Ereaders for Book Beings?

Ereaders? Where was I when the Areaders, Breaders, Creaders, and Dreaders of the world raised their ugly little heads?

I have to admit I’ve become increasingly fond of technology, insofar as it allows me to see, understand, and know more of life and, consequently, how little of it I do see, understand, and know… the realization of which just makes me teeter like a happy drunk before the awesome Mystery and Bigness of Creation.

But it took me a while to get into the whole Computer Thing, but by the time the Internet came on the scene I was ready and willing to be mesmerized by the possibilities it presented and to quickly enlist the information-gathering prowess of Google.

Don’t know Something? Google it. Now part of the lexicon. Within seconds you know as much or more about Something than most folks on the planet. So I Googled “eReaders” and found them to be, not another race of beings, but a tantalizing temptation.

So what the heck is an eReader, and are eReaders suitable for Book Beings?

Let’s explore a little. Just to get a clear picture of what we’re dealing with here.

An eReader is a portable electronic device that allows you to read eBooks. eBooks are electronic books, also known as digital books. Think of them as paperless books that can be read off a computer screen or the screen of a hand-held device created for that purpose (e.g., an eReader).

For someone who loves the texture, weight, feel, scent, and color of real books, eReaders can seem a bit stiff. The idea of curling up with an eReader hasn’t yet sunk in. Would you rather, for example, curl up with a human or a Cylon?

(Digression: For those of you who don’t know what a Cylon is, you owe it to yourself to buy or rent the 4.5 seasons of Battlestar Galactica, the award-winning science fiction series, starring James Olmos as Adama.)

Yes, if I am going to recline and enjoy a good book, it will be a real book with real pages that my fingers can touch and turn. But if I am traveling, or foraging, or gathering, or if I just want to have with me my own library of books that I can summon up onto my little hand-held device, then I’m going to go with the eReader. Do you have a bag large enough to carry 1500 books around? That is the initial capacity of most eReaders (capacity can be increased through optional memory cards).

This is not a question of choosing one over the other. Real flesh and blood books can coexist happily with ereaders, and being a Book Being, I can feed my hunger for books more completely by possessing both.

Think of the eBooks that appear on eReaders as virtual books or avatars of those beloved real books of yours that it’s not always practical to have with you. (If you were far away for a long, long time, on the Moon, say, and you could not bring your loved one with you, wouldn’t an avatar of your loved one help, somewhat?)

Just as there are different kinds of books, there are different kinds of eReaders with varying features and price tags. And more are being developed all the time.

The most popular and best eReaders share the following features:

• Portable and compact, with most eReader models being less than an inch thick and are available in 5, 6, or 8 inch sizes.
• Capacity to hold up to 1,500 books. Thousands of additional books can be added with the use of memory cards.
• eBooks can easily be downloaded from a number of online venues.
• E-Ink technology allows for a clear, paper-like display.
• Some have built in MP3 players.
• Some read to you.
• Long-lasting rechargeable batteries.

Given all this, are eReaders suitable for Book Beings? Any tool that makes more books easily accessible to the everyday person is good for Book Beings and for all. So I say, Yes! By all means!

And your response?

So say we all!

(If this response troubles, perplexes, irks you, I entreat you to watch Battlestar Galactica, not the old Lorne Greene series, but the James Olmos award-winning series – the opening scene of the series will captivate you, guaranteed).

I will be looking at the various types of eReaders in more depth as we go along. If you want to check some of these out for yourself, go to Amazon. They started this all with their Kindle Wireless Reading Device.

But you’ll find all kinds of eReaders and digital readers there, not just the Amazon Kindle. Amazon has always been the best place to look for books. Now it’s the best place to buy any number of different products. You can compare thousands of items and products, read real customer reviews, and make informed decisions about whether to buy Something or not.

Tagged with: Amazon Kindle • Battlestar Galactica • ebook • ebooks • ereader • eReaders • Kindle Wireless • Kindle Wireless Reading Device

Filed under: eReaders • Just Talk

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