Whether 'Tis Easier to Read on the Palm
Dec 27 '00
Many of the opinions here about eBooks seem to assume that eBooks will be read on screen sitting in front of a computer. Although it is true that some people do read eBooks that way, many more read eBooks on either dedicated eBook readers like the Rocket Reader or on PDAs.
These devices offer the additional convenience of portability. I can walk around with 20 books at all times. Dedicated eBook readers vary in size from fairly large full page size (SoftBook Reader, for one) to a smaller Rocket device. Some use PDF files and some use their own proprietary format. Most of these readers offer service packages to their customers that bring magazines, books, and newspapers to the devices for a fee. Although there is some variety, most offer little or no font and line spacing configuration. For example, the Rocket supports "small" and "large" fonts, but how those are defined is dependent upon the original font selections attached to each document by its creator. I as reader cannot say "always display my books like this."
My eBook platform of choice is the Palm. I carry anywhere from 4-10 MB of eBooks with me at all times. I read every day on my commute into work (don't worry, I take the train). I read at the doctor's office. I read when I get a few moments or in a line at the drugstore. The point is, I don't have to think about whether I have enough reading material for the day or carry heavy books around with me. If I get a few minutes of time, I automatically have something to read with me. No planning ahead required.
It's true that you get a smaller screen. But that doesn't bother me at all. Sure, I have to move to the next screen a little bit more often, but that's such an automatic option that I don't notice. The extra configuration and small size of the unit are worth it. Some of the converted files also contain widow and orphan lines, but again this doesn't bother me in the slightest.
I use cspotrun as my reader software on the Palm. It's free. It supports all four Palm fonts (small, bold, large, large bold). It supports three different line spacings. It lets me change the screen orientation so if I feel like reading while I'm lying on my back I can hold the Palm and "turn the page" with one hand. If I'm really want to, I can set it to scroll at a configurable rate, although I am not fond of this.
There are literally thousands of free books for Palm OS. The best place to go for reading material is Memoware (http://www.memoware.com). Most of these are converted from Project Gutenburg or other public domain text repositories. Some are there for free download with author permission. There is enough reading material there to keep anyone happy for a long, long time.
If you feel like something more recent, there are many sites that sell eBooks. Peanut Press sells new books in a wide variety of genres. Online Originals sells original works in Palm format. FictionWise sells science fiction, fantasy, and horror. There are many others. I find no shortage of reading material.
It is also very easy to convert your own text or HTML files to Palm Doc format. You can carry all sorts of reference material with you at all times. You can use any number of desktop conversion applications to convert files or pilot.screwdriver.net to convert live web pages.
I can't imagine going back to a world without eBooks. I paid a one time fee for a unit that I use for so many other things as well (it's my checkbook, portable databases, a development platform, calculator, address book, note taker, and gaming machine). Every so often I pay a small fee for additional reading material, but most of the material is free. In return, I always have something to read no matter where I am and no matter what position I want to stand, sit, or lie in.
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