Thinking about an ebook reader...
Aah, the dilemmas that the modern geek can face.
I have plans to buy an iPod Touch, but I am holding out for information on the 4th generation. The official announcement about it is expected within the next couple of weeks, which is when I will know whether the new features are sufficient to keep me waiting for it (rather than buying the 3rd gen now) and when it is likely to ship to Canada. The BBC now has a couple of apps to deliver news and some radio content, so I'm even more excited about the possibilities of the iPod Touch, as if apps for Skype, Twitter, LJ, newspapers, and calendar stuff in my pocket when I'm travelling weren't enough. The daily BBC headlines email has been out of action ever since the BBC News website was upgraded and I find myself rather bereft it. Who knew how much I rely on the ease of skimming through the headlines to stay in touch with the world?
In the meantime, I've been thinking about ebook readers. I intend to install all the various ebook apps on my Touch when I finally get it, but I'm also thinking about a dedicated reader. Mostly this is because the new Kindle has a version that is within what I think is reasonable for a reader ($139 for the WiFi only version) and I've had a few demonstrations over the last few days of how useful an ereader can be. Kindle is winning at the moment not just on price, but on range of books. Mum's Sony reader allows her to borrow from the library and gives her a reasonable range in the bookstore, definitely everything she's likely to want, but not as much as the Amazon store.
I haven't really spotted anything from my local library's ebook collection that I'd want to borrow and I know that Amazon still beats everyone else for range. So it's hard to justify sticking with Sony (or even trying the Kobo that works with Chapters) when the new Kindle seems to fit my needs better. I could even buy the Independent on the Kindle for that lovely Saturday afternoon with tea and a good newspaper experience. Do not get me started on how hard it is to find outside-Canada news in the main paper here.
Am I crazy to be jumping on the Kindle bandwagon? Am I crazy to be even looking at a dedicated reader? After all, I'll have an iPod Touch one day and the Indie has an app and...
I feel almost like a traitor to be so seriously considering the Kindle. It's not like I can't afford it. The money is there in my gadget fund, far surplus to what I'll need for the Touch, and it would be perfect for always having a book in my bag no matter how stupidly long the book is. Not to mention never again being in the situation of picking totally the wrong book for a long flight, because I'd have dozens on the reader to choose from. It could even make defeating the Reading Prevention Team (Kate knows exactly when I pick up a book and demands cuddles and scritchings instead every time) a bit easier. I'm not abandoning my love of the printed word in printed books with that lovely musty dusty smell, I'm just adding to my reading possibilities. And what I'd buy and put onto the Kindle is likely to be different to what I'd buy in printed copy (free classics, bad romances for when I need that fix but can't face the embarrassment of people seeing that I have them, pop fiction that I don't want cluttering my bookshelves).
I'm talking myself into this, aren't I?
I have plans to buy an iPod Touch, but I am holding out for information on the 4th generation. The official announcement about it is expected within the next couple of weeks, which is when I will know whether the new features are sufficient to keep me waiting for it (rather than buying the 3rd gen now) and when it is likely to ship to Canada. The BBC now has a couple of apps to deliver news and some radio content, so I'm even more excited about the possibilities of the iPod Touch, as if apps for Skype, Twitter, LJ, newspapers, and calendar stuff in my pocket when I'm travelling weren't enough. The daily BBC headlines email has been out of action ever since the BBC News website was upgraded and I find myself rather bereft it. Who knew how much I rely on the ease of skimming through the headlines to stay in touch with the world?
In the meantime, I've been thinking about ebook readers. I intend to install all the various ebook apps on my Touch when I finally get it, but I'm also thinking about a dedicated reader. Mostly this is because the new Kindle has a version that is within what I think is reasonable for a reader ($139 for the WiFi only version) and I've had a few demonstrations over the last few days of how useful an ereader can be. Kindle is winning at the moment not just on price, but on range of books. Mum's Sony reader allows her to borrow from the library and gives her a reasonable range in the bookstore, definitely everything she's likely to want, but not as much as the Amazon store.
I haven't really spotted anything from my local library's ebook collection that I'd want to borrow and I know that Amazon still beats everyone else for range. So it's hard to justify sticking with Sony (or even trying the Kobo that works with Chapters) when the new Kindle seems to fit my needs better. I could even buy the Independent on the Kindle for that lovely Saturday afternoon with tea and a good newspaper experience. Do not get me started on how hard it is to find outside-Canada news in the main paper here.
Am I crazy to be jumping on the Kindle bandwagon? Am I crazy to be even looking at a dedicated reader? After all, I'll have an iPod Touch one day and the Indie has an app and...
I feel almost like a traitor to be so seriously considering the Kindle. It's not like I can't afford it. The money is there in my gadget fund, far surplus to what I'll need for the Touch, and it would be perfect for always having a book in my bag no matter how stupidly long the book is. Not to mention never again being in the situation of picking totally the wrong book for a long flight, because I'd have dozens on the reader to choose from. It could even make defeating the Reading Prevention Team (Kate knows exactly when I pick up a book and demands cuddles and scritchings instead every time) a bit easier. I'm not abandoning my love of the printed word in printed books with that lovely musty dusty smell, I'm just adding to my reading possibilities. And what I'd buy and put onto the Kindle is likely to be different to what I'd buy in printed copy (free classics, bad romances for when I need that fix but can't face the embarrassment of people seeing that I have them, pop fiction that I don't want cluttering my bookshelves).
I'm talking myself into this, aren't I?