(Part I and Part II of my initiation into the world of eReading were posted in January, 2010)
So a month with the Nook and here I am - sold on the concept, but with a few caveats and a cautious patience in this rare instance of my turning out as an “early adopter”. I’ll say it loud and proud from the first, I love my Nook. And I stand by my assessment of its general (if subtle) superiority to Amazon’s Kindle.
I’ll move straight to the negatives just to get them out of the way so that I’m able to end on a high note (which I could - and seriously should - only attempt in attitude and in writing; never in singing.)
First, there was the bookmark issue. The Nook didn’t hold your place, and in an eight-hundred-and-some page eBook, this was not a clever thing. It was such a fundamental flaw that I could only imagine that the function had worked properly at some point and then a software tweak trailed a wake of disaster through the parts that had already been tested. I know a couple of IT developers; these things happen. On February 9th, B&N released a software update, sideloadable or drifting into your Nook’s ear on the 3G network, that not only seems to have solved the bookmark issue, but it livened up the already decently responsive touchpad, as well.
The battery life is reasonable, although to hear some, it’s an outrage. I’ve only had mine a few weeks and find, now that my Nook’s been charged and depleted a few times, that I can reliably expect eight or so days of reading to a full tank. If this is a problem, I would remind the disgruntled and the inconvenienced that they probably sleep at least once every two weeks and could probably simply charge it then.
The bigger trouble surfaced just this morning. The case cracked at one of the page-turn buttons. This is especially troublesome considering how careful I’ve been with my new prized toy. (The fact that you will never be able to hurl an eBook in a fit of literary letdown like you can a paper-and-binding volume is just a something that will have to be accepted - like death and taxes.) A quick scan of B&N’s message boards revealed that this was a known issue. So I called Customer Service and after a dismally long (though fully warned) wait, I was treated excellently by a young man named Mike who, without quibbling, set me up for a replacement that is due to ship out on Monday.
I asked Mike about the likelihood of it happening again, speculating that my new Nook might very well be made from the same batch of plastic as my old Nook. He was honest, if resigned, and admitted that it could happen again, but that they’re changing materials. So with my warranty, I’ll eventually have a Nook that can stand up to my oh-so-gentle buffing and polishing and cooing at it. (Yes, I love it that much.)
Beyond that, the convenience of the Nook, its shape and heft, the pleasant font settings in the eye-easy eInk, the fact that it stays open to the page when I’m on the elliptical trainer, have all made me a believer. It’s a sleek gadget and I’m not usually all that swayed by sleekness or gadgetiness. I love the instant gratification of purchasing a book as soon as I’m reminded that I want it. I can put hundreds of books (they say fifteen of those hundreds) in my purse and be off.
And I am not immune to the sidelong glances of curiosity and (dare I say it?) envy of those stuck in line at the Post Office with a heavy hardbound - or worse, nothing at all - to read.
There is another thing, though, that has spurred me to a pause of the not-so-gleeful variety. It’s is not a Nook-specific issue, but a point of industry knowledge that I didn’t understand. I had blithely bought into the idea that eBooks, because of their lack of paper, binding, glue, cartons, storage space, shipping costs, and whatnot, were substantially cheaper to produce than their traditional counterparts. I’ve been convinced, by people who know more than I do, that this simply isn’t the case. The estimates are that an eBook may be, at best, $2 to $3 cheaper than its hardback fraternal twin. So, if I just paid $9.99 for Stephen King’s, Under The Dome, instead of its $35 cover price, am I doing harm to the very industry I hope to sustain and have sustain me?
Ultimately, I have high hopes that eReaders and eBooks can be a shot in the arm to modern publishing. So far, I’ve found it a terrific way to buy and read what I want, when I want - all in a slick little Nook that makes me feel “with it”. (No small feat. I’m sadly most often far afield of “it”.) But I do have to examine my reaction to a $25 sticker price on an item that will provide eight to ten hours of insight and entertainment, when I barely grumble anymore at a $10 movie ticket. Priorities, Jamie Mason. Priorities. What the hell is wrong with me?
“A good book is the precious life-blood of a master spirit, embalmed and treasured up on purpose to a life beyond life.”
“An autobiography is an obituary in serial form with the last installment missing.”
“Read the best books first, or you may not have a chance to read them at all.”
“This (writing) is the love of your life. It’s what I want to do when I wake up. Nothing feels so absorbing, so fulfilling.”
“I have rewritten- often several times- every word I have ever written. My pencils outlast their erasers.”
AuthorScoop
