Re: e-readers

On 16/03/2012 17:41, Jane Lindamood wrote:
> So...I got a kindle a short while ago.
>
> I love the portability!! It easily fits in my purse or computer case
> and a giant "book" doesn't add weight or bulk.
>
> However, I am already seeing that it is likely to remain limited to
> recreational reading. Once I got over the taboo of [gasp!!] writing in
> a book (!!!) I became an unstoppable margin noter. While you can
> technically write notes with the kindle, you can't actually *see* them
> as part of the text. You have to click over to a separate 'notes'
> page/chapter. Bleah. Perhaps because I am "older" and not a big
> texter, I'm also not thrilled with having to essentially thumb-spell
> said notes (using itty-bitty buttons).

That is a taboo that I have never got over. If I want to make notes on
a book I write it on a separate piece of paper, or a "sticky note".

>
> I find my visual memory for where to find something is taken
> completely out of the picture. I can't do the "it's in the first
> third of the book on the lower half of a right hand page..." when I'm
> looking for a line or a quote of some sort.
>
> I find I also miss page numbers...and am now wondering how you would
> cite a quote if you read the text on an ebook without page numbers...
>
> Last but not least, what's up with books coming "pre-highlighted"? I
> suppose I could be coaxed into being interested into what other people
> think is important but 1. I want to read it virgin first, 2. I want to
> have the choice and last but not least, I want to choose those people
> rather than have it be any random schmo who also bought the book -
> especially if it's non-fiction.
>
> So...yeah, academic reading or even recreational non-fiction not
> really working for me in that format. Which is too bad, because some
> of those academic books are tomes that I would love to have in a
> format that didn't weigh 7 lbs or more.
>
> Anyone else? Or anyone with solutions to my issues?
>

I love my Kindle, but the one thing that annoys me is that I can't
quickly flick back/forward to check something, or look at an
illustration - some books are crying out for maps.

--
Jette Goldie
jette.goldie@gmail.com