Archive for the ‘Miscellaneous’ Category

Now that my husband’s Nokia N770 is in for repair, I have now begun to second guess my decision to buy it from Woot.  My cost per tablet was 132.48. A really good price, but that comes with no warranty options.  So does that make the offer still good?  Usually I am not a fan of extended service plans and at the time I purchased the tablets I was unaware of the device’s possible screen failures.   So really this is not an issue for this purchase, but I will keep it mind for the future.  I was at Tiger Direct this morning and they are selling the tablet for $139.99 plus shipping for a total of $148.48.  That’s a bit higher than what I paid, however Tiger Direct offers insurance.  Their extended service plans start at $21.99, but only start after the manufacturer’s warranty ends.  So I would’ve still had to go to Nokia.  They also offer a 2 year Accidental Damage coverage that starts from day one.  It’s expensive at $42.99, which is roughly one third of the tablet’s price, only slightly higher than the $37.99 two year replacement option.  But when I really think about it, will the N770 be around in two years?  For that matter will it be around by the end of this year?  So what would I be buying other than a chance to get two-thirds of my money back? Most devices I buy, I only expect to use for about a year, and maybe less if I get bored with it.  If it lasts until then I am satisfied if only for the excuse it gives me to buy something else.  This whole thing has made me cling tighter to my dedicated e-book devices.  My original Rocket e-book is still going strong after seven years.  I have taken with me during Army field exercises to include a month in the Mojave Desert (in a zip lock baggie) and the cold and snow of Alaska.  Imagine if I had an extended warranty on that, not that it was offered, but it would have been a total a waste of money. I may not be able to buy best sellers for it anymore, and when it finally does pass on to a better place, it will take my purchased books with it.  But I have enjoyed it through the years and it has never let me down.  I am not saying that dedicated devices are made better.  What I am saying is that I only depend on it for one thing—reading.  If any of my e-book readers die, I will not lose game playing, video, music, email, and web browsing.  The Nokia tablet was a multi-function device and it’s sad to see my husband going through Internet Tablet withdrawal.   So the moral of my story is that second guessing does no good.  When we get a new tech toy, we should enjoy it, use it for all its worth, and not worry about whether it was a good deal or not.

I think that when we talk about e-books in our daily conversations, we need to simplify the definition.  I define e-books simply as digital text.  It can be a book, but it can also be an article, an email, RSS feed, even a web page. When I approach someone about e-book technology their immediately reaction is that they could never read off a PC screen.  But they do.  Every morning they download their email and sit in front of their PC and read.  I know no one that prints out all their emails then take them to read later during a break.  I can’t think of anyone that has not read a pdf file on a computer.  These same people sit for hours and read blogs, RSS feeds, and keep up with their friends on places like My Space, then complain that reading an e-book would be too much eye and neck strain.  Unbelievable, since I have already heard them complain that being on the computer makes their eyes, back, and neck hurt.  Another statement is that they need to feel and smell the paper when reading.  I can understand that, but I have never heard a soldier complain that his wife’s email didn’t smell like perfume.  He may not have been able to hold the paper, but he could enjoy her video message.   Another complaint I hear is that the PC already isolates users from others since they must sit in one place.  This is when I tell them that they are already reading digital text, why not move it to a portable screen and take it with them and leave the eye, back, and neck pain behind.  Their answer is usually that nothing like that exists, but if it did, they’d be first in line to buy it.  That’s when I hand them my e-book.  I love it when I see the lights come on.  See they were e-booker’s all along and just didn’t know it.

Hello and welcome to my blog.  My intent here is to increase e-book awareness and use.  I am constantly approached by people who see me using an e-book and ask, “What is that? Is it a game?”  When I explain that I am reading a novel and have at least a hundred stored on my device, they are shocked and for the most part very interested. In every conversation they are stunned when I tell them that e-books aren’t new, but have been around for quite some time.  That’s usually followed by, “How come I’ve never heard of them?”  I ask that too.  Why don’t we see ads on TV or in other media?  Is that one the reasons that e-books continue to be a niche product?  Of course!  How can anyone use something, like something, or even hate something that they have never heard of?  Hopefully this blog will not only introduce more people to e-book technology, but also make using various e-book devices a bit easier and enjoyable.