I’ve been debating getting an e-book reader ever since they first came out a couple years ago. They’re finally getting down into a price range where I might actually buy a dedicated e-reader at some point, but during the process of pondering the whole issue, I finally decided to buy a netbook because it’s multi-purpose (would permit reading e-books as well as allowing email, word-processing, music, music notation processing, and spreadsheets as well as good ol’ Solitaire).
All the major e-book dealers provide FREE e-book readers for PCs. (I don’t know about Macs; it maybe be that they do for Macs, also.)
These are the three readers I use on my netbook:
- Kindle for PC (I’m only buying any new e-books for this now),
- Barnes & Noble Desktop Reader (but only because I bought one book for it when I had a Nook before I sent it back…I don’t plan on using it after I finish reading that book); and
- Adobe Digital Editions.
Even though Kindle for PC (which is free and for which there are many, many free e-books) is my main reader, there is a lot of value to Adobe Digital Editions.
I’d bought a couple books for Adobe Digital Editions over the years (a Stephen King and a Wizard of Oz book) but recently I discovered that you can use Adobe Digital Editions to read ANY PDF file (something you can’t do on Kindle).
You could use Adobe Reader, of course, but Adobe Digital Editions (also free) has extra features that Adobe Reader does not, such as being able to organize your books into “bookshelves” and being able to view the actual covers of the books on those bookshelves as you can on Kindle. I find that PDFs get lost to my memory in an endless list of computer file titles! If I see a cover on a bookshelf it makes me aware I’ve even GOT the book.
For instance, as I went about adding PDFs I have to my Adobe Digital Editions this morning, I re-discovered that I have a Barbara Sher e-book that I downloaded (for free, I think). I discovered some other complete e-books as PDFs that I’d forgotten I had, two of which I’d actually bought! They’re beautiful photography technique books.
There are many free PDF books out there on the Internet. Here’s some resources just to get you stared (Google “free ebooks” and you’ll find tons more):
So, in addition to Kindle for PC, you might want to download Adobe Digital Editions to organize and read your book-length PDFs with it (reserving Adobe Reader for shorter documents).
Here’s links to those two e-book readers (remember, both are free):
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Thanks Hilton! Who knew???
Netbooks are under $300. I don’t regret buying mine at all. I use my laptop only for heavier audio or graphic editing, now. My netbook, literally, slips in my jacket pocket.
Hilton, You are too much!! i can’t keep up with you but do appreciate you and your sharing your many gifts !!