Reading in a Digital World

Do you read digitally? There are so many choices these days. The prices have definitely come down on devices, and most eBook prices have stabilized. There are also more choices on where you can purchase your ebook, which makes for some competitive pricing.

I read an interesting articles on Forbes.com about the popularity of devices for reading digitally. In the Forbes.com article, it says that more people own a Kindle than any other digital reader, including Apple's iPad. But with the popularity of tablets, eReader sales are predicted      to take a hit. Over the last 3 years, tablets have had a steady rise in sales, with 1/3 of all adults owning one.

" Despite flat sales growth for e-reader sales in the U.S. overall as more Americans opt for cheap, multipurpose devices like tablet computers instead."

What do you do your eReading on? I received a Nook HD plus for Christmas this year! I love it! It's the 9" screen and it is a tablet. I can surf, write, record, AND read! I can read my Nook books, my Kindle books, my library eBooks and PDF's. And I really like the larger size, which is still thin enough for me to take with me without being bulky. My Kindle is gathering dust. I was considering before my gift about a Samsung Galaxy Tab, but the Nook HD plus has me covered. Although the nook may not be as fast as a Samsung Galaxy Tab, for my purposes it's not a problem.

Reading in a digital world… is changing! What are you using?

*P.S. If you want to purchase a Nook HD plus 16 Gb eReader, do it now while you still can. I was told  from a Barnes & Noble staffer that they are discontinuing the 16 GB. There's still going to be the 32 GB though. New eReader coming to B&N? Hmmm.

The iPad Makes a Landing...

iPad Makes a Landing...

Today's the day... The day iPad pre-orders make a landing at your local Apple store. Not only at your local Apple stores, but delivered right to your door...

"The iPad isn't a phone, and it's not exactly a computer. So what is it? It's a touchscreen device for consuming media in all its forms: video, music, the Web, electronic books and magazines, and video games." Erica Ogg cnet.com

We Readers should be very happy because Apple is focused on making books a big part of the iPad! (BTW, Thanks Apple for that big beautiful color display!) Apple has cut a deal with five major publishers: HarperCollins, Hachette, Penguin, Macmillan, and Simon & Schuster. The iPad is challenging the Kindle, but hey... there's a new Kindle App so you can read Kindle books on your iPad too!

9.7 inch high resolution LED back-lit display, thin, light and WiFi capable (3G models to follow) the iPad is an exciting addition to the Apple family. Rave reviews from almost everyone who has touched one... Read more about the iPad and iBooks at Apple!

Here's a round-up of some up-to-date news from around the blogosphere about the iPad...

Cnet News... So you're buying an iPad

NYDailyNews.com... Apple iPad to hit stores Saturday

Business Insider... The Future of Media

The Baltimore Sun... Eager buyers expected to line up

MercuryNews.com... Apps for iPad available

Chicago Now... iPad: The latest news, apps and the awesome

Mashable... Kindle for iPad Hits the App Store

So, are you planning on taking the plunge and picking up the iPad? (Yes, as with all things Apple, it's pricey) Would love to hear what you think of it if you are! I've saved my pennies and will be bringing the piggy bank to the Apple story tomorrow... I hope it lives up to all the hype... Somehow I think it will...

Dan Brown's The Lost Symbol is Finally Found...

Mystery, Codes & Secrets... Found at a bookstore near you today!

Dan Brown's much-anticipated and slightly controversial follow-up to The Da Vinci Code was released today! In "The Lost Symbol," symbolist Robert Langdon is on a mission to find a Masonic pyramid containing a code that unlocks an ancient secret to "unfathomable power." It's a story of hidden history in the nation's capital.

History, ancient symbols, hidden chambers & tunnels... The Masons, a kidnapping, & a sexy girl... All of that plus our favorite Dan Brown hero, Robert Langdon, (did I also mention a terrific villain?) is what makes The Lost Symbol the book we all want to read! And with an initial printing of 5 million copies everyone should get a chance. With rave reviews, lots of press and the top ranked pre-order on Amazon.com, The Lost Symbol is destined to be a big hit...

The DaVinci Code was heaped in controversy with the Catholic Church calling it heretical, but The Lost Symbol has its own bit of controversy - the Kindle kind. Random House initially was on the fence about releasing a Kindle version of The Lost Symbol - afraid that the lower price ($9.99) for the digital version would divert sales away from hardcover sales. Fortunately for Kindle readers Random House chose to release the digital version and on the same day as the hardcover! This isn't the end of the debate about digital books either - publishers seem to feel that if people can buy the Kindle version for $9.99, no one will be buying the hardcover at $20. We've debated the Kindle versus "the paper" book here before. People, including myself, love 'real' books! What do you think? Will there be piles and piles of hardcover books collecting dust in your local bookstore all because of a little piece of plastic?

For now, though, we have a choice! Even though I love my Kindle, I bought that hefty 509 page Dan Brown book today in HARDCOVER! How about you?!

**Here's the link to the Kindle Version!

Happy reading...