Lately all my reading time is during my commute. That's already too little time, so it's frustrating when I have to leave my book behind so I can carry a sack of groceries.
As a result I'm eyeing e-books, e-reader gadgets, and e-reader software on phones. Can technology help me read more? I'm not sure, but it's worth a try.
Unfortunately the options are overwhelming. I've bought a few e-books in Adobe PDF format, but reading them on the computer hurts my eyes. I like the Sony Reader's non-backlit screen and "page turn" buttons, but I want wireless. I like the Amazon Kindle's wireless but not the fees. Sometimes I don't have a Sony Reader-sized bag with me, just a phone. I don't enjoy reading for long periods on my phone, as the screen is small. I love to read paper, damn it, but paper is heavy. And bulky.
Yes, I have all the symptoms of analysis paralysis.
However, I've found a low-stress way to experiment. My library now offers e-books.
My library, font of technology
The best part of starting with the library's system is that they've already made some choices for me. They provide each book in Adobe and Mobipocket format. I know what Adobe looks like, so that leaves just one kind of reader software to try out. (Limited options can be a good thing!)So far I've checked out three books. I can read them on both my computer and my phone. That's important to me. Reading on my phone alone is too irritating; I don't want to read on a phone at home. But do I really want to read on a computer screen at home? I already suspect that what I want is a paper copy at home and an electronic copy on my phone.
Apparently each book is mine for a few weeks and then "returns itself automatically"--a great feature that stirs my curiosity. I suppose I could stay up till midnight on the due date, watching my e-books return themselves. Will they vanish in a puff of smoke? Or maybe fade off my screen? I suspect they'll simply stop working, but I like the idea.
Tomorrow I'll try out this new system.
9 Comments:
I suppose I could stay up till midnight on the due date, watching my e-books return themselves. Will they vanish in a puff of smoke?
That sounds like the sort of thing library books at Hogwarts might do, but I don't know if they had a lending library.
Lately all my reading time is during my commute. That's already too little time
I wondered why you hadn't been writing as many posts, and I was missing them.
That sounds like the sort of thing library books at Hogwarts might do
I think it could be represented on a computer screen too! Though I somehow doubt the library's developed it.
I was missing them.
Thank you, Laura. I do have a small pile of already-read books that I'd like to discuss. If I can reclaim some reading time, next I'd like more writing time. Meanwhile I'm bumping along in your wake, commenting on TMT, etc :)
I've been trying to convince our stock librarian that ebooks are the way forward. Are they popular, do you know? I'm very impressed with your library service. Ours is still considering wireless internet.
Re: reading devices, I'm thinking about buying an iphone. Jane, over at Dear Author, seems very happy with hers. I was ready to buy a dedicated reading device before all the talk got extremely technical and it slowly became apparent that the market is not at all consumer friendly at the moment.
Not to mention, I have a MacBook and it seemed as though I couldn't buy anything that was compatible.
So - I can't really be of any help, except I'm kind of in the same boat and I'm hoping the iphone will solve all my problems.
Analysis paralysis - heh.
ebooks.... Are they popular, do you know?
This is my first batch of ebooks, and I haven't asked the librarians about them. I imagine the library knows quite a lot about their user base--they've provided downloadable audio and video for years (via Overdrive).
I love the *idea* of only carrying my phone, but so far the experience isn't great compared to paper. I'm tempted by the Sony Reader, to use both in transit and at home. If it comes out with wireless, I may buy. It's not perfect, but I bet there will be a few more years of jockeying with formats and DRM--so whatever system I might settle on, I'd expect to use a workaround of some sort. (E.g. these for Mac/Sony.)
Who knows, though. I've only dipped my toe in the water using the library's two formats and the phone I already have. I'll keep experimenting.
I've been trying to convince our stock librarian that ebooks are the way forward. Are they popular, do you know?
Meriam, I have the impression that the US libraries are rather in advance of UK libraries with regards to ebooks. Then again, that could well be because ebook readers are so much more readily available in the US. From what I can work out, if we're in the UK, we can only get dedicated ebook readers online, but they aren't available in the shops. And the Amazon reader is only available in the US.
I'd imagine that that difference in the availability of ebook readers would affect demand in libraries for ebooks.
Laura - very true. At the moment, we're only just discussing downloadable audio, and haven't even considered video.
But wouldn't it be cool if you could log onto your library account from home, browse the ebook selection and 'borrow' one without even having to leave your house/ in the middle of the night or on a Sunday evening? Sure, most people would be reading it on their PCs (that's what I do), but it's better then nothing.
ebook readers are so much more readily available in the US. From what I can work out, if we're in the UK, we can only get dedicated ebook readers online, but they aren't available in the shops. And the Amazon reader is only available in the US.
This is very frustrating.
Laura: that could well be because ebook readers are so much more readily available in the US.
Laura, I'd guess it's partly an organizational issue, not only technological. Nine out of ten UK internet users have high-speed connections--that's a higher rate than the US, so there's no barrier (on the patrons' side) to downloadable audio and video. (On the other hand there are many more broadband users, total, in the US because the population's so large. So perhaps my logic doesn't hold.)
Meriam: wouldn't it be cool if you could log onto your library account from home, browse the ebook selection and 'borrow' one.... Sure, most people would be reading it on their PCs (that's what I do)
That's what I do (so far)--I read on PC and phone. No dedicated reader required. And as I said in the post, I've been intrigued but stymied for a while--without the library's program, I might not have tried it. They've really made it simple. I wish you could use it.
I wonder if US libraries' early adoption of e-resources is related to the country's uneven population distribution. Libraries in sparsely populated states have had distance-access programs for a number of years. (In Linda Howard's 2001 novel Open Season, librarian Daisy sets up police chief Jack's laptop for something similar.)
With ebooks being so easy to borrow, do you think it will cut into book sales down the road? It sounds like this is really erasing the differences between owning and borrowing in some ways. What do you think?
I just wanted to say that since I bought a Sony Reader, it's absolutely changed how I read. It's now essential to me. I've been eyeing one of my bookcases for the garage sale because almost all of the paperbacks have been replaced by their digital counterpart.
That being said, the immediate gratification of spotting a book in the bookstore, getting hooked on a few chapters, and then buying it... makes me think it would be better to get a wireless counterpart someday once the technology/file format wars works itself out. But right now I still read both digital e-books (on my reader!) and paperbacks, depending on how I come across the books in question.
Post a Comment