E-books: I'm a newfangled old-fashioned girl

(Sony Reader photo from adrianhon)

For the last six months I've been trying e-books from the library. Initially I read on computer and phone. I didn't like the experience, and I all but stopped reading e-books. Then I borrowed a Sony Reader. Voilà, suddenly e-books work for me.

It's a revelation how important the technology is, and how tricky it is to research. Other people's advice doesn't help; nor does a five-minute test-drive in a store. It's not only about where I read, at what time of day, or on what platform. Far more important is how I read: how many words I see at a time, and how the "pages" turn or scroll.

Many libraries provide e-books for download; only a few loan out physical e-reader gizmos loaded with e-books. Based on my experience, both e-publishers and device-makers would benefit from loaner programs. I wouldn't have tried e-books without the library's simple package of options (and zero cost). I wouldn't have persisted and found a technology that works for me if I hadn't been able to borrow friends' devices.

Right now, here's where I am with e-books.

I'm not sure about 'em... on the computer

I like the convenience of downloading e-books at any time of night. But reading on the computer has one unfixable problem and a few small hassles.

1. There’s no fixing the basic problem: I hate reading on a backlit computer screen. I do that all day already. Enough.
   
2. Bulk. I don’t take a laptop to bed. It and I tend to damage each other during the night.
   
3. The software is all right, but DRM is a hassle and library checkout rules vary with the format.

Adobe Digital Editions plays nicely with the library checkout system: I can return a book early (which frees up my account to borrow more e-books). Mobipocket sometimes hassles me to re-download a license file, and doesn't allow early returns. No early returns? E-books' strength is instant gratification, yet I have to wait weeks to download another? That's slower than the hold queue for the library's physical book—or waiting for the brick-and-mortar store to open.

I won't read 'em… on phones

It took me a while to realize how the phone was changing my reading experience. I've tried Blackberry, iPhone, and an old smartphone, and the small screen fundamentally changes the way I read. It creates a more linear experience of the book, limits my interaction with the text, and does a number on my appreciation of the work.

It can work; some people enjoy reading on the iPhone. Maybe someday I’ll get with the program. But so far the screen size sinks the technology for me. It makes for an awkward pacing: I want a certain amount of text showing at a time, and I don't want to scroll down or flip pages too often. I read fast, so I have to scroll down continuously. Normally that's the way I read email, not the way I read novels—for good reason, it turns out. It feels like the Star Wars opening, with the backstory crawling steadily up the screen. That's fine for two minutes, but hours on end?

I thought I would adjust, or it would be all right if I only read on the phone during my commute, but no. I stopped reading on the phone.

Two things I did like:

1. Always having a book with me. At first I would pull out my phone to read when desperate. At the moment I'm back to just reading email and news. Maybe I'll come around again.
   
2. Mobipocket’s Over the Air e-bookstore worked smoothly on my Blackberry.

I love 'em… on the Sony Reader

This device was a breath of fresh air after reading on my phone. It's the first (sustained) good experience I've had with e-books.

1. It’s not backlit. Oh, what a difference! And I like the cover with integrated light.
   
2. I can see much more text at a time. The size of the screen is a better fit for my reading style and pace.
   
3. It's the size of a paperback. Much less bulky than I'd expected.
   
4. I can read my library downloads.
   
5. The page turns were slow but predictable, so I could get into a rhythm.
   
6. I can put other documents on it. For free.

I wish I liked reading on my phone so I could consolidate devices. I suspect I'm old-fashioned in my yen for "page-size" chunks of text. I wonder what permutations of device and format I haven't tried, and whether they would make a difference. But like a commenter on my previous post, I find the Sony really does replace paper, and that could be a life changer. Especially if it ever goes wireless.

In summary, I'm a believer again… but only after trying some expensive devices. I'd like to try other dedicated e-book readers—the Cybook and the iLiad (which lets you read and write, and has wireless). I'm not sure yet where my personal line will be drawn between investing in a super-duper reader and just reading on a laptop.

Meanwhile, I need to give back this Sony Reader. I found the iPhone made me miss paper; the real test will be whether paper makes me miss the Reader.