I recently bought my first ereader. (Yes, I’m slow, what can I say?) After a lot of dithering, I finally bought the Sony Pocket Edition. I’m a bit miffed at having to pay $229 for it when it sells for US $180 in the US. Why do Australians have to pay so much more? Anyway, I know I could have got it for a lot less over the internet, and there are a lot cheaper ereaders out there, but I want to be able to take it back to a bricks-and-mortar shop if it breaks or doesn’t work.

So far I’m really happy with it. It’s light, easy to hold, and much nicer for reading than the PC. It’s also easy to prop up for hands free reading while you’re eating. Compared to a paper book you do a lot more page turns, and using the touch screen to turn the page can sometimes tire your arm if you’re a fast reader, so it’s handy to have the page turn buttons available. I find using the stylus a lot more comfortable, and I discovered that a cotton bud makes a perfect substitute stylus! (Also keeps the screen cleaner.)

 I’m still waiting for my local library to offer ebooks. Apparently only three libraries in NSW offer this service, so maybe I’m in for a long wait. (Or maybe I should move to Canberra)