Handheld PCs for $100 or Less

Dan Ackerman over at CNET had a great article recently about using a new $350 netbook as an ebook reader in place of the $359 Kindle 2. That's Dan in the photo above, reading an ebook on his Acer Aspire One. While the Acer has nowhere near the Cool Factor of a Kindle, it does have a color screen, a keyboard, as is a lot more versatile for about the same price. 

But what if your name isn't Rockefeller or Buffet or Gates? Then you can accomplish what Dan has done for a lot, lot less using a circa 1999 Windows CE Handheld PC. And because the introduction of netbooks has driven down the prices on these vintage machines, you can do it for under 100 bucks. And just as they did ten years ago, the Windows CE Handhelds feature no moving parts, long battery life, and instant on, making them ideal ebook readers.

You can choose between full-size or half-size units. I've turned both my full-size IBM Workpad z50 and my half-size HP Jornada 680e into ebook readers. Both work great, and allow me to turn spare idle moments into productive reading time.

The secret trick to converting your Windows CE Handheld into an ebook reader is simply to install the old version of Mobipocket software that's right for your machine. You're looking for one compatible with the HPC platform, either the mobireader_hpc.arm.cab, mobireader_hpc.mips.cab, or mobireader_hpc.sh3.cab, depending on your processor (MIPS, SH3, or ARM), which you will find here. Install the .cab file using these instructions. (More great tips here, by the way.)

Once you got the Mobipocket software installed on your Windows CE Handheld, you can get books from Mobipocket or Project Gutenberg, just to name two sites. Lots of great stuff available. And you just saved yourself $250, you smart shopper you.

Comments

[air jordan 13]

Studies this matter, lacks the time, but is lacks diligently#.

[air jordans]

Without disagreeing with your general view of navy recruiting, i would have thought it was a relatively safe service in Iraq - and Afghanistan. No roadside bombs.

[Supra Shoes]

i envy you very much. you look like a million dollars.

[Taobao buy]

*Forget about stupidity, discover your ability.

[Generic Cialis]

Hola,
Ha hecho un trabajo muy bueno. Hay muchas personas en busca de eso ahora van a encontrar suficientes fuentes por tus consejos.
espera para obtener más consejos acerca de que

[Networking solutions]

There are may person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post,

[オラセフ]

Hey, Great post **

[Generic Viagra]

Thank you for sharing to us.
Please one more post about that..
I wonder how you got so good. This is really a fascinating blog, lots of stuff that I can get into. One thing I just want to say is that your Blog is so perfect!

[Generic Vantin]

Hola,Ha hecho un trabajo muy bueno. Hay muchas personas en busca de eso ahora van a encontrar suficientes fuentes por tus consejos.espera para obtener más consejos acerca de que

[careprost]

Really great post, Thank you for sharing This knowledge.Excellently written article, if only all bloggers offered the same level of content as you, the internet would be a much better place. Please keep it up!**

[Seo Services India]

There are may person searching about that now they will find enough resources by your post,

[logo design]

Some people follow every person they find on Twitter just to build followers. Stick to following people whose tweets are relevant to your interests.

[Generic Viagra]

Great things,

I'll be back again

[Generic Drugs Exporter]

This is a content I like, I think you must have spent a lot of effort to prepare, very grateful, yes, yes, I think we can communicate with each other via the Internet to our common interest in the topic Maybe we are separated by great distances, it is advances in technology make it possible. I will always care about the content of your hair. Thank you!

[Buy Lexapro Online]

ehi amico, questo è uno dei migliori post che io abbia mai visto, si possono comprendere le idee ancora un po 'nel tema stesso. Sto ancora aspettando alcune interessanti riflessioni da parte vostra nel prossimo post.

[Generic viagra]

Skönt att vara besöka din blogg igen, har det varit månader för mig. Väl här artikeln som jag har väntat så länge. Jag behöver den här artikeln för att slutföra mitt uppdrag i kollegiet, och den har samma tema med din artikel. Tack, bra aktie..

[Generic Soft Tabs]

bel post, ci sono molte persone alla ricerca di che ora troveranno risorse sufficienti dal postThis è veramente interessante, Sei un blogger molto abile. Mi sono iscritto il tuo feed e sono ansioso di cercare di più del tuo post meraviglioso. Inoltre, ho condiviso il vostro sito nel mio social network!

[Spiriva]

I '
m satisfeito desta páxina benéfica excelente; esta é unha forma de suxeito que me sostén, aínda que fóra ve a day.We 'foi normalmente oído ultimamente querendo preto no seu web-site dereita inmediatamente after

[True Religion Jeans Outlet]

Bring up a raven and he'll pick out your eyes.
Birth is much, but breeding is more.Bitter pills may have wholesome effects.

[cheap pcs]

So why do I think that Windows Phone is going to be a significant player? One element was hearing the announcement on Tuesday that it's now challenging RIM for the number of apps in its store - something around 15,000.

[dvds]

Nice post.The information presented here was the greatest I could discover all day long, and I have been searching tough on the Internet. I think you ought to put this up on a large social bookmarking website, you will discover that it spreads like wildfire.

[Generic Viagra]

It makes me feel so surprise.I never know there is such a wonderful place that ,I can find what I need,