A few years ago, I stopped my life partner’s office to see how she was doing. When I glanced in her office, there was smoke coming out of the back of her desk. She was saying that she smelled something burning. I quickly told her to shut down her computer and unplug it. I had never seen a computer on fire before so it was a little awe inspiring. Luckily, she didn’t have anything flammable near it (who would have thought a computer was flammable?!). After we got the computer turned off and used a little fire extinguisher on it, we concluded that the computer was quite dead. Now I have had hard drives die, and motherboards go bad, but I have never had a computer go up in flames! I didn’t know whether to be impressed or horrified. I’m sure the lack of damage to anything but the computer tilted me towards impressed.

Fortunately, my partner had saved all of her important stuff to a thumb drive so she didn’t lose anything too terribly un recoverable except her spider solitaire scores. We got her a new computer that weekend and I hooked it up the following Monday. The reminder of that fire still gives me chills, but I was thrilled that because she had been properly backing up her information all along, she didn’t lose anything.

I have been a fan of ebooks since Fictionwise Bookstore first opened.  I have used a variety of devices to read my ebooks and have used various software to read.  Hie, RocketBook, and the Franklin eBook Reader are all dedicated ebook readers.  Their only purpose is for reading ebooks.  Each one had a proprietary reading software and the RocketBook (formerly owned by GEM) had its own bookstore and online library (now defunct.)  Each dedicated reader promised a new and wonderful reading experience.  They all had batteries that needed recharging and required being attached to a computer in order to download and load books onto the device.  The readers would allow you to place bookmarks but except for not so impressive games and PIM like functions on the Hie, they were readers.  For anything else you had to have a separate device.  Unfortunately, these devices, although good at what they were designed for, were not good for “light” reading.  They were fairly heavy (falling asleep while reading could result in a heck of a bruise) and were bulky to hold.  You could indeed carry an entire library with you in one of the readers but woe unto you if the battery power started dying in an exciting place in the book.

I wound up putting each of the dedicated readers aside in favor of my handheld of the moment.  My Palm OS devices allowed me to read books using a variety of programs including eReader(formerly Peanut Reader), Plucker, MobiPocket, Silo, Microsoft Reader, Adobe ebook reader, and TomeRaider 3.  Each one was able to read most unencrypted or “MultiFormat” books.  Most of these books are not tied to a specific reading program and if you so desire you can download the books in a variety of formats.  However, there have also been books that are heavily encrypted with DRM(digital rights management software) and are tied to a specific program.  Once you buy that book in that format, you can only read the book using that program.  The three used most often are MobiPocket, eReader and Microsoft Reader.  Some ebooks are only found in Adobe PDF format which is a huge download on my handheld and a pain to read.  Not all PDF documents and books can easily be read on a handheld and so I avoid buying Adobe only books whenever I am aware that is the only choice.

I have read ebooks and downloaded magazine articles while waiting in Court for my case to be called for hearing, while waiting for clients, while waiting for doctor’s appointments, on trains, planes, and in automobiles.  I can switch to my address book, calendar or other necessary program quickly and back to my book.  Turning my handheld off to try a case never meant losing my place since the programs can be set to open to the last page you were reading.  On several occasions, I would have a book open in each format and switch back and forth depending on my mood.  Since each program remembered my last page in whichever book I was reading, I never had to worry about misplacing the book or my bookmark.  Since I have over 1,000 ebooks total  from a variety of ebook stores on the internet, I have a wide range of topics and titles from which to choose.  I refuse to buy ebooks that cost over $10 since I know that I could probably find a used or on sale hardback for less.  Bookstores that charge ridiculous sums for ebooks are only hurting themselves and the authors.

I love ebooks and the ease with which I can read them on whatever little machine I have with me.  Since I don’t need to turn on a light to read, I also don’t wake my partner up when I have insomnia and get up in the middle of the night to read.  I don’t have to have special lights for reading.   

At 50, I decided to start doing something that I enjoy!  With this blog, I am going to explore every technological wonder that I can find including, but not limited to: computers, processors, software, energy conservation, ebooks, ebook readers, handhelds, and handheld software.  As an attorney who specializes in collaborative law, I hope to have friends offer their opinions from time to time – collaboratively of course!

I have been upgrading my computers on a regular basis (about every two years) and also updating my life partners computers at the same rate.  The last time we counted, I had purchased 14 computers since 1991.  Most have been desktops but about three have been laptops.  Since I buy the latest specs affordable (about $1,000.00), the computers would normally last several years. 

For instance, one of  my law office mates, has had the same Gateway for at least 7 years.  On various occasions, I have been recruited (begged) to fix one problem or another.  I have replaced RAM with spare RAM I had lying around from old computers or leftovers from “built for fun” computers.  I have run the normal maintenance programs of “clean disk” and “defrag hard drive” and I have opened the poor old thing up to clean out the accumulated dust bunnies and other assorted jetsam.  So far the “little computer that could” is still working but I think that it is on its last legs.

Since I will be leaving the office soon, I have offered my desktop that is two years old for sale.  Not that I think old computers have much to offer but the latest versions of Microsoft Office, and a 4 month old new hard drive are pretty good perks for someone who has been running Windows 98 because that is all that her computer could handle.  I am going to throw in my Bitdefender Internet Security Suite with firewall and anti virus and my System Mechanic maintenance software that helps to keep all things clean and tidy on the hard drive.

All in all,  my soon to be ex-computer has been a good friend and tinker toy.  I have added an additional 512mb RAM (max 1G), a graphics card, a sound card and a new SATA hard drive.  Time to let the old boy go. 

My home computer has a 4G of RAM and a 320 hard drive, along with Windows Vista Ultimate.  I haven’t tinkered with it the way that I have my office computer but then it came with so much more!  I also have a new HP laptop that I am playing with.  I played with my two year old MacBook Pro until I killed it (unfortunately) and will have to suffer the loss of my Mac only programs.  Or not.  A new MacBook Pro is due out around St Patrick’s day and if I am very good, I might be able to wrangle a new Mac laptop then!