A reluctant convert’s unbridled enthusiasm for e-books

At Unbound Ideas, we follow the development of the e-ink and e-reader technology with great interest. We think the “e” is a large part of the future of publishing, and will provide a dramatically new way for readers and authors to connect.

The Morning News is currently holding its Tournament of Books – an event that’s wonderful fun for lovers of fiction.

One of the judges had trouble obtaining one of the books and finally ordered an e-version through Amazon. He was able to read the book on both his Kindle and his i-Phone.

Prior to the experience, I imagined that reading on one of these devices is, for sure, inferior to reading a good, old-fashioned book. I was especially dubious about the iPod, since I’d found the device totally frustrating and unacceptable for reading online newspapers or articles. But I have to tell you, I actually found reading on the iPod totally pleasurable. In fact, I think it’s entirely possible that I read with deeper engagement and absorption than I would’ve had I been reading the physical hard copy.

What’s more the two devices kept in synch as to how far he’d progressed in the book. Continue reading » »