By Robert Bondy

I am an avid reader for both pleasure and work – and yes, I find computer manuals as dull and boring as you do.With my chosen profession, I have been closely watching the development of the eBook or electronic book market. There are 3 aspects to reading a book on your computer or PDA, and I’m going to try and give you an insight into this great new world.
First and foremost is the hardware you will need to begin reading your new etext. Many of you out there already have a desktop computer, so you are set. One problem with the desktop computer solution is portability. It is difficult to cozy up in your favorite chair with a cup of tea and read your computer screen. The solution? A personal digital assistant or PDA. These devices come in many styles and capabilities. There are even eBook Readers built specifically for reading electronic books. The prices on these devices vary from about $100.00 all the way up to the cost of a desktop computer. These devices are light-weight and portable allowing you to take them anywhere – planes, trains, automobiles, you get the point.
Now that you have the hardware, you are going to need the software to read the books. Fortunately, the cost on the eBook readers is very reasonable, free! You can download software to your computer from the Internet for free, or the reader software comes pre-installed on many of the new PDA’s. At the end of the article I will list off all of the places to get hardware, software and even eBooks. The big players in the reader market are Microsoft, of course, Adobe, and Mobipocket. The programs are very simple to use and to install.
Finally, the important part. How do you get the books to read? Check out Amazon.com. This company is the end-all-be-all of books, both tomes and electronic. eBooks cost about the same as the hard bound book. With amazon you can even download directly from the Internet and not have to wait for UPS to deliver it.
That’s it simple and easy! But now the interesting part!
I read a lot of the classics and these books are getting more and more difficult to find. The nice thing about the classics is that their copyright has expired or never existed. Therefore the books are free. “But where do I go for these books?” you ask. The answer is simple, The Gutenberg Project and the University of Virginia Electronic Text Center. The Gutenberg Project has over 7,000 books available in etext format. It would take quite a while to read all of those.
This little bit of information should keep you busy for many days. Hope you get as much enjoyment out of this as I do!
If there is a subject that you would like me to discuss, please e-mail me at techetalk@3c-inc.com
Robert Bondy lives and works in Clarkston and can be reached at:
Contemporary Computer Concepts, Inc.
“Helping you get there today!”
18 * S. Main Street, Clarkston, MI 48346
E-Mail: techetalk@3c-inc.com
Tel.: 248-625-1932
Fax: 248-620-2920