October 4, 2013
Dear Everyone:
A couple of years ago I was standing in one of the big national chain
bookstores (back when there were more than one) looking at a display of
their offering of one of the “new” e-readers.
What, I wondered, was the difference between this one and the
“other” e-reader, also known as the
Kindle?
So I asked.
And the saleswoman explained, in great detail, that the Kindle could
“only” display books sold by
Amazon.
And display books was all it could do.
The Nook, on the other hand, could display books from sources
other than Amazon, notably the
Harry Potter series, which the
author was busily getting ready to
e-market on her own.
And what’s more…the Nook could do lots of other things, like a
stripped-down version of
Microsoft Office (Word, Excel, etc., sold
separately, of course), and a myriad of useful things, plus play
Angry Birds, and a lot of
other games. So I got the
Nook. In fact, I splurged
and got the color Nook. And
a custom case to go with it.
The Nook actually weighed about the same as your average paperback
novel, including the custom case.
I tried using it for simple
Word documents and an
Excel
spreadsheet to keep track of out-of-pocket expenses.
Quite frankly, it was less than stellar.
But it still let me read books.
And it let “Jeannie” play
Angry Birds.
And it let me get to the
Internet when I was out of town, at a hotel, or
staying at “Alice’s” place one summer.
This meant that I could update my website without having to drag
the laptop around with me.
Then, after about a year, it just wouldn’t come on one morning.
This had happened at least once in the past.
I had already downloaded the User Guide on my laptop.
The User Guide said to hold the power button down for thirty
seconds to “reset” the Nook.
This time, it didn’t work. I
tried looking up customer service on the Internet.
It said to “hold the power button down for thirty seconds…”
Still didn’t work.
According to the power plug, the battery was fully charged.
The Nook just wouldn’t come on.
I suspect that the light bulb inside had just burned out.
I also suspected mailing it to “customer support” for a new
“light bulb” would probably (coincidentally) cost about as much as a new
Nook.
In the meantime, back to reading the “old fashioned” way, with an actual
book. With real paper and
such.
Then last year, “Alice” sent “Jeannie” a Kindle for “Jeannie’s”
birthday. “Alice” really
liked her Kindle. In fact,
according to the Kindle in hand, this was the fourth one she’d bought.
Amazon keeps track of that sort of thing.
“Alice” also planned to “lend” “Jeannie” books that “Alice” had
already bought. This is
another thing that Amazon does that the saleswoman who talked me into
the Nook neglected to mention.
The first thing I noticed about “Jeannie’s” Kindle was how light it was,
compared to a “real” book, and compared to the erstwhile Nook.
And, after squinting at the “real” books, I was in a position to
appreciate the fact that most e-readers allow you to adjust the
size of
the font.
So, of course, I bought a Kindle.
And I love it. Even
if it “only” lasts a year, like the aforementioned Nook, the convenience
is worth it. It fits into my
purse and the font size fits my vision.
And it’s much easier to hold in bed when I can’t sleep.
So when “Jeannie” loaned me a “real” book, and hard cover at that, I
started reading it when I finished the last book that I had in the
Kindle. After two chapters,
I decided that I would continue reading.
But, just out of curiosity, I looked it up in the Kindle Store.
I could get the electronic version for just under $6.
That’s not much to pay for the convenience and ease that come
with the Kindle. Not to
mention the “instant gratification” that we Americans have grown to
love. (God grant me
patience, and I want it right now!)
As for all the books that I now have in electronic form (the complete
Lord Peter Wimsey mystery
collection, if anyone is interested), Amazon also lets you “archive” a
book, which removes it from the reader, but keeps it in Amazon’s master
computer so you can download it again, or “lend” it to another Kindle,
should you want to. This can
be really important should your Kindle suddenly die on you, like the
Nook did. Or should it get
lost.
Or should you happen to leave it on board the plane when you landed at
Long Beach Airport, like I did a few months ago.
Luckily, the person who cleaned the plane between flights turned
the Kindle in to “Lost and Found” and it was among the half-dozen or so
that showed up when I asked before my return trip.
So I still have the Kindle and we’ll see in a few months if it lasts as
long, or longer than, the Nook.
In the meantime, I’ve put my name and cell phone number on the
back. It really is terribly
convenient. Even if it
doesn’t play Angry Birds.
Love, as always,
Pete
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