So here's why...
- It's pretty cheap. Though that means no bells and whistles--the only thing I'm sad about is no ability to highlight text. If I can use multiple bookmarks, that'd work.
- It's nice and light, with no pages floppying-trying-to-close on you. Not a problem when I'm sitting upright, but it can be hard to read books when lying down which I sometimes have to do when I have a bad headache, or when I'm having my blood sucked out.
- Hardcovers books are around 40% off -- so I can get hardcovers for about the price of a "trade" softcover, and it won't be all Bulky, which I dislike. I'm not sure how much all that will change--as of April 1ast the "big 5" publishers changed to "agency model" pricing. Now I understand why Kobo was offering deals every single week up until March 31st--from now on the publishers will set the prices, not the e-retailers.
- Instant access to some research books, as I'm working on my stories. This is actually Very Dangerous. Right now I don't like the idea of reading a book on my computer, so I've resisted. But if I can load it onto something comfortable... ahhhhhhh! Good thing I'm creating a new budget. Will have to make a book budget.
- Can hide my addiction even better. Right now I have books lining the walls all over this apartment... this way I shall ever-increasingly hoard, and no one shall know!! Moua ha haaa. (You can store 1000 books, and then add more memory.)
- It comes loaded with 100 free classics--these books are free anywhere, cause they're public domain, but they'll still cost you at least $3 to buy them in paper form. And as a coworker said, you won't have to download these books yourself!
Cheap Moby Dick
Cheaper Moby Dick
- I'm really excited by the possibility of out of print books being put to ebook format--my guess is this will happen more and more, and hopefully become a standard. Can you imagine? They do this already with Regency romances. I'd love to see this happen with Jane Langton's out of print mysteries, I'd buy them all.
- I can read my dad, and my friends' writings on something other than the computer. I DISLIKE reading anything long on the computer.
- There are tons of great sci fi short stories available for free online, but I don't read those for the same reason. (Including some Connies!) I can also download longer articles and load those on the Kobo.
- And finally, I like to carry around more than one book with me, for My Many Moods. Usually a business book, non-fiction research, and fiction. This way I can bring just the fiction, and stock the non-fictions in my Kobo. Not sure that will help me get rid of wearing a backpack all the time but... occasionally!
It's all just... very exciting. My addiction reaches new heights.
