Travel
This past weekend found myself and Mr. Moore making an unexpected and last-minute trip down to Texas.
We spent about 24 hours (spread out over two days) on air travel, including multiple remarkably long layovers.
During that time, I came to the conclusion that if I traveled regularly (even twice a year) I would own an eReader. No questions, hesitations, or qualms.
Entertainment
We took several things to armor ourselves against the expected time delays – things which took up a great deal of room in our carry-on baggage.
Some items got used not at all (airports are, surprisingly, terrible places to try and plot stories or do networking homework).
Additionally, I brought along a single book (Patricia C. Wrede is rapidly becoming a favorite author), my laptop, and Bones (my iTouch).
Laptop
The laptop was only used at our destination. Even then, all we used her for was to check email, listen to music, and watch a few youtube videos (Dara Ó Briain, you absolutely crack me up. <3).
It was awfully heavy for such a tiny use, and I was constantly afraid it would break or be stolen. (Athena is my only computer, and she has all my writing. I DO have frequent backups to an external hard drive, but STILL).
The Book
The single paperback book didn’t take up TOO much space, but I still managed to squish and fold some of the pages, lose my place, and shove it in five or six different places trying to find a good home for it.
Also, I finished it just after our first flight, which meant I was carrying around a finished book all weekend. Oddly enough, it seemed to take up MORE space after I read it. *winks*
Bones
Bones was the highlight of the weekend.
Not only did we use him to listen to music (poor Athena, she’s just too bulky for easy music sharing), but we also played apps on him (Scramble supplied LOADS of entertainment for everyone in arm’s reach) and I had multiple eBooks* ready to read from three different eReader apps (Stanza, iBooks, and Kindle).
Furthermore, I pasted our itinerary on him and used him for note-keeping throughout the weekend.
Best of all, he took up far less space than any other entertainment item we brought.
eReaders
Looking around me, I saw many, MANY passengers with Kindles and other eReaders.
There’s no denying that the traveling masses have begun to embrace eReaders for their portability and convenience.
And I have to admit, if I traveled more often, I wouldn’t hesitate to snag one. Based on my experience on this trip, it would likely be an iPad. I could still use the other apps that proved to be so entertaining and useful this weekend, but on a larger screen. It would be easier to read eBooks, and easier for my friends to join in the app games with me.
I would have replaced most (if not all) of my other entertainment options with a single product.
That’s pretty sweet.
Why Not Now
If I’m so enamored of the eReader, why do I still not have one?
1) Cost of eReaders
eReaders are much more affordable than they used to be, but they’re still expensive and my current lifestyle doesn’t NEED one. I drive to work, don’t travel often, and spend most of my time at home, where I have my laptop. I have to balance cost with need. Even in my geeky inner heart, I know I don’t need one yet. (And my geeky heart has its sights set on the iPad, which is the most expensive of the eReader options)
2) Cost of Books
eBooks CAN be much cheaper than paper books … but the prices are still pretty steep for a girl who refers to Barnes and Noble as Full-Priced Bookstore. I DO like that most places let me preview a few chapters before I buy – that alone relieves a great deal of concern I have for wasting money on books I might not like.
3) DRM
One of my favorite benefits of paper books is my ability to share them with friends. The Nook has some capabilities built in, but I’d like to see both GIVING and SHARING of eBooks become a common feature. And yes, my expectation is that if I share a book with a friend, I don’t have a copy to read any more. I purchased one copy and if I loan it, I no longer have a copy. But maybe it has a “Property of Tami Moore” on it, along with a settable loan time which would remind the borrower to return the book. That would be awesome … and is totally unrealistic in an age where publishers are so terrified of people stealing eBooks that we have trouble moving our eBooks from device to computer.
I’m not going to go into a long, drawn-out speech on DRM. Many others have, and with more eloquency than I can muster. I point only to iTunes and beg for sanity.
4) Format Wars
Currently, I am afraid that if I buy a book on the Kindle and then later choose to purchase an iPad, I will LOSE all of my eBooks. I feel absolutely zero certainty that my purchase will be transferrable, that it will be readable by other eReaders, and that it won’t be lost forever if my eReader goes kaput.
If I spend $10 on an eBook, I want to KNOW that it is the only time I will be required to spend money to buy that eBook. If I want another copy or another version, that’s different.
Your Opinions
Do any of you have eReaders? What are your thoughts on them? Have things changed for you in the past year or so?
* For the curious, the eBooks I read were His Majesty’s Dragon, by Naomi Novik (Fun read and a superbly well-realized idea for battling a-dragon-back. Fans of historical fiction and battle will find this interesting, indeed.) and Call of the Wild (which is an old, old favorite and STILL makes me cry *sniffle*)
