Archive for August 2nd, 2007

I believe that all tech should work right of the box.  When it doesn’t it can be so frustrating to get it to work that I feel like throwing it out of the nearest closed window.  Other than unboxing the best part of getting a new “toy” is turning it on and using it.  Notice I didn’t say spending long hours talking to tech support.  At that point, even if the problem has been solved my perception of my new device has diminished.  That said, I have come up with some pointers on choosing your first e-book reader.  Certainly, this is a guide, so at the end story pick one that you like.   

1.  Dedicated or non-dedicated:  A dedicated reader can be used only for reading.    An example is the Ebookwise 1150. So if you want to listen to music you’ll have to lug around your mp3 player.  If you want your calendar, contacts, to-do list, you have to have your PDA with you.  So if you are a minimalist you may want to consider getting a non-dedicated device that has more built in functions.  The functions include those listed about and most like email, web browsing, games, and other software. Examples of non-dedicated devices include the Sony ereader (only because it allows you to listen to audio files) and the Palm TX (which is a PDA). 

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