Here are the major pitches for each as I’ve come to understand:

Kindle – Amazon set the standard for e-Readers with their launch of the Kindle and you’ll read all sorts of articles now about how e-Books are now outselling their hardcover and paperback brethren.  The latest version of the Kindle (shipping 8/27) boasts increased contrast, faster performance, and a streamlined form factor.  The major selling points for the Kindle:

• Industry standard “e-ink” screen which is said to be easier on the eyes than a back-lit display, which many people believe results in eye-strain after long periods of use.
• The screen is also anti-glare by nature which makes it readable in bright conditions.
• Finally, because it is extremely energy efficient, it boasts 10 days worth of reading time and more than a month of standby time between charges.
• The latest generation Kindle can be had for just $138 (wi-fi only) or $189 (wi-fi + 3g) making it relatively inexpensive compared to the iPad.

iPad – Whereas the Kindle set the standard for e-Readers, the iPad has set the standard for the recent craze over tablet devices.  You’ve no doubt been hit over the head with iPad hype, but what does this device (pegged somewhere between portable media player and netbook) offer in terms of e-reading experience.

• Bright, back-lit color display which offers glossy page turning effects and the ability to view color illustrations, especially nice for children’s books or for the comic enthusiast.
• Access to not only Apple’s native iBooks application, but to both Kindle and Nook libraries as well.  This could be particularly useful if you wanted to share a common library with a spouse / friend without having to buy a duplicate device (or share).
• The biggest pro for the iPad, however, is that it offers more than just e-reading.  You can watch movies, surf the (flash-less) web, play games from the iTunes apps store, etc.  This, of course, comes with a price.  More precisely, it’ll run you $499 minimum (16GB, wi-fi only).

I don’t have a personal recommendation as of yet, but I’m looking forward to the possibility of testing out an iPad over the weekend (as I travel back and forth to the West Coast).  I’ll report back with my thoughts on this one next week.

In the meantime, any of our faithful readers have an opinion on the subject?  Do you buy the iPad as e-reader?  Is the Kindle / Nook more your speed for this type of activity?

If you’re so inclined, you could pick up a Toshiba 10″ Wireless Media Frame from Woot.com today, but you’re not going to like what I’,m about to say about you.  ….Now, if you’re done trying to justify the above purchase to yourself, here are five thoughts on the matter.

1. Digital frames are for grandparents.  This represents a problem because they represent the one population that has enough pictures of babies that only they care about seeing.  On the other hand, they completely lack the know-how required to transfer pictures from a camera to a SD card or configure anything digital in the first place.

2. The beauty of a photograph is that you don’t need to be tethered to an electrical outlet to view them.  Pictures are meant to be hung on walls, kept in leather-bound albums, tossed in an old shoebox until the time comes to blackmail someone.  The only digital pictures you should have should be stored in discreetly named folders buried somewhere deep in the depths of your hard drive.

3. You’re killing the environment, you energy hog.  Do you keep the bathroom sink running 24×7 just for those few times you actually brush your teeth?

4. It’s a waste of money.  If you really have $90 to burn on this type of garbage, I’d also like to talk to you about some investment opportunities that involve supporting any number of deserving nerds.  Bottom line: it’ll either be broken, tossed in a closet, or replaced by another fad within 12 months.  Mark my words.

5. The second you connect said frame to your computer you become a Communist.  It’s no secret that these things are crammed full with malware.  You might think that you’re sharing pictures of your Mee-Maw’s 70th birthday party, but you’ve really just put your entire family on the FBI’s “no-fly” list.  Say ‘cheese,’ comrade.

While I was interested in comic books as an adolescent, it appears that I escaped the grasp of at least one social disorder, and I seem to have been afflicted by most of the rest.

While hardly definitive, I’ve attempted to put together a list of nerd classifications.  This way you can determine which subcategory or subcategories you belong to.

Tech Nerds:  Probably the most common variety of nerd, this individual attempts to keep abreast of evolving technology.  The goal of this nerd is to acquire as many cool new gadgets as possible, while vocally pointing out the perceived flaws in any items they do not acquire.

Sci-Fi Nerds:  Also a common genus of nerd.  Usually found at home, but make rare appearances (usually in a Halloween costume) in public when there is a new Star Trek movie, or an autograph signing session for cast members of the short-lived television program, Firefly.  Hint:  If you have seen Firefly, you are probably a Sci-Fi Nerd.

Science Nerds:  When I was small, the polite expression for this type of nerd was tinker.  Typically found in their garage, trying to mix solvents to manufacture an all purpose cleaner, or trying to merge a television and a toaster to create a super-appliance. Their heroes include Albert Einstein, and Lex Luther.

Comic Nerds:  Pretty much the same as a Sci-Fi nerd, except they have different conventions to attend.  Also usually found in full costume when outside their domicile.

Gamer Nerds:  If you know they frame rate that your graphics card produces, you probably fall into this category.  Also, Gamer Nerds tend to use their own terminology like “pwn,” “n00b,” and “1337.”

Music Nerds:  The type of music aficionado looks down their nose at people who listen to popular music.  They usually attempt to convert friends and family, by doling out home-burned discs of the artists they listen to.  Ironically, the reason none of their favorite bands will never achieve commercial success is the fan-base is almost exclusively comprised of music nerds who steal most of their music from the internet, and pass it onto friends on home-burned discs.

Book Nerds:  Typically this category of nerd is found buried in a book.  Usually identifiable by their thick glasses, due to poor eyesight incurred from decades of squinting at black ink on paper.  They often follow a particular genre of fiction, or a particular author, and are more social than they appear.  They can be found in niche chat forums that cater to their genre or author, often correcting each other’s typos and grammar.

Sports Nerds:  Typically male, this nerd usually can’t remember family members’ birthdays, but do remember the batting averages of at least 50 baseball players over the last decade.  Usually they relegate themselves to being housebound for a week or three, before the beginning of each sport’s season, so they can research the best draft picks for their fantasy league.

Gearheads aka Car Nerds:  Most of these nerds don’t even think they are nerds.  Put simply, if you know how many foot-pounds of torque your car produces, you are probably a Car Nerd.  If you know how many pounds of torque any car you don’t own produces, you are definitely a Car Nerd.

Otaku Nerds:  Nerds obsessed with anything from anime to all things Japanese.  Often comic nerds will evolve into anime nerds.  It is a slippery slope.

Movie Nerds:  Anyone who dedicates 10% or more of their brain’s memory capacity to movie quotes.  If you have used a memorable expression like “I love the smell of napalm in the morning,” you may or may not fall in this category.  If you use a lot of different quotes, and find yourself having to explain to people where a quote comes from about 50% of the time, you probably fall in this category.

RPG Nerds:  Usually Gaming Nerds who have taken it to the next level.  These nerds can be found in small groups, gathered around a board game, or a sheet of graph paper that has been used to illustrate a map–often acting out a role in a funny voice, and occasionally in costume.  Most RPG Nerds look down on LARPing, however.

LARP Nerds:  Popularized by the movie, Role Models–these nerds are RPG Nerds to the nth degree.  Usually found in larger groups, in a park setting, they can be found in full medieval wardrobe in a park setting waging pretend war on one another.  If you are ten, and enjoy LARPing, you are probably a normal ten-year old.  If you are 25, you are a LARP Nerd.

Beer Nerds:  Another subset of nerds that may not realize they are nerds.  Like the Music Nerd, they avoid anything consumed by the masses, and relegate themselves to finding beer you have never heard of, often from countries you have never heard of.  Boasting a sophisticated palette, they will explain to you why beer should be enjoyed, and will try to articulate all of the subtle taste and smell aspects of the beer you will never be fully aware of.

Wine Nerds:  Very similar to Beer Nerds, but they look down their noses on Beer Nerds.  Wine Nerds can not only tell you why a particular vintage tastes better than another, they will also tell you which foods are okay to consume with them.  Often Wine Nerds develop an affinity for cheese.

Foodies aka Food Nerds:  Many people assume that all Foodies are fat.  While many are, this isn’t always the case.  Foodies boast a sophisticated palette, and usually devote the majority of their free time to seeking out newer and better foods.  They also spend a lot of time watching the Food Network, and reading/writing food blogs.  If you have ever driven 50 miles for a cheeseburger, you may have just had a craving for a great cheeseburger.  If you often drive 50 miles for your favorite cheeseburger, you may have Foodie tendencies.

What subcategory of nerd are you?

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My question: Why hasn’t anyone come up with this solution for me?

First things first, no, I don’t think it needs to be an Apple solution.  This is just the best mock-up of this sort of thing that I could find (thanks computerworld?).

What I’m looking for is an elegant solution that will provide me with adequate performance for multi-media, productivity, and multi-tasking that I can take with me when I need to, but that also integrates seamlessly into a desktop solution in order to preserve my eyesight, allow me to work with a real keyboard and mouse, and still have room for the rest of the clutter on my desk.

I  understand that there is such a thing as a ‘dock’ that will provide this sort of functionality, but that comes with it’s own extra tangle of cords and wires and doesn’t really look all that pretty on your desk.  Some solutions are better than others (hengedocks.com), but once again, try to find something that isn’t a Mac solution.  Hello PC!?  Are you hearing me?

What about cost?  Well, break it down like this.  A decently spec-ed productivity laptop (PC) is going to run you about $500-800 depending on your needs.  Next, you can pretty easily score a 22+ inch monitor for less than $200 these days.  So all that’s left is the integrated docking solution and all told you’re not looking at any more than $1,000 bucks for a great solution and an agreeable price point.  If you pony up for a ‘netbook’ and a ‘desktop’ system you’re going to be spending that much anyway, so why not.

Other advantages to this approach?  Purchase just one copy of your OS and any other program you plan to use.  All your files are located on one machine (one hard drive), if you’re working on something but need to hit the road it’s right there with you.  No need for flash drives, or emailing things to yourself for later.  If your household needs more than one computer, you can get multiple ‘laptop’ portions of this system that are all compatible with the same desktop setup.

Okay, so the challenge has been presented.  Get to work PC!

Anybody else out there feeling me on this one?  Post your comments, questions, or witty retorts below.