Techno Tuesdays- Get Your Geek On

Dear Santa, All I want for Christmas is a Nook.  No wait, a Kindle.  Oops, the iPad.  Yes, definately, an iPad.  Well, what about these other readers? The Sony Reader looks cool, and the Literati? There's so many to choose from. Yikes, what's a girl to do? 

That's how I started my list in November.  While relaxing in the family room one day, my husband, who is the voice of reason when I salivate over new gadgets, asks, "Why do you need an iPad when you already have a laptop, an iPod, and a smartphone? Don't you you just want to read?" Then, he asks, pointing at an ad in the Sunday paper, "what about the Kindle?"  Well, yes, the Kindle has everything I could ask for. But, I wasn't ready to admit that just yet.  My gray matter was swimming with fantasies of watching movies on my new iPad. Downloading super-cool apps, staying connecting on my social sites, and of course, rockin' out to some serious tunes.  Oh, and reading a book or two. 

Back on earth, I reasoned with myself that with two contracts for e-books, I simply must have an e-reader for Christmas.  I had e-reader fever. I checked the price tag on an iPad and convinced myself there were better things we could spend our hard earned money on.  And alas, I discovered the Nook Color.

I'm a visual gal. I draw pictures in the air when I talk.  Numbers scare me, but break out the crayons, draw me a picture and I can usually step right into any conversation.  Sooo, when I discovered the Nook Color one day while browsing the aisles at B&N, it was any geeky girls dream come true.

My husband ordered the Nook Color for me and it arrived on our front steps on release day.  I quickly realized I needed a cover, so I found the coolest cover ever -  a sleek black with famous artists autographs in silver.  It's got everything I could ask for, and then some.  I can status update on FB, tweet if I feel the urge, surf the web on my fav retail shops, and check out my friends blogs.  Oh, and I can read, highlight, and share quotes from text I may find extra-inspiring.  The multiple formats allow me to load manuscripts from critique partners for easy reading, purchase from sites other than B&N, and load my own WIPs for my own personal pleasure, or torture, depends on how well I may have written that day.

I recently read John Birmingham's article, E-books rewrite the rules of engagement, in which he provides a thorough and thought-provoking assessment of how e-books are changing the literary world.   I particularly liked Mr. Birmingham's quote regarding Amazon's mission, for consumers to "get lost in your reading, not the technology".

As a fancy gadget owner myself, avid writer and published author, the geeky gadget gal in me won out for several weeks.  I found that I logged more time online, reading, posting, and (gulp) shopping, than actually reading.  Which is why I wanted the gadget in the first place. 

I think those folks at Amazon got it right.  Me? I've shut off the wifi option on my Nook and am celebrating five nights straight of actually reading on my precious e-reader. Don't get me wrong, I love my Nook, wouldn't trade it for anything, but a line needed to be drawn.

So, did you get an e-reader for Christmas, if so, which one, and what do you think about it???