Are You Ready to Take the E-Book Plunge?

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I would go for the ebook idea if I could underline, circle, highlight, checkmark, star, hashmark, bracket, asterisk, make notes, add letters and numbers to the margins, doodle, and export all the above into my computer for later use, including the marked portions of the text. Are college text books available in this format yet? I bet that ebooks will someday do all this, and I'll be interested when they can.

Susan M Khaury of CA 6:28AM August 29, 2010

Does the carring case that has a light attached help the problem with the lack of a back light? Can anyone answer this question for me?

Mimi Bonetti of PA 7:44PM December 08, 2009

I love to underline, draw illustrations and be easily able to return to reread...doing that electronically is much more difficult. Don't know if I'

of 7:00PM December 07, 2009

I love to underline, draw illustrations and be easily able to return to reread...doing that electronically is much more difficult. Don't know if I'll ever enjoy electronic books, except for the lighter load aspect!

L. North of WA 7:00PM December 07, 2009

I travel frequently, my Kindle makes it possibe to carry 10-15 books without the volume of the paperback or hardback books. I am slowly downsizing my library also. Whatever the future versions are, I will be participating.

Claire Haire of NE 12:59PM November 06, 2009

I often read my Kindle in bed in a dark room using a clip-on light attached to the cover--works great. Try that with a paperback book. Reading magazines, newspapers or books at my computer never worked for me, but the Kindle works great. I even look forward to going shopping with my wife and my Kindle. All my current reading interests are available while I wait(books, magazines, newspapers) all in one easy to carry device. I can even check and answer e-mail! I love the built in dictionary and highlight/bookmark features. Try changing the font size or have your paperback read to you.
On the down side: (1)Cost-- $250 (2) does not work well for highly color illustrated material (3) you can not share your books.

Jim of MI 10:01AM November 04, 2009

I think it's so nice to be with you a lot of kinds of books in the same time, but the broblem it's costly, that's the problem I think

Faraj Elkhodorie of AL 2:08AM November 04, 2009

I have a Sony e-book with a (optional) reading light built into the cover, so I can read in the dark and without the eye strain I get from a computer screen. Just bought Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol for <$10, Little Women for $0.99 and got a bunch of free classics (e.g. The Brothers Karamazov). But the best part is the size. We're down-sizing and I am struggling with what to do with the shelves of books we have accumulated. My e-book now holds 30 books and is the same size it was on the day I bought it.

Dave Marcil of NY 7:33PM November 03, 2009

First, the new Sony reader also has wireless downloading but only from the Sony store. The Kindle provides internet access and the ability to get free books on your Kindle from several sources. Barnes & Noble's Nook also only lets you download books from Barnes & Noble.
If the e-reader genres biggest weakness is the inability to read it in a dark room how is a real book better--can't read it in the dark either. Actually, the absence of backlighting was a major selling point for me--unlike a notebook computer or cell phone you can read an e-reader outside in direct sunlight just like a real book.

Steve Gold of HI 3:56AM November 03, 2009

An e-book costs more than a paperback, considering that the process saves paper, extra printing processs, ink and so on it is too expensive and approaching thieving. All books are first digitally recorded therefore they are available electronically. Subsequently they can converted into different format ... again this is done digitally. then they are available for downloading. Why should I pay more than than a paperback? In this case i rather buy a paper back as reading then on a computer screen or e-reader is not good for the eyes....i know... I have been using comp screen for the past 33 years.

anton 10:16AM October 28, 2009