[FM Discuss] my life with the kill book cult

[adam hyde]

so...i just thought i would throw some short impressions of my life so
far with an e-reader...

3 weeks ago i brought the sony ereader to test the FLOSS Manuals epubs.
I have always been wary of these gadgets, and although I enjoy gadgets,
i had talked my way out of buying one of these many times because they
just didnt seem to make sense to me. this is a rarity. generally i buy
gadgets and find a way to rationalise it, but not this time.

...so...i am happy to report that i feel i was kinda right. an expensive
way to prove it i guess, but despite the interest value, I don't really
see them as being that handy.

so...things i like and dont like :
1. i feel awkward reading from them. it makes me feel like i am an extra
on star trek or space 1999. the guy in the background casually reading
some REALLY interesting literary masterpiece from something which is
'not a book'. 
2. i dont like reading from it in public as i feel like a dork
3. it crashes on some material
4. drm is worse worse worse than drm on music...with music you can
always resort to recording the music off your soundcard if necessary, no
such luck with drm'ed text
5. its like reading from slightly greeny yukky looking paper
6. the interface takes more of my own cpu power than a book - which i
find interrupts the reading process
7. you cant read it in the bath
8. the formatting is generally horrible
9. geeks stare at you
10. most ebook readers are not networked (stink! a networked ereader i
would find MUCH more useful, as then i would subscribe to magazines etc-
i think)
11. i feel irrationally bad about owning another piece of e-junk

okok...the things i like...ummm...the battery lasts longer than a book.
you can um...ok...you can carry lots of books around in 1 'thing', that
is kinda useful...and, i can impress the super nerdy with it

thats about it

curious to know other peoples experiences are of ebook readers...i see
some people almost religious about it (including the woman that sold it
to me)...but i dunno...i dont get it...

adam




-- 
Adam Hyde
Founder FLOSS Manuals
German mobile : + 49 15 2230 54563
Email : adam at flossmanuals.net
irc: irc.freenode.net #flossmanuals

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