Despite heavy vet fees over the last few weeks, I found that my bank balance was generous enough to allow me to indulge myself in one of these:
It's a Sony PRS-600 Ebook reader (not available in pink, unfortunately). I had already checked out that there are thousands of Ebooks out there now for sale, many of them books I would buy in hard copy - and many I already have. So it seemed to me that my overcrowded bookshelves, which don't even have enough room for the books I have now, would benefit from having up to several hundred books stored on something that is the size of a very thin paperback, and almost as light.
This latest model has a touch screen. You can load music and pictures on to it (haven't managed that yet), annotate texts and work on PDF documents. It has a choice of 5 font sizes, so I could even read it if I broke my glasses. The big benefit for me, though, is that the tendons connecting my thumbs and wrists are strained, and holding open a book can be painful. Holding open a book when eating, of course, is nigh on impossible, and I do love to read when I'm eating alone.
If Google ever manages to get agreement to publish every book ever written online, I'm ready for them.
8 comments:
The reason why many writers are dying of starvation: e-books!
Glad to hear you pay for your downloads. I, personally prefer "old fashion" paper books; just lovin' the smell of books.
Anyway. Have fun with your new toy :)
Let us now how you get on with it won't you? I've held out so far because I just love the whole process of reading a 'proper' book...and I don't think one of the electronic ones would work in the bath :-)
These things are becoming very popular here in the U.S. My understanding is that all downloads must be purchased, so I am not sure how this would affect writers. Wouldn't a writer get the same percentage from the distributor?
I think I'm a dinosaur sometimes - I prefer my books to be tangible things, with covers, and pages that need turning - and my home-made Vincent D'Onofrio bookmark keeping my place ;0)
Snark, I can show you 100 ways how to get "free" downloads. And there are thousands of blogs that offer e-books to free, and thousands of people who use these sites (which is actually not always legal). Writers receive royalities only when readers pay for downloads. And yes, there is a difference between e-books and hard copies when it comes to percentages.
It concerns the entire industry and everyone who has a job in publishing: publishing houses, bookstores, book editors, printers, etc. Many people there lose their jobs because of e-books (bookshops are partly guilty - they are way too expensive).
Of course my point of view is very subjective.
On the other hand it's great that literature is available for everyone thanks the internet.
Well, you've asked.
Wow that's pretty nifty, Val! Let us know how you like it.
Thanks for the information, Jazzy! XOXO
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