owlrigh

I purchased a Sony ebook reader, PRS 700, just last week, and promptly downloaded various ebooks onto it. There are earlier models, cheaper, but the first had ghosting issues, the next funny button placement, and then I read of the latest: ghosting issues solved and touchscreen.

Ben has been going on about the weight of books and how he doesn't want lots of stuff on the new boat, to keep weight down -- a major consideration on a catamaran, where space is no problem but the payload comes at a premium. I could not live without reading, and so when I came across mention of e-readers and how the E-Ink technology had improved their readability I was intrigued. I was never more aware of their potential utility as when over in Brazil and unable to access English books -- and having bought all the relative inexpensive books at the nearby bookstore to the flat in Rio. All that was were the books on how Starbucks had changed some American silly bugger's life. Two of them, in fact, by two different people. I really wished for an electronic reader then, in June, but held out for a future model of Sony Reader where the userfriendliness had improved.

Of course there was the Amazon Reader, Kindle, but that thing is probably the ugliest thing ever designed and in the interest of good taste I simply could not make myself part with my dollar; although nowadays the backorder is three months or three times the price on eBay. Each to their own; since no reader is supported in Australia anyway I decided to go for the pretty.

I have been using it a few days now -- other than the extremely primitive Sony computer software that comes with it (no editing of titles? Eh?) I have enjoyed it. Sure, there is ghosting still -- when you turn it off a faint imprint of the page remains, and when "turning" the page it flickers a negative image and then turns. Nothing which would annoy overmuch. The screen responds to my touch as well as to a stylus, and a brief finger-motion has the page go forward or back.

There's an art to holding it, depending upon whether you're using buttons or fingers to turn pages, and whether there's a reflection. It's very shiny, and so even the slightest pinpoint of light -- e.g., my face -- will show up on it and make it harder to read.

I have not used the notation or pictures (maybe I could read digitised comics!) but my main use was always going to be book reading, so even if not 100% in every way I will still be happy. Now if only I could rid myself of the urge to turn the page the old-fashioned way, or looking about for a bookmark when needing to pause for a moment!