Microsoft Reader

I find I spend a lot of money on books. I buy one or two every week. Not paperbacks but hardcover books. Starting at $18 they are expensive. The poker books I buy are typically $30+. I need to save more money especially with the gas prices.

I have always been a healthy user of the library. But even in a city like Tucson, there are quite a few books I want to read that they just don't have. And the popular new releases have waiting lists that can be several months long. I started using their eBook solution for some of my needs. But the selection is somewhat limited.

I also don't like to pay for my music. I have been using a torrent device to fill my MP3 player for years. The other day I decided to see what I could find in the way of written material with it. I found that there were quite a few authors I enjoy available for download. I grabbed a few and quickly discovered they all had an LIT extension.

Fortunately this file is run on a Microsoft program (or unfortunately, depending on your computing prejudices). I went ahead and downloaded the Microsoft Reader and installed it on my laptop. I didn't register it because the description indicated this would allow me to purchase and access licenced ebooks. I do know that the books I just downloaded are probably not going to pass the licencing check. Even ebooks are expensive, and I am looking to save money by not spending money.

I opened up one of the ebooks and started reading. Maybe I could still access it even if I registered the reader but, I am not taking any chances. The reader is pretty cool at first glance. It opens up in the "Library." Displaying book covers and the title and author. It also lets me know when I read the book last. Another nice feature, are the settings. There is only one setting you are allowed to adjust but, it is the key one. Font size. With a scroll bar, you can set the size of the font displaying the text.

The interface is very intuitive. It displays one page at a time and doesn't take up the whole screen. If you do expand it, it still only displays one page but, now it is on a black background. this makes it a little finger intensive to turn the pages. Especially if you are using a larger font size.

Right clicking anywhere in the text gives you options to highlight text, set a bookmark or add a notation. The coolest option though is "Play." When you choose play, each word on the page is highlighted and voice synthesizer renders the text audible. It is very much like having Stephen Hawking read you a bedtime story.

Overall I am happy with this product. It will certainly help me keep a little more money in my pocket. At least until I need to fill the car again.

Adobe Digital Editions eReader

I was online viewing what was available at my local library and found a title that interested me but, was only available as an eBook. There was some extra effort involved in checking out this title as I needed to download some software and install it before I could even download the eBook.

Adobe Digital Editions is freeware you can find on the Adobe website. The download is often available on the websites of those who carry titles compatible with it. I had no trouble installing the software and getting the title onto my computer.

Reading eBooks with Adobe Digital Editions prove easy and enjoyable. When I started the eReader, the image of the book cover was right there on the left. I double clicked on it and the image jumped to the main screen, waiting for me to open the cover and dive in.

Adobe went to great lengths to make it look and feel like you are reading a book and not an electronic document. The pages are formatted as if created and bound at a printing press. You are invited to "Turn the Page." Not click "Next." Saving your place is just as easy and intuitive. When you open the eReader again, it takes you right to the page you marked. And then I discovered my favorite feature. Just like writing in the margins of a book your professor has assigned, you can annotate the pages of an eBook you own.

If you're not sure you're ready to give up the paper experience, this can help make the transition to paperless reading material much more palatable. Not only are books available, but also magazines. Adobe has a library of free reading material on their site. I encourage you to give it a try and let me know your thoughts.