Introduction and Prologue
Chapter 1: The Rise of the eReader
Chapter 2: In Which Dinah Veritably Salivates Over the Nook
Chapter 3: How Magic and (Dare I Say) Karma Resulted in a Spur-of-the-Moment Indulgence (Or How I Learned to Stop Caring and Love Purchasing My Nook)
I don't know about you, but when I get a new gadget I always feel like I'm learning everything about it from scratch. It doesn't matter if the new item is a replacement, if I had played with other ones before, or if I had never touched one a day in my life. All I can say is that a new gadget is a new experience every time. For me, at least.
Despite the number of times I had handled the display Nooks, there was something different about beginning to use the one that was to be my boon companion. Once I set it to charging, I naturally began to register my Nook by connecting it to my BN.com account. When I started this process, it prompted me for the name of my Nook.
Now, I have a great many quirks, one of which is my tendency to name all of my electronics specially. I prefer women's names, especially the "sexy" ones. Please don't ask me to explain this, because I surely can't! Just two of the names I currently use already are Vivian and Marilyn, to give you an idea of where my mind is at. I knew I had to come up with a name that allowed my Nook fit in with the other electronics and not feel like she was being ostracized (yes, I do personify my electronics... don't you?). When it all came down to it, the name Felicity stuck out and I went with it.
I started exploring Felicity and came upon the "Your New Nook" article in the Daily section. This was probably one of the greatest (and most fun) introductions to a new gadget I've ever come across. It is witty, sarcastic, and just plain funny! It keeps in mind that the target audience is indeed tech savvy and a minority of users will have any real trouble with the device. Which is true! It's so simple to use, I couldn't imagine being swamped enough by it to need to actually call in the experts. Fortunately, they also have a more legitimate section giving real details on how to use the Nook, but the fact that they still manage to have fun with it proves to me that they know their target audience and they are happy to roll with it.
Syncing Felicity up with the full library I had been amassing took little time and, once it was all in place, I was able to browse and read with ease!
I have had so much fun with the color touch screen, using it to browse titles by cover, flip through pages, and even browse the internet. Keeping track of where I am in multiple books at once has been a breeze, too.
More than anything else, the e-ink display has been my favorite feature. I recently spoke with my mom about her discovery of the e-ink display. She said she didn't realize just how amazing it was until she decided to pick up a physical book and held the page next to the e-ink display for comparison. The crisp clarity of the display shocked and amazed her.
Personally, I love the fact that when I stay up late reading, I will sometimes doze off. When I've done this in the past with physical books, there's always that moment when I jerk awake and freak out about the possibility of the pages slipping and me losing my place in the book. The e-ink display is so page-like to me that I've found myself dozing off (as per usual) and jerking awake with the same fear of losing my place. Then I have that moment of realization where it hits me that I can't lose my place. Absolutely fantastic!
So, I didn't really want this to turn into an advertisement for the Nook, I couldn't really help it too much. The features just do it for me! No lie!
With that, I think I'll be leaving this for now. Look for my "Epilogue" in the coming days in which I will discuss the Nook Color, which was released while I was already in the process of writing this short series. Now, off I get to spend some quality time in the Barnes & Noble Cafe with a free smoothie (god, I love the fun free offers I get just for owning a Nook)!
I've taken to stopping in to B&N with my Nook, getting a cup of really good tea at possibly the lowest price in town, and reading (for free) a book in installments. It keeps my place in my In-Store book in addition to the ones in my own library, and my Nook automatically links into the wi-fi there when I turn it on.
ReplyDeleteI also find it easier to read on my Nook screen than most paper books, and will prop it up in front of me (rather than having to hold it), just reaching out with a finger to brush the touch screen to turn the page. Near bliss for this inveterate reader.