eReaders

After I was initiated into the use of  the internet, I spent money on used books like a drunken sailor... from every place....


I am an avid reader and have spent many $ on books, have 2 huge bookcases full, have donated numerous books to different places (including a bunch I took to a used book store to use for credit... the book store closed and I never got my credit, so I have to include that as a donation)... have several boxes  stored....


About 3 years ago, I decided to be more frugal, after tallying up $ I spent on books over a years time, and obtained a library card for our County Libraries. This worked out really well for me because they had a home service that I could use... I would check the books out online and they would be delivered via the USPS to my mailbox...


I utilized this service for about a  year, until I started seeing all the hype about bedbugs being on the increase... didn't want to have any part of that... and thought that library books might be a very likely transmitter of bedbug (eggs)....


I also noticed that the cost of the postage on one batch of books was $6.00, (don't know if that included the return as well) which went against my grain of course, having the government spend more to send it to me than it would cost for me to buy it on the internet......


So... I started researching eBook readers.


I inquired at the local County Library and our library was in the process of upgrading their system to handle eBooks, but were not yet ready... so I researched the availability of free eBooks... found that the Philadelphia Library has a service... and obtained a library card from them... www.freelibrary.org


At this time eBook readers were just getting off the ground... most of them were proprietary, in that if you buy their product, you can only download THEIR eBooks and they were fairly expensive...


The only reader I found that was reasonable,  nonproprietary, and was equipped to download ePub (free) eBooks was the Nook by Barnes and Noble for about  $150.00....so I purchased one...


I have been very pleased with it... after learning how to download, etc..


It doesn't have many bells and whistles and honestly, I haven't even tried to use it for anything other than for reading my books... and it is perfect for that..


I will eventually get an iPad, however they are not up to the speed I expect them to attain... so maybe the next version that comes out, I'll buy one... or not...


Happy reading!