The slick part about bookmarks in the eReader is... they're not needed. (No need to hold onto that softened Wendy's receipt anymore.) Returning to each novel will return you to where it was last open. So much for bookmarks!
(As an aside: bookstores sell bookmarks. I've always loved that retail ploy. How would you like to buy a fancy scrap of paper?)
These are the little things that require some adjustment. The overall feel, for example, is smooth, but almost too smooth. After putting it down, there's this feeling like some kind of residue remains on the hands. It's not really a bad thing, and it's probably harmless, but at first thought it's, "Gah, what is this substance?"
The option of orientation (portrait or landscape) throws another screwball into the experience. Portrait view puts the entire page in sight, while landscape, although it makes the text bigger, only spits out a partial page. It's slightly over 50 percent, and the two parts overlap. So when one moves to the other "half," it doesn't scroll. My eyes, therefore, take a handful of seconds to find where I left off, since I may have already consumed the first two lines. Portrait is certainly the way to go.
All these little differences make for a different reading experience, and yet ... when reading, it doesn't feel digital, except when turning the page and getting . The text display is quite natural and not all that difficult on the eyes.
The $299 retail price, after reading through half of a book, causes wonder. Is it really worth this price? Even though over time, one can put an entire library of literature in one's pocket ... is this something people wish they could do?
I could definitely see the worth in having many books if they were encyclopedic or technical: the searching and browsing would make it a tremendous reference tool. But books of fiction ... maybe not so much.
My girlfriend made a great point about this: what will become of bookcases and book collections? Don't the pretentious and only-slightly-egocentric bibliophiles take pride in a luxurious, prestigious set of neatly-ordered books? Maybe one can just put the Sony Reader Touch Edition box on the shelf instead.
Article comments
1 - Mark Saleski
it will be interesting to see when/if devices like this truly take over. i doubt it'll happen in my lifetime but we'll see. (it won't happen in my house, but that's a completely different story)