eReader News and More

Entertainment Weekly features a column from Stephen King and this week he discussed eReaders. Mr. King loves his Kindle and states "Gadgets fascinate me, particularly if I can think of a way they might get weird." However, even he doesn't feel that eReaders can fully replace books.

I have agree with that statement. There's something about a physical book - the feel of the pages and knowledge that I hold a tangible object. ITunes may be my favorite store for music, but I often burn my downloads to disc, just in case.

Now, with all that in mind...

I pre-ordered my iPad this past weekend!

Yes, the pressure was too much. I had to possess the new gadget. And on April 12th, a Wi-Fi 64GB iPad and case will leave the Apple warehouse, destined for my address. So expect a comprehensive review of the device by the last week of April...

In other news, I received CASSASTAR back from my publisher after a round with the editor. So I will be busy with edits, rewrites, and polishes on my book this week. I also saw another rough draft of the cover art and it's really coming together.

And thanks to everyone who visits my blog on a regular basis. I appreciate the encouraging words and comments. I was even more stunned when science fiction author David J. Williams left a comment last week! I felt honored and humbled. (And I'm really looking forward to his next book, The Machinery of Light.)

Thanks again - and movie review tomorrow, I promise!

The iPad eReader Feature

The new iPad launched this week and it's been all over the news. It's 1.5 pounds, half an inch thick, and boasts a 9.7-inch display. The base model with 16GB is $499.

While some features are lacking (no camera or Flash capability) it does do everything that the iTouch does and more - video, music, games, Internet, a word processing program... and an eReader!

Apple has launched the iBook store and it is similar to iTunes. The iBook program uses the ePub format, which is the most popular in the world. Pages can be changed with the press of a button or by touching the screen and turning pages naturally. One can also adjust the font size. Of the big publishing houses, only Random House has yet to sign a deal, and they are currently in talks with Apple.

For those of us with an iPhone or iTouch, unless we just gotta have one, it presents nothing revolutionary. However, for anyone who is debating whether to buy a Kindle (the eBook store's prime competition), a Sony, or a Nook, this deal is a no-brainer. For only $200 more, you not only get a really awesome eReader - you get to watch movies, play games, listen to music, and surf the web. How cool is that?