January 18, 2011
(Credit: David Katzmaier)
I normally write about TVs and related gear for CNET, but I figured some Crave readers might want to hear about my recent experiences as I considered getting an e-reader for myself. In particular, my good experience "borrowing" e-books from my local library--something I can do on a Barnes & Noble Nook or Sony Reader, for example, but not on an Amazon Kindle.
First, some background. I read a lot, and in the last few years I've been taking advantage of the local library to get my fiction fix (for free!), rather than buying books. The idea of an e-reader never really appealed to me, mainly because I'd always thought of them as money pits designed to feed impulse purchases, and I didn't trust myself not to go on a buying spree if I got one. I was also skeptical that the reading experience could be preserved.
When my co-worker and fellow bibliophile John Falcone offered to lend me his Kindle 3 for an overseas business trip, however, my perception of e-readers changed. The little device not only preserved the experience of reading an actual book--in my opinion it improved upon it. I found it more convenient to turn pages, easier to stand upright (with this awesome cover) and read hands-free, just as easy on the eyes, and lighter and more comfortable to hold over time than many books. Reading books on the Kindle was, to my surprise, better than reading a paper book in just about every way.
I had to have one.
Around the same time I received a mailer from my library in East Northport, New York, touting a new service: downloadable e-books. The blurb mentioned support for "compatible devices, like the Barnes & Noble Nook and Sony Reader." I noticed that it didn't mention the Kindle, which didn't surprise me because I knew enough about e-readers to know that Amazon has declined to support the e-book format of choice for libraries, known as EPUB.
Read more: http://news.cnet.com/8301-17938_105-20028767-1.html#ixzz1BVJ1lESv
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