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| You're looking at a thousand books, in theory. |
In the States the dominant brands are Kindle (from Amazon) and Nook (from Barnes & Noble). In Australia, the dominant brand is Kobo.
I have a Kobo Aura HD (see illustration). Love the sucker.
Why I love my ebook reader:
1. It's technology, baby! Technology thrills me. Always has. Ever since I got a calculator as a wee sproglet, I've been fascinated by gadgets. No, I don't run out and buy the latest willy-nilly (so, no iPhone 5 for me). My acquisition is a thoughtful choice, guaranteeing that I will use whatever it is I've bought.
2. So... Many... Books... An ereader holds a thousand books (or more). I own over a thousand dead-tree books, and they take up a lot of space. (Not that I mind.) Being able to take an ebook reader with me anywhere and have a thousand books at my beck and call is pretty heady.
3. E-ink Technology. I've used a computer for over thirty years. I've got a laptop. Got a smart phone, and I often play with a daughter's tablet. But my poor eyes can only stand so much staring at those bright screens.
E-ink technology is different. It doesn't glow like a computer screen, it reflects natural light. I've had no problems looking at its display for hours and hours on end. It's like looking at a piece of paper. As soon as they master technicolor and quick refresh, I wouldn't be surprised if we saw more computer/notebook/tablet monitors with e-ink technology.
Also, e-ink technology doesn't consume as much energy as, say, a tablet screen. My ebook reader lasts for weeks on a single charge.
4. Reading in the dark. Yes, e-ink technology is a reflective technology. So my Kobo has a light source built in. But instead of shining straight forward, they've got the lights in the bevel of the ereader, so the light reflects off the e-ink surface in a most pleasant manner. And I can adjust the brightness to suit my needs..
5. Library books. I can check ebooks out from my local library anytime, anywhere. Even better, I don't have to worry about damaging the book, or having its spine crack, or losing the book. At the end of the borrow period, the book checks itself back in. No late fees!
6. Lightweight. Doesn't weigh much, so it's easy to carry. It's thin, and doesn't take up as much space in my bag as a book does.
7. Bells & Whistles. I can zoom the text to a comfortable size. I turn a page with a touch of my finger (or toe). I can look up a word in the dictionary. I can dog-ear the page corners. I can make notes. I can do all sorts of things I can't or shouldn't do to a library book. That's awesome.
An ebook reader does exactly what I want it to do: let me read books for hours.
Ain't technology grand?
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Her Grace has a copy of As Good As Gold on her ebook reader. She has yet to read it in its finished form, though.
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