Well, I’m finally giving in and taking the plunge: I’m going to buy an eBook reader — specifically the Sony Reader Touch Edition™. I haven’t made up my mind yet whether I’ll go for the red (pictured here) or opt for either black or silver. Not that it matters anyway; the color is irrelevant to me.
I’m sure people will say, “No, buy a Kindle.” Or else they’ll scream, “iPad, you want an iPad!” And my answer to both is the same: No thanks. I’ve already given my objections to both in past postings on this blog: Amazon’s proprietary nature and Apple’s protectionism. And with iPad, there’s also the issue of cost; I’m not about to fork over $500 (and up) when all I want is a device for reading books. Plus there’s the size issue: I want something I can easily fit in my purse. How am I going to shove something the size of an iPad into a rather small handbag?
I don’t want online news subscriptions — I read all the news I’m interested in for free. If online newspapers go to paid subscription only, then I’ll stop reading them altogether. I feel mainstream news is that irrelevant and out of touch with the majority of the population (but that’s a whole other topic).
Neither does it bother me about the lack of wireless connectivity. I won’t suddenly be getting an irresistible urge to buy and download books on the spur of the moment. So none of the arguments in favor of the competition have impressed me; and since the price of all eReaders including the Sony have come down dramatically, I believe it’s now affordable enough for me to try it out.
You’re probably asking yourself, “What’s a Luckologist?” Well, you’ll first need the word “luckology” defined for you to understand that. And right in the introduction of his second book, author Ric Wallace explains what he means by these terms.
Do you believe in luck? Donald Trump said, “Everything in life is luck.” Wallace believes in creating his own luck; he sees the opportunities that arrive in the form of life’s challenges. Do you know what your RAS is and how to put it to work for you to attract what you need or want? Do you know how to turn “lemons into lemonade”? And what are the “Seven Habits of Lucky People“?
All this and more are packed into Wallace’s 136-page book The Luckologist’s Guide to Creating, Tracking & Forecasting Your Luck. In order to assist you in tracking your own luck, the author has created a series of charts that can be printed and reprinted as needed.
The book is available as an eBook for quick and easy download, so that you can begin reading right away. A full-color print version is also available, bundled with a CD of the charts only and includes a Lucky Coin® and Lottery Charm® fridge magnet. If you prefer, you can get the entire eBook version on CD, bundled with the coin and fridge magnet (see the author’s sidebar link).
Ric Wallace is also the author of 21 Lucky Lottery Tips for Selecting, Playing, and Winning Lotteries. He will be featured in an upcoming episode of The Lottery Changed My Life, on the TLC Network, autumn 2010.
(Note: Editing services for The Luckologist’s Guide provided by Sheila Tofflemire of eBookNook.ca)
Read: Amazon offers $139 Wi-Fi Kindle, challenges iPad
Amazon.com launched a cheaper, wireless-only Kindle on Wednesday, betting that the $139 price will turn its latest electronic reader into a mass-appeal device as Apple Inc’s iPad gains ground.
I guess if owning a device that is good for only one thing appeals to you then go ahead and buy it. I’ve said it before and little has changed: the Kindle is too proprietary. They still do not allow reading of eBooks in the standard ePub format. And I still haven’t forgotten their “digital” theft of customers’ books.
If you’re a fan of Apple, stick with the iPad. For my tastes, a netbook is still superior — if for no other reason: price.
At Amazon, eBook sales have crossed a major milestone: They are outselling hardcover books. The future is here, and the rate of acceptance is accelerating. But some people still cling to their dead-tree versions.
See author David Carnoy’s “tongue-in-cheek” look at this: Top 10 Reasons Hardbacks are “Better” Than eBooks
1. Spilling a drink on a hardcover doesn’t cause it to die
2. You can’t press a leaf in an e-book, even a virtual one
3. You can’t have an author sign an e-book (yet)
Continue reading at the link above…
But what do you think: Will eBooks ever completely replace their very expensive paper-and-ink competition?
What do you think about this?
Goldman Sachs seems to believe the iPad is all that: Apple’s iPad Is Going To Destroy The Netbook Market, Says Goldman (Sorry, Microsoft).
Actually they present some pretty valid reasons for their certainty on the iPad’s ability to dominate the market. It’s all based on these five Cs: Consumption, Content, Connected, Constant operation, and Commerce.
I won’t be buying an iPad anytime soon, but I’m starting to see a lot of advantages to an iPad over a netbook computer. Based on the drop in sales for netbooks prior to the iPad’s launch, and sales of the iPad since, it does appear the netbook business is being crushed.
Still, one of my issues with Apple is its protectionist nature. I suppose this is true of just about any large company, but a particular sore point with me was my purchase of iTunes. I found out that because I don’t own an iPod — the Apple brand — I can’t transfer the iTunes I’ve purchased legally to my non-iPod MP3 player. My husband tells me there’s a way around this, but it sounds like a time-consuming process that may end up degrading the quality of sound. My question is: Why should I have to jump through hoops just to be able to listen to music I’ve purchased?
I give Apple a lot of credit for being innovators in the technology market. But it’s going to take a lot more than innovation and hype to get me to open my wallet for an iPad, iPhone, or any other Apple products. I’m not the type to buy a product just because “everybody has one.” It’s going to take a lot longer to convince me that an iPad is right for me, regardless of what Goldman Sachs says.
