The question that everyone has been polite enough not to ask, as yet, is why I haven’t purchased some flavor of e-reader to prevent my needing the 7th bookcase mentioned in the last post. Nicole just asked about others who have or have not purchased them yet.

I’ve considered it.  But as yet, here are my reasons for not having bought one.

1) To date, the cost has been prohibitive.  With the dropping prices we’re already seeing and Griffey’s assertions that we could see a $99 Reader for Christmas (not a huge stretch anymore), this is fading.

2) I’m still concerned about format type.  Do I buy a Nook? BN doesn’t seem particularly stable. Do I buy a Kindle? There’s DRM. Do I buy some other flavor? Concern about availability and longevity.

3) I get a large portion of my books from work.   Legally acquired, processed, etc. And I don’t keep them permanently. My tax dollars are paying for my short term access.  Leaves more money for yarn.

4) Used books stores, I love them.  I don’t get to any very often these days and I’ve even skipped the last few library booksales.  But the clearance section at Half-Priced Books is my friend.  And those used books, wherever I’ve acquired them from, then get shipped on to the Opera Singer, go to the library booksale, get handed to friends.  A cycle of sharing, with each of gaining a smidge of something from the book.

5) Screen time and the non-commute. I’m in front of  a computer all day.  Often, that continues at home. In between I have a ten minute driving commute, which isn’t enough to get through an audiobook chapter.  So I don’t really want another screen device (though I have some netbook envy at the moment).  And the Kindle isn’t, but I see that as mostly a travel device for me.  If I was on the road more, that would make perfect sense.  I took a dozen books with me to New York last trip–the majority of which did not follow me home. But I don’t do that regularly. If I was going for a flat e-reader, I’d probably lean towards the Ipad or something of that nature because one can do more than just read uploaded documents.  I could play Angry Birds or hack badly through emails…

6) I’m a little terrified of just how much I could impulse buy that way… Oooh, new title here, oooh, new title there. Anyone who has witnessed the “adding to the reading list” frenzy when a new issue of Romantic Times hits my desk.

Overall, I’m not anti-e-reader. It’s just not where I am at the moment.  In another year or another generation of e-readers, perhaps that will change.

For now, I have plenty to read.