My daughter got a NOOK eBook for her birthday, but my wife forbids her from taking it to school in her backpack (too easy to break the glass screen, too easy to steal, too easy to break inside the backpack, etc)
Consequently my daughter does most of her reading the traditional way using a book made of printed paper.
So I picked it up and started playing with it. Probably should have gone over the instructions first but I finally figured it out and downloaded a sample (first 26 pages) of the book I SNIPER and gave the NOOK a try. I kind of like it. So I today I purchased an electronic copy of I SNIPER and have been reading it.
The screen is very easy on the eyes, it simulates paper and requires a light source to work because the screen is NOT backlit like a traditional computer screen. This makes it very easy to view the words on the page outside in the sunlight and also means that the brighter the room you are reading the eBOOK in the more contrast the page has for viewing. When you change pages the screen flashes black and then a new page appears. That is sort of odd. The NOOK is not alone in this, the KINDLE and other brands of eBOOKS using this type of screen also work the same way. The screen is non-reflective, which also helps make it easy to read the text. FWIW, you can change the type font and the text size to suit your eyes.
The NOOK, like the KINDLE, does not require you to hook up to a computer to download a new book. It connects to a cellular phone network and simply downloads the book. The cost of the connection is "free" to the user because it is built into the price of the downloaded book.
I'm interested in the new Apple iPad but I am not sure it will make a good eBOOK, despite the fact that it has the functionality to mimic the eBOOKs. The iPad appears to have a glossy screen which could be very distracting, it also uses a standard TFT type computer screen which would offer LESS contrast in sunlight and probably become nearly impossible to read in bright sunlight. Still it offers far greater functionality than any eBook reader on the market and the base price for an entry level unit is about $150 more than the other brands of eBook readers.
Consequently my daughter does most of her reading the traditional way using a book made of printed paper.
So I picked it up and started playing with it. Probably should have gone over the instructions first but I finally figured it out and downloaded a sample (first 26 pages) of the book I SNIPER and gave the NOOK a try. I kind of like it. So I today I purchased an electronic copy of I SNIPER and have been reading it.
The screen is very easy on the eyes, it simulates paper and requires a light source to work because the screen is NOT backlit like a traditional computer screen. This makes it very easy to view the words on the page outside in the sunlight and also means that the brighter the room you are reading the eBOOK in the more contrast the page has for viewing. When you change pages the screen flashes black and then a new page appears. That is sort of odd. The NOOK is not alone in this, the KINDLE and other brands of eBOOKS using this type of screen also work the same way. The screen is non-reflective, which also helps make it easy to read the text. FWIW, you can change the type font and the text size to suit your eyes.
The NOOK, like the KINDLE, does not require you to hook up to a computer to download a new book. It connects to a cellular phone network and simply downloads the book. The cost of the connection is "free" to the user because it is built into the price of the downloaded book.
I'm interested in the new Apple iPad but I am not sure it will make a good eBOOK, despite the fact that it has the functionality to mimic the eBOOKs. The iPad appears to have a glossy screen which could be very distracting, it also uses a standard TFT type computer screen which would offer LESS contrast in sunlight and probably become nearly impossible to read in bright sunlight. Still it offers far greater functionality than any eBook reader on the market and the base price for an entry level unit is about $150 more than the other brands of eBook readers.
