New eReader Acquired!
Whenever I run errands, such as having my car serviced or getting a haircut, I usually bring a book with me for the wait. I already had a desktop, laptop, netbook, and smartphone, which are used daily. I figured that I can use my netbook or smartphone to read ebooks. The need for an ereader was not apparent.
A presenter of an education series presentation at my company exposed me to observed computing trends. In a world of smartphones and tablets, ereaders can fulfill a need between those device classes or be considered complementary to tablets. Tablets and ereaders have similar form factors, and using one as the other is tempting, but each should be used for their specific functions. Tablets are good for light computing, such as browsing the Internet or checking email. Ereaders are excellent for lengthy reading sessions.
I was presented an opportunity to purchase an ereader on my most recent of countless trips to Barnes & Noble. The NOOK Simple Touch and NOOK Color were on sale for Mother’s Day. The NOOK Simple Touch, at 20% off, was the only device that I considered. With the store closing and sale ending, knowing that I could return it within 14 days, I extended the time for adopting the device by making the purchase.
Compatibility with my Dell Mini9, running Ubuntu 12,04, was the first thing I checked as I charged the NOOK. After I registered my NOOK, I was able to load The PostScript® Language Tutorial and Cookbook in PDF from Adobe.com. The NOOK behaved like a USB drive when it was connected to my netbook, and I was able to copy the PDF onto the ereader with ease.
The NOOK is expected not to require being charged for two months when reading daily for 30 minutes. This is certainly better than charging a netbook or tablet daily when using it as an ereader. The NOOK is light. It is compact. It feels sturdy. The NOOK is a keeper.