I’ve decided I really want to go electronic for my pleasure reading. There are a number of reasons why I think eBooks are the way to go for me. Firstly I like the idea of less clutter and few physical objects to keep track of. I also know it will make magazine subscription much better for me. I like having magazines to read but I dislike throwing them out when they start to pile up as much as I dislike having them pile up to begin with. The obvious answer is to get these magazine as eBooks and keep them stored on a disc where I can access them if I like but where they won’t start taking over the condo.
Another reasons is I think the pressure of holding a book open is taking a toll on my fingers. My arthritis is in my fingers (A bit in my toes and in my knees, but the fingers feel it the most.) I think an eBook reader will be easier on my fingers than a paperback book.
For genre book I’ve shied away from eBook because I like supporting my local book seller, Mysterious Galaxy and now I know I can buy eBooks from their website so this was another factor in favor of eBooks.
So this week I’ve been looking at readers and trying to settle on whihc one is best for me.
I ruled out the Kindle from Amazon.com right off the bat. I do not like the vertical integration that Amazon is trying to pull off in the publishing industry. I will not support their attempts to control books from acquisition through final sale. (Did you know that Amazon can remotely delete books from your Kindle? They recently did this with pirated copies of 1984, but what else can they do it with? I don;t want to find out.)
The next device eliminated from my list were the Sony Digital Books. These were too closed and proprietary for my tastes. I wanted something that was more open in the formats it could read.
I’ve decided on the EZ Reader
It’s based on Linux for its operating system, it can read more than twenty different formats, and it’s not very expensive.
Now to save up the pennies for the purchase.
Actually, it is worse than that, regarding the Kindle. I thought I heard about this from you, but obviously not, since you posted regarding the delete and are not mentioning this:
Amazon can lock you out of your Kindle whenever it wishes to do so. I read an article about a man who was locked out of his Kindle because he made several returns to Amazon. I must be specific here – he did NOT return books or other written matter that was purchased for his Kindle. These were mailed purchases. Locked out of my books after spending hundred on an electric machine to read them? I think not! No Kindle for me.
I have other issues with e-book machines, most notably, I read in the tub from time to time. If I drop the darned thing, then I could lose my books. (I am not concerned about electrocution. Near as I can tell, none of the machine have either enough voltage or watts to do more than create a mild shock.) If I drop a paperback, I dry it off and it has impact ONLY n that book. If I drop a book reader, I lose a machine that will cost several humdred dollars to replace PLUS I would have to reload the books. Not my idea of a good time.
Having said that. I really do see the value of the machines. I have certain books I will always wish for in true book form but many of my reads are transcendental, read only once or twice kind of books. Storing them electronically and having them take up less room in my house makes sense from a space-use and cleaning perspective. (I will be spending hours vacuuming my books and cleaning their space this summer. Not fun.) This will be the future for many and perhaps it may blend with my real books nicely. But I will wait for the cost to come down and I will have to figure out a solution for tub reading. Perhaps a large Ziploc bag?