Thank you for answering so many questions I had about ebooks. I appreciate your reflections on their limitations as well as their appeal. It is no longer overwhelming! I am feeling content with my decision to stick with the tactile experience of the book in hand. I agree with Michael about airports. I have made decisions to buy books after seeing them in the hands of other travelers. Seeing the book you are wondering about helps reinforce the urge to actually buy it.

Oh, I’m so glad this was helpful! As Michael and I were recording, I felt
that we may have been making it even more confusing. And of course, as soon
as the recorder turned off, I remembered a few things that I wanted to
mention but had left out.

I also love seeing what strangers are reading in public. I remember when
iPods first came out, someone came out with a messenger bag strap that would
show the song that was playing on the wearer’s iPod. I don’t think it ever
sold, but maybe someone will come up with an ebook cover that does that same
thing.

Ann
Books on the Nightstand: illuminating conversation about books and reading
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

Thanks for the great e-reader info Ann! I’m still on the fence about purchasing an e-reader (I use the kindle app on my phone whenever I need it) but I’m definitely leaning toward a model that lets me borrow from the library – that is a necessity for me.

I also shared the link to this episode on Facebook. I think it will help a lot of people with their holiday purchases!

Thanks, Heather!
I did neglect to say that what is true for the iPad (accessing multiple
retailers through apps) also holds true for iPhones, iPod Touches and (I
believe) most Android smartphones. I should have clarified — it’s a good
way for people to try out e-reading if they already have a device.

Ann
Books on the Nightstand: illuminating conversation about books and reading
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

This was very helpful, Ann and Michael. I have a family member who is considering one of these because of poor eyesight. This will help them make a decision. I already told them, whatever you, don’t buy a @#$% Kindle.

This was very helpful, Ann and Michael. I have a family member who is considering one of these because of poor eyesight. This will help them make a decision. I already told them, whatever you, don’t buy a @#$% Kindle.

Thanks for the podcast about ereaders. It’s always fun to hear the opinions of other readers. I bought a Kindle in April of this year and I’ve definitely read a lot more books since then. I like that Amazon has a 30-day return window which makes the Kindle a no-risk purchase. Of course as you pointed out you’re limited to books from Amazon (unless you buy from a small press e-publisher that offers DRM-free books). Last week I bought a Sony Pocket Reader (the old edition, PRS-300, not the touchscreen one) and am enjoying using that even though it’s not as slick as the Kindle 3. Being able to browse the web and buy books on the Kindle causes distractions from the device’s main purpose–reading. For that reason, the Sony provides a more relaxing reading experience. I’m also glad to be able to read library books on the Sony, though the process of loading books onto the reader is a lot more involved than one with wireless capabilities like the Kindle.

Hannah, thanks for your insights. Funny, I never thought about a wireless
reader being a distraction, but I can see where it would be.

Ann
Books on the Nightstand: illuminating conversation about books and reading
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

Hannah, thanks for your insights. Funny, I never thought about a wireless
reader being a distraction, but I can see where it would be.

Ann
Books on the Nightstand: illuminating conversation about books and reading
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

Hannah, thanks for your insights. Funny, I never thought about a wireless
reader being a distraction, but I can see where it would be.

Ann
Books on the Nightstand: illuminating conversation about books and reading
http://www.booksonthenightstand.com

About returning the Nook: absolutely you can. If you ask for a gift receipt the 30-day return window is extended to 60 days for some reason.

Thanks, Diane!

Thank you, Ann and Michael. Perhaps the comment you don’t want to hear, but you have unequivocally cemented my decision to never buy an e-reader. I could see it the incentive if I was constantly traveling, but I am one of those people who want to hold a book, see the paper, smell the pages. I can’t imagine my life without them. I hope to never see them overtake the book publishing industry; if they do, they will have to tear my books out of my cold, dead hands!

Chris, I am absolutely fine with that! E-reading is not for everybody. The
most ideal world would allow readers to access the content that they want in
whatever format they choose. I have no idea how it will shake out in the
end, but we need readers to support their bookstores and libraries to keep
those choices available. We need schools and libraries to value the physical
format despite its inconveniences. We need bookstores to support their
customers who want to read electronically, so that those customers will
still come to the bookstore when they want to buy a physical book or meet an
author. We need people to talk about books. Hell, we need people to value
books and stories, period.

Off my soapbox. Thanks

This is a very comprehensive gathering of the EReaders out there. Everyone has to make his or her own determination on how an eReader fits into reading styles. I’ve owned a Sony reader since it first appeared, then a Kindle DX and now an Ipad. The one I like the best is the Ipad especially because I can read, through “an app for that”, my Kindle books. I still occasionally use my both my Kindle and Sony. I also buy real books too.

What’s important to me is the reading experience, not necessarily the format. Whatever gets the book to me is what I like. However, what I do miss is the cover art, all of the work that a publisher puts into the color, the design and even the feel of the cover. All of that can not yet be conveyed through an eReader.

I agree about the cover art and design. I have the same problem with music. I’ve been listening to music digitally for many years, and suddenly realized that I had lost all connection with it — it was not the rich experience that I remembered. And it had to do with the cover art and the packaging. I’ve now gone back to buying vinyl albums — I still often listen to the music digitally, especially in the car, but handling the album cover and looking at the design, the included lyrics, etc., have really made it a richer experience. I suspect I will feel the same way about a book.

I like to see what others are reading too, but sometimes e-readers are good *because* nobody else can see what you are reading. I have a friend who was very happy to finally be able to read some of her racier fare on the bus, during her lunch break, at the gym, etc., and not have to deal with raised eyebrows and judgmental looks from passersby and co-workers.

Hey Ann and Michael!

Thanks for all the hardwork and research into e-readers. Like other commenters, I too have decided to postpone buying one. Not only am I totally in my comfort zone when handling a book, but I’m building a library – a physical one – in my living room. Once I visited a Christian lay community that had bookshelves lining every wall of their dining room. If only I had the room to do that in my house! Perfection.

Despite my decision to not buy an e-reader, I’m very happy to hear that the Kobo is available and for sale in the US. It is *the* e-reading device at Chapters in Canada, and Chapters is our only major book retailer which makes the Kobo the only major player up here. However, so many frustrating times, what is available in Canada is useless in the States or what is everywhere in the States is unavailable in Canada. Knowing that the Kobo lives and breathes in both countries gives me hope for its future and long life. Cheers! lol

Still waiting however… I want a Google Android tablet where I can have all the e-book reading apps. Something that will function as an e-reader, a personal organizer and all-around lifesaver, the next step and about double the size beyond my iPod touch.

Hi Ann and Michael – now that classes and work travel is done for the year, I finally got to catch up on 4 BOTN episodes and I just listened to this one today on the way home

Hi Ann and Michael – now that class and work travel is done for the year I finally got to catch up on 4 episodes of BOTN and I listened to this episode today on my walk home from work. You mentioned on the show that it’s sort of expensive right now to try out the whole e-reading/er experience. I just wanted to share that though I have yet to purchase a tablet device, iPad or Android (can’t wait!) or a reader, I sort of eased my way in to it, testing the waters, via my laptop. I realize it’s not the same as holding a small device in your hands, but I often have my MacBook with me in this skinny little beautiful bag that has no room to fit all the book(s) I want to read when I’m flying back and forth so I decided to try reading ebooks.

I started with library ebook downloads, moved on to ebook download sites, and very recently starting using the Kindle software for PC, MacBook and mobile phones (all these platforms are used at our house) that I like for letting me read as well as purchase books.

While I don’t prefer the ebook reading experience to the actual physical one, I find it very convenient. There were a few things that made my reading experience on the computer better: good software with friendly user interface – turning the page with a click of the arrow key instead of mousing up to a point on the screen to do so, and a big one for me was two page layout vs single scrolling long page. I use a program called Stanza that reads almost any ebook format: PDF, epub, lib, and whatever else. Sometimes the formatting goes all wonky, but usually the files look fine, and it lets me enlarge/shrink the font and automatically bookmarks where I left off.

Anyway, because of this experience on the laptop, I think I will be well prepared by the time we finally get a tablet. I also really liked your point that it’s the ebook reading honeymoon phase and a bit too early to really tell its sticking power. Thanks again for a great and interesting show!