Back from the Dead

It always happens. Everytime I get all enthuastic about blogging more and doing so with a hint of a regular schedule, I'll get excited and start composing dozen posts at once but which somehow never get completed or posted.

Part of the reason I believe is that when I start actually thinking too much about what I write I start to worry and get writers block.

So as an experiment I've decided to try to post without trying to compose the living daylights out of them , taking it back to what the original aim of the blog was, to get the thoughts out of my head and out to the world.

Since I originally set up the blog, a lot has changed in my life and I think I've had the chance to grow and mature since I posted the first post, a verse on one of my passions, reading and the authors that influenced me. While my tastes have changed somewhat since then, Reading is still a central part of my life though I'm not able to devote as much time as I was able to and still wish to a certain extent to to it, hardly a day goes by without me Reading some form of long form writing ( i.e. a Book).

What has changed is the way and medium in which I read. As I mentioned in a post earlier I've largly transitioned to Reading mainly in ebook format , with pBooks (Paper, I.e. Dead tree books) mainly being restricted to volumes not available in eBook format or which form a part of my collection.

Having said that eBooks are something that have been a part of my life since I got online on my computer for the first time in 1997, though only becoming more important when I inherited my first Pda an on old Compaq 3600 Pocket Pc 2002 device.

That became a constant companion as I reveled in the capability to carry dozens of books with me without having to worry about the weight. Still, while it was limited device with only a few hours of battery life even with the battery jacket, the real bottleneck that still kept pbooks a large part of my Reading was the limited availibility of ebooks and the sky high prices even if they were available.

While pricing is still an issue today (especially if you are outside the US) as is availibility ( again outside the US) it has improved to an extent such that many people can and choose to read exclusively in E.

Part of the reason for the growth in ebooks, especially over the last couple of years has been the availibility of dedicated eInk eBook readers which provide an experience close to paper but without many of the disadvantages of it (after all they have plenty of their own).

Still as a tech geek and as an avid reader I was quick to embrace the technology as I realised the advantages. The Readibility not to mention the long battery life quicky made a convert of me as once I gifted my first gen reader ( a Sony PRS-500) I was quick to het another one within a couple of weeks as I realised how much I missed the experience.

Now on my third reader I have to say that they have come a long way and have become easier to use and provide an experience that will appeal to most avid readers. Also the Market has exploded with dozens of devices being available to suit a wide range of tastes and requirement.

Now the dedicated readers have not sidelined the Reading of ebooks on multipurpose devices like PDAs and phones. In fact one of the post popular platforms for currently reading ebooks is the iPhone / iPod Touch platform with Reading apps having been downloaded thousands of times.

Myself, while I prefer to read on an eink display for longer periods of time, I do read regularly on my phone as there are times when I'll not be carrying my reader with me but I'll usually have my phone.

In fact I currently have 4 devices on which I read books regularly

- Astak 5" EZreader Pocket Pro
- iPhone 3g
- Nokia N800 Internet Tablet
- Laptop ( 13" Macbook Pro / Dell XPS 1210)

Each is used slightly differently and at different times depending on my mood and circumstance.

Well, I think I've rambled on enough for this post, so I'll end this here and hope to post again soon.

So Adiós Amigos and happy Reading.