e-Books for Expat Readers Part 2

When we started researching e-book readers, we were amazed to find many choices to choose from. We found a Wiki site that has a matrix that helped us prioritize our needs. The site is:
http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/E-book_Reader_Matrix. The matrix compares a variety of specifications across the range of available e-book readers. It is a little dated as the Kindle 2 is now available and Fujitsu as well as other companies have new book readers coming on to markets around the world.

We live where we can’t access U.S. mobile networks and we’re very active (read: we move around a lot and often have limited weigh allowances). So we felt the following specifications were important: compact size, lightweight, ability to read books or documents in multiple formats, and SD interface. Price was also a factor for us. After we made a list of the ones on the matrix that we liked, we visited the websites of the companies and looked for information on YouTube about the products.

We decided upon a Cybook Gen 3 for our first e-reader. (Yes, we are looking to purchase another one in the near future for different purposes, and are waiting to see which brands hit the U.S. later this year.) It meets our needs and has relatively few commands to learn—all of them are by push button. Although we have had a few hiccups at the beginning with our unit freezing on occasion, we were easily able to download a service patch upgrade to the operating software and we’re back to downloading and reading a host of the latest bestsellers, some travel guides, PDF reports, and some classics too!

Next post: Working with your photo collection and living abroad

e-Books for Expat Readers

We had a lot of tough decisions to make when we moved from the U.S. to overseas. For us, one of the most difficult had to do with balancing our weight allowance with our love of reading and outdoor activities. We had a relatively small shipping allowance (about 250 pounds). Using our allowance for outdoor and wellness equipment like a bicycle and an inflatable kayak meant little was left for personal effects, especially books. Not being able to bring too many books was compounded by the fact that the country in which we live has no libraries of note.

So what did we do? We tried a variety of third-party solutions until we learned about e-book readers. Initially, we relied first on visitors who were eager to see our new home and encouraged them to bring out books which could be substituted with mementos and gifts from here. Also, each year that we had a chance to travel home, we hauled over books that took valuable space in our limited luggage allowance (over food sometimes). Sometimes we downloaded books on to our computers.

Fortunately, a little over a year ago, I was putting together my wish list on Amazon and noticed a new product called the Kindle, Amazon’s own e-book reader. I was intrigued with the idea and I liked its look. However, one thing led to another and I put aside the thought until about a month later when a friend mentioned that her brother in the U.S. had one. This prompted me to do more research on the Kindle. I then started talking to my husband.

Since September of last year, we are the proud owners of an e-book. It’s changed our lives. We can now download most of our books at home and at any time; I no longer have to worry about how I’m going to haul extra weight either in my carry-on or check-in luggage. The e-book is extremely easy to use and I don't suffer eye strain as with my laptop. In fact I can even read PDF'd reports on my e-reader!

For anyone who is an avid reader and is concerned about luggage space and all the logistics that go with it (even if you have a generous allowance), we strongly recommend purchasing an e-book reader. In our next post, we’ll describe how we identified an e-book that meets our needs and how we’re actually planning to get another one from a different company on our next trip to the U.S. My tip for today: Check out an e-book reader before you move overseas. It will save you time, money and effort!

Getting Started

With almost ten years (this time) under our belts living overseas, we have a few tips to share with you. We also hope to exchange tips and on ways to live abroad, still enjoy the new culture but manage the requirements of your other home.