I’ve debated getting an e-reader for a while now. I really enjoy the physical aspect of books, as nerdy as that may be. Books are warm, they have that “book smell,” and they are just… charming. I spend a great deal of my time staring at a backlit screen, and books are a refreshing change from that.

However, I like to read several books at a time, which can prove difficult to carry. And while I love love LOVE the idea of a large library room, with walls lined in books, I can’t help but feel guilty for the trees I am using, especially on books that I may only read once and never pick up again (it’s been known to happen… not often, but it has!).

Plus, let’s be honest here: I am not a patient person. And the idea of coming across a book I am interested in, or have been recommended, and being able to instantly buy and download it makes me excited in ways.

So, a few days ago, I went looking at a few e-readers and came across the Kobo eReader. It is a Canadian-based company, which is important, as other e-readers, such as the Kindle, aren’t readily available in Canada and come with many restrictions (starting with extortionate shipping and importing fees).

As of right now, I absolutely adore it. While I usually go for electronics that have all the bells and whistles, the Kobo is extremely basic: the controls can be handled with one hand, there’s no touch screen, no Internet browser (which I don’t need anyway, thanks to my iPhone), etc. It is easy on the eyes, I’ve read for hours with no strain, it blocks less light than most books because it’s so much smaller.

My brother’s girlfriend played with my e-reader for a bit, and then promptly went out to buy a pink Sony e-reader. It does come with all the bells and was quite nice, but felt a bit thin and fragile (and I have especially small hands), a bit cold (it’s made out of some sort of metal, whereas the Kobo is plastic with a warm, quilted rubbery back), and the screen is the same size, but with less of a frame, which is less to hold on to. While the Kobo fits comfortably in my hand without interfering with the screen or controls, my hand on the Sony reader occasionally slipped onto the touch screen, resulting in being thrown to other pages. And like I said, I have small, girly hands. I can only imagine the issues someone with man hands would have with it!

Buying books for the Kobo is quite easy, as Indigo/Chapters gift cards can now be used on their site, although you do need a back-up credit card on file, but a pre-paid one works fine, as long as it has been registered with the provider (Visa/Mastercard). And it comes pre-loaded with 100 public domain classics, all of your favourites from Jane Austen, Charles Dickens, and yes, The Communist Manifesto! At the very least, if you finish a book and don’t have access to WiFi to buy a new one, you can always brush up on some Tolstoy.

To be honest, I’m not sure this will stop me from buying physical, concrete books forever. I’m probably more likely to read a book on it initially, and buy the physical copy if I really love it. Thus, still building the library I’ve always dreamed of, but only with high-quality books that I truly love.

I’m interested in hearing if any of you people out there in bloggyland have e-readers, and what you think of them. And even if you don’t, do you like the idea of them, or do you prefer warmer, delicious smelling books with pages?

Tuesday December 28th 2010 — 12 Comments
✯ Posted under { Review • Technology }