My eReader Choice

I'd been watching the eReader market for a while with interest. At first, it was only Amazon and Sony, then Barnes & Noble jumped in. I didn't like the complexity of the Kindle, although I had to admit it has awesomely crisp and readable print.The Sony units would handle PDF documents, but they were pricey and were too bulky for my backpack.

One day, I visited a B&N store and handled a Nook live. I was surprised at how thick and heavy it felt. Silly me, I was also expecting a full color display, not realizing that only the small navigation LCD can do color. I liked the combination of features, but Nook and the other candidates were pretty pricey for me. So I passed on it and decided to wait a while longer.

Then, a month ago, I found out that Borders was jumping in to the fray with the Kobo eReader. I was immediately intrigued by the Kobo, as it seemed to offer simplicity, a comfortable feel, and was thin and light as well. Although it lacked wireless connectivity, I didn't care, because I usually have a laptop handy anyway. And the price (at that time) was half the cost of the others! So, I visited my local Borders store and ordered one; and it arrived at my door within ten days. Now, I'm happily eReading books and PDF docs that I wouldn't have been able to truck around in my backpack otherwise! SWEET :-)

The Printed Media Revolution

Something's going on in the world of publishing and reading the written word. Maybe not nearly as big as the printing press at the beginning, but a revolution's brewing never less.

For example, check out the discussion about the Amazon Kindle on C|Net's site, and you'll come away with the feeling of a pending "change in the wind".

I believe the shift to digital publication and reading has the potential to turn the whole concept of printed media on its ear. But the jury's still out on how it will unfold, and the price tag is too high to make paper "yesterday".

What strikes me about the overall discussion are the novel ideas voiced by the end users. Being able to scan a UPC or ISBN from your own library for access on a digital reader, or checking out books from a library website for immediate download, or searching your entire on-board library, etc. Now those are really interesting ideas *:-)