As a book lover, you might find it hard to take the plunge when it comes to switching to an e-Reader. What you might not realize, however, is that e-Readers come with their own set of unique benefits that can be quite useful and exciting for avid readers. If you’re getting ready to “turn the page” and upgrade your methods of reading, here are five good reasons you might want to consider when it comes to investing in an e-Reader.
Convenient Portability
Most e-Readers are small and lightweight, which makes them easily portable. Who hasn’t felt the regret of packing their bag full of books for travel, class, or an afternoon lounging in a park or on the beach? While you may enjoy collecting physical, printed books, having to carry your collection around with you can be taxing. Plus, if you’ve ever had difficulty deciding exactly which books to take with you, being able to effortlessly carry hundreds will permanently eliminate that problem. E-Readers are also very convenient for public transportation. They’re easy to operate with one hand, so you won’t have to let go of a subway pole or handrail to turn the page (and risk toppling over off balance in the process!).
Enhanced Reading
If you’re the type who likes to take notes and bookmark certain parts of your novel, an e-Reader makes this easier than ever, without ruining your book with pencil marks and dog eared pages. E-Readers also make it easy to search through the text, easily jump to whichever page you want, and bookmark different pages. As PCMag notes, many e-Readers have touch screen keyboards, which have a more user-friendly, intuitive flow, and make it even easier to take notes or run searches while reading books. You can also easily look up the definitions for words you don’t recognize, as e-Readers often have built in dictionaries. You might eventually see even more reading-enhancing features in the future, as well– More interactive digital novel formats might be on the way, as Tech Radar points out that creative publishers might soon begin to experiment further with the eBook format and its technological potentials.
Books on Demand
Can’t decide what to read on any given day? With an e-Reader, you won’t have to, as you’ll have all of your books available on demand at your fingertips. Cloud storage is popular and convenient nowadays, and with an eReader, you’ll be able to store all of the books you’ve downloaded in your personal cloud. This not only creates a backup, but also allows you to access your entire library of books—and gives you the option to purchase and download even more—anywhere you have a Wi-Fi connection. Is there a new installment of your favorite series out, or did your favorite author release a new book? Do you just really want the new issue of a particular magazine? You don’t have to get up and lug yourself to a bookstore in order to get it. Everyone loves instant gratification, and when it comes to books, an e-Reader is exactly the way to get it.
Privacy – No, Really!
With an e-Reader, nobody will know what you’re reading, which means that you don’t have to feel bashful for picking up that saucy romance novel, or for delving into that far-out conspiracy theory book you otherwise wouldn’t want to be caught dead with. On a more serious note, The Conversation also points out that older or otherwise visually impaired readers often aren’t able to easily read printed books, as they aren’t always available in accessible formats. Since e-Readers allow you to change the size and color of the text, you’ll be able to adjust it in a way that makes books easy and enjoyable to read, without the stress. If you don’t want others to know that viewing printed text is challenging for you, an e-Reader could be the solution.
A Slew of Extra Features
E-Readers aren’t just for reading books anymore. Purchasing an eReader is bound to give you access to many other extra features, including the ability to take photos, listen to music, use GPS services, or even browse the web. Some e-Readers even have apps that can help you enhance your productivity; there’s a Nook eReader that comes equipped with Microsoft Office, for example. Creating and editing documents, reports, or just taking notes on what you’re reading has never been easier that what today’s e-Reader technology allows.
Feeling hesitant about switching to an e-Reader is understandable, but the benefits of technology do outweigh the sadness of leaving physical books behind. Besides, there’s no rule that says you can’t have both! In today’s changing technological landscape, however, an eReader seems like the logical next step for the avid reader. It might just be the next best gadget you never realized you needed.
Markus lives in San Francisco, California and is the video game and audio expert on Good e-Reader! He has a huge interest in new e-readers and tablets, and gaming.