The Nook
I'm contemplating buying a Nook. For those of you who don't know what that is, a Nook is a device that allows you to read books in an electronic format. The device is sold by Barnes and Noble. (This is not an ad for them.)
When I first heard about e-readers, as I think they are called, I was horrified. I don't just like books. I love them. I like turning the pages and flipping through them. I like sitting down to read one with a cat at my feet and a nice hot pot of tea. I like the type that is used and the way the ink looks on the paper. I like the the cover art and reading the little blurb on the inside front of the dust cover. You can't do that with an electronic book.
I stare at a computer screen for most of the day at work. I couldn't imagine sitting down after dinner with an e-reader. I'd go blind. The glare would be awful. What is this world coming to?
No way was I ever going to use one of those....things. I use desktop computer, not a laptop. I listen to music on a stereo with large speakers, not an Ipod or MP3 player and I will read books printed on paper. Not all technology is good and I have always felt that people are way too wired up as it is. End of argument.
Every Thursday I have coffee with Patricia and a few other Toastmasters after our regular meeting. Patricia works for Barnes and Noble and has been talking quite a bit about the Nook. I was curious. It sounded like it could be kind of nice to have. One model operates on a touch screen. They are nice. My computer at work has a touch screen. Most of the time it works just fine, there are times when I have trouble using it. Unlike that computer, the Nook has no mouse to use as a back up. It looked interesting, but not for me. The only reason I would want one is so that I could have a digital copy of my favourite book 'Ivanhoe'. (I have a hardcover version,a paperback version,an unabridged version on 12 CDs in case I want it read to me and a copy in German. (Yes, I can read German.)
A few weeks ago I was rooting around in boxes looking for a book I wanted to read. I have about 4 boxes of books in our storage room. In fact, there are books everywhere in my house. I had hoped someday to have them on bookshelves in a room sort of like a library. I imagined my own personal library. It would be sunny and light. There would be a comfortable chair or two and a table to set my tea things on. There would be a cat basket in case of of them decided to curl up in it. I would spend many happy hours there.
The reality is that there is no place for my dream library in our house. So all my books are in boxes. When I want one I have to try and remember what box it is in or go through all of them until I find it. There are a few I can get rid of. Most of them are ones I want to keep. We may be able to put some book shelves in the storage room and family room to make them more accessible. I'm always finding a books that I want. What about those?
I thought about the Nook. I know that Nook can store hundreds of books. Books bought in this format are much less expensive. I could indulge my reading habit a bit more. I wouldn't have to think about whether I had space to store I book that I buy. The e-reader was starting to look a bit more attractive.
I like to carry a book with me when I go someplace where I may have to wait. When I was single I would sometimes take myself out to lunch or dinner and read while I ate. I could take a Nook with me and it would be smaller than the book or two I usually carry. Plus I would have several books to choose from. Mmmmnnnnn. This is starting to sound even better.
I can change the print size. One that I looked at even has access to a dictionary in case I need to look up a word. I can access an Internet radio station and do crossword puzzles. (I actually like word searches better.)
All of these are good things. Before I buy one I need to find out if it is something I'll be able to use. I do all right with computers, but I'm not an expert. The most complicated thing I've done on a computer is download pictures from the memory card of my camera. Unless it has good directions on how to operate and good tech support that is readily available, I'm not buying.
This doesn't mean that I will stop buying paper books. I'm sure there are books I'll like or want that are not available digitally. There are some books where it is best to go the traditional route. Cookbooks are a good example.
We'll see......
When I first heard about e-readers, as I think they are called, I was horrified. I don't just like books. I love them. I like turning the pages and flipping through them. I like sitting down to read one with a cat at my feet and a nice hot pot of tea. I like the type that is used and the way the ink looks on the paper. I like the the cover art and reading the little blurb on the inside front of the dust cover. You can't do that with an electronic book.
I stare at a computer screen for most of the day at work. I couldn't imagine sitting down after dinner with an e-reader. I'd go blind. The glare would be awful. What is this world coming to?
No way was I ever going to use one of those....things. I use desktop computer, not a laptop. I listen to music on a stereo with large speakers, not an Ipod or MP3 player and I will read books printed on paper. Not all technology is good and I have always felt that people are way too wired up as it is. End of argument.
Every Thursday I have coffee with Patricia and a few other Toastmasters after our regular meeting. Patricia works for Barnes and Noble and has been talking quite a bit about the Nook. I was curious. It sounded like it could be kind of nice to have. One model operates on a touch screen. They are nice. My computer at work has a touch screen. Most of the time it works just fine, there are times when I have trouble using it. Unlike that computer, the Nook has no mouse to use as a back up. It looked interesting, but not for me. The only reason I would want one is so that I could have a digital copy of my favourite book 'Ivanhoe'. (I have a hardcover version,a paperback version,an unabridged version on 12 CDs in case I want it read to me and a copy in German. (Yes, I can read German.)
A few weeks ago I was rooting around in boxes looking for a book I wanted to read. I have about 4 boxes of books in our storage room. In fact, there are books everywhere in my house. I had hoped someday to have them on bookshelves in a room sort of like a library. I imagined my own personal library. It would be sunny and light. There would be a comfortable chair or two and a table to set my tea things on. There would be a cat basket in case of of them decided to curl up in it. I would spend many happy hours there.
The reality is that there is no place for my dream library in our house. So all my books are in boxes. When I want one I have to try and remember what box it is in or go through all of them until I find it. There are a few I can get rid of. Most of them are ones I want to keep. We may be able to put some book shelves in the storage room and family room to make them more accessible. I'm always finding a books that I want. What about those?
I thought about the Nook. I know that Nook can store hundreds of books. Books bought in this format are much less expensive. I could indulge my reading habit a bit more. I wouldn't have to think about whether I had space to store I book that I buy. The e-reader was starting to look a bit more attractive.
I like to carry a book with me when I go someplace where I may have to wait. When I was single I would sometimes take myself out to lunch or dinner and read while I ate. I could take a Nook with me and it would be smaller than the book or two I usually carry. Plus I would have several books to choose from. Mmmmnnnnn. This is starting to sound even better.
I can change the print size. One that I looked at even has access to a dictionary in case I need to look up a word. I can access an Internet radio station and do crossword puzzles. (I actually like word searches better.)
All of these are good things. Before I buy one I need to find out if it is something I'll be able to use. I do all right with computers, but I'm not an expert. The most complicated thing I've done on a computer is download pictures from the memory card of my camera. Unless it has good directions on how to operate and good tech support that is readily available, I'm not buying.
This doesn't mean that I will stop buying paper books. I'm sure there are books I'll like or want that are not available digitally. There are some books where it is best to go the traditional route. Cookbooks are a good example.
We'll see......
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