December 1, 2010

Digital Portable Reading Devices

I dedicate my 100th blog post to the future of reading. 


I'm contemplating whether I should join the revolution and convert to an eReader. I'm a sucker for a new gadget so the idea of owning an eReader is spellbinding. However, I'm an even bigger sucker for physical books. The comfortable feel of a trade paperback. The official new feel of a hardcover. The act of physically turning pages can never be replaced. After all, an eReader kind of nulls the term "page-turner."


But there are advantages. I like the idea of having access to over 100 classic books conveniently in one place. But will I really read them all? I also like the idea of traveling with multiple books without the extra weight. It makes it easier to read more than one book/magazine at a time.


Through my research, I've narrowed my choices down to three of the most popular types. (Note the Apple iPad is excluded because it's in a league of its own. #TeamApple) Here's what I found:

($139 Wi-Fi; $189 Wi-Fi + 3G; $379 DX)



        • High contrast e-ink screen
        • No glare; readable in bright sunlight
        • Sleek design
        • Weighs less than a paperback
        • Battery life of up to one (1) month
        • Stores up to 3,500 books
        • Seamless page reading
        • Dictionary lookup, notes, & highlight
        • PDF reader with search and annotations
        • Send, carry, & read personal docs
        • Web browser
        • Can read English-language content out loud
        • Book lending coming soon
        • Transfer/play MP3's & podcasts
        • eBooks $9.99 or less
        • Free out-of-copyright books
        • Free book samples before purchase

($249 Wi-Fi; $199 Wi-Fi + 3G)



      • Color touch screen
      • No glare or backlight 
      • Customized font sizes
      • Free book browsing/reading in store
      • Surf the web
      • 8GB of space & expandable memory
      • Offers over 2 million titles
      • Electronic newspapers & magazines
      • Lifetime library
      • 14-day lending from local library
      • Borrow/lend to friends
      • Share passages/quotes on Twitter & Facebook
      • Bookmark, highlight & take notes
      • Most bestsellers & new releases $9.99 or less
      • Sample eBooks for free before purchase
      • "Poor Man's iPad"



$179 Pocket; $229 Touch; $299 Daily Edition
      • Pink ribbon bundle edition
      • 14-22 days battery life
      • Clear touch screen
      • Six (6) adjustable font sizes
      • Access up to 350 books anywhere
      • Carry up to 1,200 books at a time
      • Virtual keyboard, highlight & take notes
      • Two (2) dictionaries & ten (10) translators
      • Transfer titles to both PC and Mac
      • Adobe PDFs, personal docs, blogs, & RSS feeds
      • Play MP3's & audio files
      • Borrow books from local library
      • Daily subscriptions to newspapers
      • Access to Google Books & Sony eReader Store

In conclusion, I am still a fan of old school paper books, but will broaden my reading experience with an eReader. If you are an eReader user, please share your experience with us.


Happy eReading!

5 comments:

  1. Congrats on your 100th Blog
    From your Biggest Fan !
    The verdict is still out on the eReader, I'm a "page-turner" .

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  2. A good point that deserves to be noted is the Amazon Kindle has an application for most smartphones and the PC/MAC as well, that lets you read kindle-ready books. I have the app on my Android and it is by far the most useful app I've seen so far, but I'm also a fan of digital books with too many to count in my collection.

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  3. Love your blog lady! I think the eReader will be the better buy! Let me know which one, if any, you decide to go with.

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  4. Thanks to my biggest fan, Gabby! I wouldn't be an avid reader if it wasn't for you.

    Christopher, that is a very good point. I have the Kindle app on my MAC. I'm still getting used to digital books.

    Thanks Jen! I'll let you know which eReader I choose.

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