Wednesday, March 23, 2011

.....Mmmmmmmmmmmm.......

......Should a librarian be in possession of an eBook reader? It might seem like going against the grain, but I was curious, did some a lot of research and am now the owner of a Sony PRS 650 touchscreen eReader.



It's compact, easy to operate and fairly lightweight. So much easier on hands than holding a large hard-cover book. Text can be adjusted to six different sizes....good for aging eyes. The screen is what's called e-ink rather than back lit like a computer screen. I've read two or three hours at a time and my eyes don't get tired like they do reading for extended periods of time on the computer. Over all I like it, but if there was one thing I could change it would be to have the screen background more of a cream color instead of the very pale gray it is.  This model doesn't have either Wifi or 3G connections so books need to be downloaded to the computer first then put on the reader.  I use a free program called Calibre to manage my books and load them to the reader. The program can also convert from one eBook format to another as long as there's no Digital Rights Management (DRM) on the eBook. For instance, from Kindle's MOBI format to the more standard EPUB format, or vice versa, but only if there's no DRM involved.  Just so you know, I still like real books too. Something about the feel and smell of the paper and ink along with the ability to see your progress as you read. I'll never abandon them entirely.

My new gadget is laying on the 10-Minute table runner that only took an hour to make at our Quilt Club meeting last week. My Halloween one turned out real cute and it would be fun to make some for all the holidays and seasons.  A set of them would make nice gifts too.

5 comments:

  1. Thanks for the review and information on your e-reader. I haven't been tempted, yet.

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  2. Very nice photo of you!

    I haven't been tempted by the e-readers but I do like books on cd.

    Your lime green heart string blocks look real spiffy.

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  3. Interesting post.... I am a retired school librarian and wondering if I should invest in an e-reader. I'm leaning toward the Nook because I'd like to download library books on it. Can you do that with the one you have? Aren't these some interesting technological questions that a person has to deal with now? We are wintering in an over 55 resort in AZ; amazing how many e-readers and iPads abound here! Enjoyed your string quilt, too! Colorful! Great for a wintry day, eh?

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  4. I have a kindle, and love it. But I went for the 3G one, I can download books while I'm camping. Can't be without new books! I know there are lots of options I haven't tried yet, like putting books back on my Amazon bookshelf, but I'll check them out when I need to. Have you checked out the new IPAD 2? I think they look like lots of fun--when you think they're a good thing--let me know! You pay a whole lot more attention than I do.

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  5. I love ebooks and read mostly on the Kindle and iPad but for travel, quilting, knitting, embroidery, and cookbooks, I still like having a physical book. I also love how easy it is to share books with Mom since she's on my Kindle account..no shipping boxes of books back and forth.

    With this move I told Keith it's a good thing I've got the kindle or he'd be toting a lot more books to be donated as I pack up.

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