Starting the Next Chapter will be on hiatus until Tuesday night...

My poor netbook finally kicked the bucket completely, so I am here at the library writing this post and will be unable to write any other posts until Tuesday night after my new laptop arrives. I will make the rounds replying to all of my Follow Friday commentors then. I hope you all enjoy your weekends and will see you on Tuesday/Wednesday!

I'm still here!

Sorry for my absentia over the past two days. I am having technical difficulties at the moment, so I won't be around very much for another day or two. My poor netbook is on its last legs (it's damn near impossible to turn it back on and when I do, the stupid browser won't let me log in to any social networking sites) and my husband is having difficulty getting our archaic desktop computer up and running (not only is it old, it also has a crappy Linux distro on it). Added to all of that is a feverish post-immunization 2 year old. It all adds up to be a very frustrating week. I hope to back full speed ahead by Friday, but simply don't know for sure. In the meantime, I will do my best to finally reply to all of the comments that were left on my posts since Monday. I hope you all will stick around and I hope to see you all on a more regular basis soon. Cross your fingers that my computer woes reside!

eReader review: Barnes & Noble's NOOK Wi-Fi

The Reader

In August my husband offered to purchase an eReader for me. All I had to do was decide which one I wanted. I considered the Kindle and the NOOK* and ultimately went with the NOOK. I have had it for 6 months and it has been the most awesome gadget I have ever had. I went with the NOOK for a few reasons. First, I liked that it uses touch screen technology for navigational purposes rather than the little joystick/mouse contraption the Kindle has. I tried a Kindle out at Target and I simply wasn't impressed with that particular feature. The second feature that excited me about the NOOK was the ability to expand the memory buy adding a micro SD card. I recently did this as I found a great deal on a 4 GB micro SD card at Staples. It was very easy to remove the back to access the card slot. It gives the card an added level of protection that comes in handy when you have a small child. The third feature that sold me on the NOOK was Barnes & Noble's eBook store. I have gotten so many free eBooks from their Freebie Friday promotion as well as the free B&N classics eBook promotion they ran last summer. What's even better is that almost all of the freebies I have gotten have been actual eBooks, not digital scans which often have out of place characters.

Since I got my NOOK, one software update has been made available. It has done much toward improving page turn speed and has also added some nice new features such as the ability to create shelves on the device. My only complaint with the new software (1.5) is that ever since I installed it, I can no longer access the campus wi-fi (which is password protected), nor can I connect to any other password protected wi-fi provider. The browser simply doesn't go to the log on pages anymore. I don't know if there is anyway to fix it, but I fully intend upon taking my NOOK with me to visit customer support next time I make it to a Barnes & Noble (there isn't one in the city I live in).

Overall, I love my NOOK. It has done (almost) everything I wanted from it. I haven't filled our apartment to overflowing with new books (though my bookcase is still a lost cause) and the added level of convenience of being able to put it in my bag and take it anywhere has led to a lot more reading time for me. I can read while I wait for a class to start, while I wait for the bus, in waiting rooms, and so much more. I wouldn't trade my NOOK for any other reader.

Accessories

One of the first accessories I got for my NOOK was the Lyra reading light in marine. This is a great little light and, since it is made specifically for the NOOK, it fits perfectly. However, it doesn't work so well in conjunction with a cover. It becomes a bit of a challenge finding a secure place to clip it in that case.

At first, I picked the Alice Cover for its whimsy and its price. There was just something intriguing to me about having a NOOK cover that looks like the page of a book. However, I soon lost my enthusiasm for it. Don't get me wrong, the cover holds up well. It was just a little unwieldy for me. The way the front cover felt in my left hand when it was folded back was very off-putting. It also didn't have a mechanism to keep it closed, which was a little disappointing. The last thing I noticed was that the cover was a tad bulky. It just didn't fit well in my purses, which was fairly annoying to me.

I eventually decided I couldn't take it anymore and started shopping around for a new cover. I found it in January in the JAVOedge JAVOFlip Style Case in Cherry Blossom.**

I chose the purple case simply because it is one of my favorite colors. The real appeal in this case, however, is the handy stand that is attached to the back. When you're sitting at a table, you can simply snap open the stand and continue reading while you eat, drink, etc. When it is no longer needed, the stand has snaps that attach it securely to the cover. No snags! This case also has a magnetic closure, which was important to me. Finally, this case is a lot more streamlined than the Alice case. It fits into almost any purse I put it in, which is a huge plus.

If you've stayed with me this long, thank you for your patience. I probably won't do very many gadget reviews. I wanted to do this one because I have truly enjoyed having it and it plays such a prominent role in my reading. Until next time, I hope you sit down with a good book and enjoy this nice evening.

* photo courtesy Barnes & Noble.com
**photo courtesy JAVOedge