I just finished reading Dan Brown’s Angels & Demons. Once again, I couldn’t put the “book” down. Great read!
Dan Brown has quickly become one of my favorite authors (move over Clancy). I’ve read his novels in chronological order — Digital Fortress, Deception Point, and Angels & Demons. I just started reading The Da Vinci Code and plan to finish it before the movie comes out in a couple of months. I’m trying to avoid viewing the movie trailers, so I don’t influence my imagery as I read the book.
I emphasized “book” when referring to Angels & Demons because I didn’t read a traditional paperback or hardcover. Angels & Demons was the first novel I read as an eBook. Yup, no paper. I read the entire novel on my Cingular 8125 Pocket PC phone! Surprisingly, it worked out very well. The text was easy to read and it was convenient to always have access to the book.
Electronic books have been around for awhile, but mainstream adoption has been slow. With the advent of E Ink, there are some new devices making their way to market which may change the course of eBooks. Keep an eye out for Sony’s Reader and iRex’s iLiad coming this Spring. I think eBooks may have a better chance for success with these products (especially if they lower their proposed price points!).
If you’re interested in eBooks, check out eReader.com for a great selection of books and software. I’m using their eReader Pro for Pocket PC, but they also have readers for Windows XP, Mac OS, Palm, and Symbian. If you want to experiment, there are lots of FREE books to download on Memoware.com. Also checkout Zinio for magazines in electronic format.
Electronics books and magazines may not be for everyone, but it’s just a matter of time before we’re all carrying entire libraries in our pockets. Just look what the iPod has done for music. I never thought I’d be carrying >5,000 songs (and movies) in my pocket! 