from the journal of an e-book virgin

Yes, yes. Time to recant my former aversion to the e-book. Read on...


I love books. I love to read. In fact, I sometimes prefer to stay home on a “party weekend” and just curl up under the comforter with a good book. There’s a certain comfort in the turning of a page… The way the paper feels under your fingers, the anticipation and excitement of what lies beyond the next sheet.

This is what makes me a “real book purist.”

Now, I’m no stranger to technology. In fact, I’ve always used a PDA, from my Compaq Aero to my Palm V, my Tungsten (whom I lovingly refer to as my “Yungsten” and was sadly stolen from me at a mall – damn leather casing made it look like a wallet!) to my current toy, my T3. And while I’ve always installed a doc reader in every one of them, they were hardly put to good use. Why? Because I believe nothing is better than a real book.

E-book enthusiasts, don’t get me wrong. An e-book is still a book. It’s just not the type I prefer. I compare it to immersing yourself in a Van Gogh and simply admiring a print of one. Now I know many of you are already secretly plotting to lynch me for this opinion – don’t. I’m slowly recanting my aversion to the e-book.

Last night, I finished reading my first (ever) e-book – The Da Vinci Code – and I absolutely, positively enjoyed every minute of it.

E-books are portable, so I am told. You can carry a massive volume of work in your handbag and have room to spare for, say, makeup and the car keys. You can also read in the dark. Hmmm. I don’t know if my ophthalmologist will approve, but hey… at least it’s a little illuminated. One thing I worried about when I started reading was that I wouldn’t know where I left off. Stupid, Chiko. There’s a bookmark function that comes with the reader and it comes in very, very handy. The one thing you can always count on when reading an e-book: it’s going to take a heck of a lot to damage. Hmph. That would’ve saved me from a lot of trauma having lent many books to friends over the years. I was lucky if the spine was still intact, if the book was even returned at all. Another cool feature that e-books have is the ability to zoom in on an image.

Flashback to 1988, and the movie “Big.”

I remember one of the suggestions Tom Hanks’ character made in the movie. An electronic comic book that allowed kids to interact with the story. The corporates in the movie didn’t find it viable, even marketable, and so turned it down. Smirk, smirk. Look at us know. An eerie prediction into the wonderful world of the PDA.

Yet another interesting feature of the e-book reader is the ability to instantly look up a word in the dictionary. Coolness. If you’re one of those people who absolutely refuses to admit he doesn’t know the meaning of a word, this is perfect for you. It’s instant gratification for word junkies.

Neater still is that you never get sore from reading an e-book with one hand. Maybe a sore finger, from scrolling, but not a sore arm or hand. I have a tendency to roll around in bed and change positions while reading. Believe me, it’s hard (even painful) to read on certain positions. With my T3, I can roll around all I want. Yippee. Oh, and if you don’t want to even hold the book, you can leave your PDA on its cradle. Pretty neat, wouldn’t you say?

All in all, I found my first “experience” with the e-book very satisfying. I still have a preference for an actual paperback (seems like it takes a renewed meaning for me) but e-books are now definitely a welcome option.