These days it’s hard to determine what changes faster: trends or technology. I suppose it’s a bit of an egg and chicken question, but either way I’m sure that by the time most of us have figured out how to turn on our new iPhones, the superfluous gadget is all but a remnant of the past for small minority of the population that are “technology geeks”.
I, for one, am a slow starter. As long as it does what I want it to do, doesn’t cost or hurt me or anyone around me, I’m happy to use it. My phone sends texts and allows me to call people, the camera works adequately and caters to my desires to perform impromptu paparazzi action, but I don’t even dare to explore any of the more trivial functions. For all I know WAP could stand for “What a Pain”.
One new gadget (which some of you would probably not even describe as “new” anymore) is the e-book. Granted, I was one of those who swooned about the “smell of old books” when I first heard about it, but I’ve gradually taken a liking to what the Oxford English Dictionary (pagey version) describes as "an electronic version of a printed book which can be read on a personal computer or hand-held device designed specifically for this purpose.”
E-books and their readers have a number of advantages, ranging from mobility, to ecological sustainability, availability and storage, but my biggest personal plus is that reading an e-book makes it very hard for anyone to know what you’re reading. In future, you will not be judged by the cute guy sitting next to you on the bus, who previously took one look at your autobiography of Jordan before crossing your name of his list. Your boss won’t reconsider his appraisal if he finds a copy of “Working life for dummies” lying on your desk, and your mum won’t ask you who Belle de Jour is if you happen to leave your source of saucy entertainment next to the bog. For all they know you could be reading the complete works of Victor Hugo in Latin.
The e-book reader is sleek, suave and practical, and with an increasing number of paper and hardbacks now available in electronic format, there seems no reason not to start porking up the piggy bank to scratch together the few hundred quid necessary to invest. Just make sure you ask the sales rep where the “on” button is. It could make life easier.
Post new comment