I’m curious about people’s thoughts on eReaders. Now, I know some of the arguments against them - that people like to feel the pages, that technology is taking over the world, all that Jazz. I do agree, there is something to turning a page in a book and originally I was against them. But I am slowly warming up to the idea of them.
Actually, had I posted something about eReaders as of last week, it would have been completely different. See, what happened was I had to return the copy of “Mary, a Fiction” I had to the library. And while I finished reading the book, I’m writing an essay on it and I like to have a copy handy to refer to. So I looked on Amazon and Chapters.ca only to find that the cheapest was a Kobo version. So, being the resourceful person that I am, I downloaded the Kobo App for my iPod and then got the book.
I kind of thought I would hate it, but I actually don’t mind reading off of it. I like not fumbling with the weight of the book or trying to hold it open in one hand while I lay in bed (side-sleeper). It gives a nice page turning animation when you move on to the next page. And on top of all that, it’s a lot cheaper in some cases. There’s a book I’ve been eying for several months that is listed as $30 but at Chapters is marked down to $18 because its a bestseller. Still kind of pricey for me, the most frugal [read: cheapest] person on the planet. But on Kobo? $6.99
I have two concerns with reading things on my iPod. For one, the screen is small. Now, it’s not illegible by any means but perhaps an actual Kobo reader would be better (although, I like seeing the covers of my books in colour - books to me are art). The other issue is storage space. Now, I’m probably being neurotic on that one, as an actual Kobo eReader has 1GB of built in storage and holds 1000-ish books. My iPod is only 8 gigs. Sounds like a lot, but considering that I also have other apps and a LOT of music and pictures on there, it can add up if I get serious about this thing.
However, realistically, I carry my iPod with my almost everywhere along with my cell phone. Am I really going to carry an eReader along? Probably not. They seem light, but they are big and bulky and I don’t really want to throw it in with giant textbooks.
I’m going to open this up now: what are people’s thoughts on eReaders? Is this a technology you’re embracing? Do you plan on buying one in future? If you own one, what are your thoughts? I’m not keen on dropping $150 on something that I can download a free app for on my iPod, but I’d like some feedback.
