In recent times, eBook readers have become one of the must have gadgets. Take the Amazon Kindle, for example. It has was out of stock for months with thousands of customers waiting for more to become available! Fortunately, Amazon released the Kindle 2 in February to meet the growing list of customers.
Despite the popularity of these devices, this does not mean they are for everyone. While there are some very fascinating, space saving and just plain fashionable reasons to own one, here are some of the things you need to consider before buying.
Asses Your Real Needs
This is the first thing that you need to consider. Don’t just rush out and buy a portable eBook reader on a whim, because you heard one good recommendation. Many of the benefits that other people praise may not be right for you. Why do you want an eBook reader? If you only want to read documents, then this may be ok for you, but if you intend making edits and document changes, then you may be disappointed (read on to find out why).
The Price Question
Of course, one of the major considerations with any electronic purchase is the price tag. Due to the new technology and the small market, the portable eBook readers available right now still hold quite a high price tag. The Amazon Kindle 2, while priced very well for what you get, is still $359. There are cheaper devices, and you can buy used Kindles, but you’ll still pay a couple hundred dollars.
Also remember that as you reduce the price, you also remove some of the best features of the eBook reader (unless you buy a used higher-end ebook reader). This is something that needs to be weighed against your needs.
Making Notes
This is a big question for any author, journalist or writer. As I alluded to earlier, many people like to comment on the electronic books that they read (which can be done with PC’s), however some portable eBook readers are unable to do this. Others, that allow for edits and comments are quite cumbersome, and don’t allow the user to make annotations or even bookmarks.
If you need to underline and make highlights to certain areas of text, then you need to ensure that the features are available to you. Not only that, but check the user guidelines first so that you can work on the book with ease, rather that struggling through the procedure.
This problem was one of the most unexpected, but most common complaints from people who have used an eBook reader.
Do You Like Holding a Book?
This may be a strange question, but the fact is that many bookworms love the experience of holding a physical book and turning the pages. You may not even realize this until the book is replaced with plastic and a screen. While you can store hundreds of books on an eBook reader, the experience may leave you feeling a little empty. Maybe, maybe not?
While there are some huge benefits to owning and using an eBook reader, you should keep the points above in mind before spending your money. This will ensure you get exactly what you want.
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Nice article. good points to consider