Sunday, January 20, 2013

TSS: Should I get an e-reader?





Hello everybody. I hope you had a great week so far.  I'm sure by now you all know what this post is going to be about. I mentioned a while ago that I hadn't fall for the e-reader trend...well back then it seemed like that, just a trend. 

Let's make something very clear. I do NOT want to replace my paper books. No. That's just not going to happen. But, you see, I'm starting to wonder if I should get myself an e-reader and I have several reasons why this might be a good idea:
First of all, the amount of articles I have to print is ridiculous! In my field (I'm not saying JUST in my field)  you are supposed to read a whole lot of articles, related to your subject or not, and it so happens that I get way to tired reading them on my PC. Time for a confession: I use a contact lens. Yes you read right, just one. Why? Because my right eye has a 20/20 vision thank you very much (not sure if you can say that for just one eye) whereas my left eye...well, let's put it this way. You all know the typical chart at the doctor with a big E starting to check your vision? Well, my left eye can barely notice that is supposed to be an E without my lens. With it I can make it up to the 3rd or 4th line.  Bottom line, even though I love reading, it gets me really tired to do so on my PC  with the backlight and all.  So right there, anyone who was going to suggest a tablet, I'm afraid that wouldn't be a solution for this problem. 

So what I was picturing was reading my articles, most of them at least in an e-reader, good for the environment and good for my eyes. For the ones with a lot of microscope images I would still have to check those in my PC, but it would for sure reduce the amount that I have to print!

Second reason? There are a LOT of books giveaways  that I'm missing out! So far I've only read one e-book and I liked the experience, although I had to borrow a Kobo for that. 

And then we have a third reason and is the fact that sometimes is very inconvenient to carry my books everywhere! When I'm at home it's fine; when we are with the car is fine. But you guys! The frustration of taking out a book of my purse (assuming I manage to put it inside!) and seeing that is all folded?  Since a lot of the books I read are from the library I feel awful if those books get mistreated. I feel bad if they are mine too, but less bad, you know what I mean? So my brilliant plan would be to leave my heavy, bulky or borrowed book in my nightstand  and read it in the "safety" of my home, and keep another book (not the same one, probably) in my e-reader to when I have to commute or wait for an appointment.

So that bring us to the biggest question. Should I get an e-reader? And if so, which one? 

I'm between the Kobo Mini or Glo, the Kindle Paperwhite or the Nook Simple touch™ with or without GlowLight™. I'm hesitant as to whether I need the light or not, because, let's face it, I rarely never read without a lamp next to me. So, is it really worth it for the price? 

So far the only "bad" thing I've seen with the Kobo Mini would be the size, since is a 5" screen vs a 6" for all the rest, but that also makes it the smallest, easiest one to carry with me. Also, Kobo has a bunch of free books available that I've wanting to read, so that's a plus, for either the Mini or the Glo.

The Kindle Paperwhite has great reviews and I know someone who has it and is "in love" with it. He says that there is no problem with PDF compatibility, only with EPUB. That and the fact that I could only buy it through Amazon.com, not .ca and that reads as extra fees. 

What to do, what to do. What do you think? Any other suggestions?

10 comments:

  1. I would probably not have an e-reader even now if my daughter hadn't given me mine for Christmas two years ago. But now that it's here, I love certain things about it: ease of downloading; free stuff; and easier to travel with it.

    I have a very simple Kindle, probably the first one they put out, so I can't address the specifics of which one works best. Mine works for me.

    However, because my shelves are overflowing, I am more regularly using the Kindle and returning to something old and traditional (the library!).

    Here's MY SUNDAY SALON POST

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    1. Oh I love the library! I'm lucky because the network of libraries here has a very good system and a lot of options. Also, I have one very close to my place. The only "problem" comes when is a very "in" book, then I have to wait months to get it!

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  2. I have a Nook Color and I love it. I know what you mean about reading articles online. When I'm researching articles, I usually download them and upload to my Nook. It's easier on my eyes that way and less ink! I also use my Nook to read library books and chunksters (books with 450+ pages). I suggest getting a Nook. The customer service is great and you can buy ebooks from almost anywhere (Kobo, B&N, independent retailers) without worrying about format. My problem with the Kindle is that you can only buy books from Amazon. If you don't like the price of an e-book or the book isn't available in the Kindle format, you can't read it on your Kindle. Let us know what you decide!

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    1. Hey Vasilly, I was considering the Nook to tell you the truth, but since I'm in Canada the fact that I can go to a Chapter's store and just get it without waiting for delivery gave the Kobo extra points. Can you read your articles in PDF format easily? no need for conversion? Can you change fonts types and sizes with your Nook?

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  3. e readers are great for portabilty - you can carry loads of books with you and not suffer from back or neck strain from the weight. Downside for me is that the experience isn;t the same as an actual book. I don't retain the info as much.

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    1. Really? It's the first time I heard of such a downside! that would be particularly bad if I'm using it to read my articles!

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  4. I am sure you save lots of $$$ with only using 1 contact, lol! Don't they come in pairs? ;)
    I am a HUGE Nook advocate!!! So, I love Nook. I used to have the Sony Reader (long before Nook and Kindle) and loved the ease of it. Nook Simple Touch is a great reader. I love the light, but if you use a lamp, no need for it. I love that you can check out books from the library onto your reader, you can change the font, and the e-ink is easy on your eyes. The Kindle paperwhite is like having a color reader/tablet because the screen is white with black words. I have sensitive eyes and a stigmatism, so it became bothersome for me. The Simple Touch(not the glowlight) is cheap, very durable, and extremely lightweight. I look forward to hearing what you decide on :D

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    1. :D, they usually come in pairs, but mine is gas-permeable so I have to get it done specially for me, hence I order just one.
      You and Vasilly are making me wonder if I should go for the Nook but since there is no B&N here I'm still leaning towards the "local" one.

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  5. I would go for the local one. Personally I wouldn't want the hassle of dealing with a company that was not owned by a more local chain. And besides you can go to Chapters and load up on a gift card and use it for purchasing books through Kobo.

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    1. I agree with your points Melissa. If we had a B&N here I would probably lean towards the Nook since a lot of the bloggers I follow use it and give them great reviews. Alas, they are also in the States, not like me. I'm still waiting to know how it goes for reading articles, but yeah, I think I might go with the Kobo at the end

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