In addition to bringing back an Asus EEE for #3 kid, I managed to sneak in a cute little gadget for myself–a Sony PRS 505 ebook reader. I have been looking at these devices for some time, basically ever since I became a published ebook author. That is when I became aware of the enormous amount of e-media out there on the Internet. But reading on a computer screen has never appealed to me very much. A notebook computer is heavy, hot (if you actually put it on your lap,) the battery life sucks, and it won’t fit in your purse. Well, not my purse anyway.
The Sony solves all these problems very neatly. It is comfortable to hold, has a battery life of about five or six books, an amazingly sharp e-ink display and best of all it DOES fit in my purse! No more sitting around in the doctor’s office reading People magazine…
It is just so damned cool to have a device that can store hundreds of books. and give them all to you with the touch of a couple of buttons.
As an added bonus, I have found an enormous amount of free content for my ebook reader–mostly books that are no longer subject to copyright law. They can be found at Manybooks, a fully searchable and browseable website with thousands and thousands of free books in all genres. I love pulp sci fi and westerns and they have hundreds of those titles! Of course, there are a lot of great new authors (ahem…) being epublished each week, so I am also spending money on some of my reading materials from sources like Fictionwise. The average ebook costs about 1/3 the price of a paperback, and saves the environment too!
My only criticism of this amazing new toy is the software interface. It is just… pathetic. I mean, you put all this money into R&D for this great very high tech gadget, and then you spend what looks like $50 on the software for it. It doesn’t make any sense. I hope Sony is reading this, ha ha.
I looked at several different devices before settling on the Sony. The Kindle was not an option for me because Amazon doesn’t support the Whispernet feature outside the USA. The Iliad was too expensive. A couple of the others just weren’t where I could get to them to give them a try. I bought the Sony with the understanding I could return it if I didn’t think it was worth the money. But really, once I got past the shoddy software, it was love.
And yes, I have copies of my own books on there, just in case you wanted to know.
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May 11, 2008 at 5:32 am
Sounds like a fun toy.
Just got one of my own: an iPhone.
Got to say it’s a love/hate relationship.
Love that I can get internet anywhere…even at wireless LAN speeds….love the touch screen and most of the UI.
Hate that I can’t play any video not on YouTube, and only the most basic Flash sites work at all. I can’t download ANY apps to add to the phone (unlike most cell phones I’ve owned) and it’s very difficult to get a custom ringtone.
Oh yeah, the built-in camera sucks and doesn’t take video clips. WTF?
I do think Apple would be smart to add a reader feature to the next iPhone to compete with Kindle etc.
May 11, 2008 at 8:01 am
I have heard a lot of discussion amongst ebook publishers and authors about Apple. Steve Jobs has said that Americans don’t have the time or inclination to read anymore. But, as we all know, Steve sometimes says these things right up to the point that his company releases a product that will transform the market. Many people think that an i-touch reader would be the making of the ebook industry, in the same way the ipod changed the way we listen to music.
I am of two minds on this. On the one hand I can’t stand Steve, so I am loath to add anything to his success. But I would like to see a really well-crafted reading device on the market, with, and this is most important, an itunes-quality interface.
I haven’t held an iphone in my hand, but they look pretty cool. I’d rather have an e-ink display for reading though. How is the battery life?
May 11, 2008 at 12:36 pm
Your toy sounds cool! I bookmarked the free ebook site for when I enter the ebook age.