During my week away I noticed that eReaders seem to have hit critical mass. Yes, this year, more than any other, saw Kindle’s, nook’s and iPads in use on the beach and at the pool. (Interestingly, I did not see a single Kindle fire!) I have seen an uptick in the use of devices over the past few years but this year seemed to show a huge jump in their presence. In fact, a cursory look this past Saturday saw MORE electronic devices than dead-tree reading material at the pool.
But that was only a small part of the tech I witnessed while traveling. Here are a few more tidbits.
When we were arriving last week I was waiting to pick up my bag and ended up doing tech-support. First, there were three guys who were trying to figure out how to use their iPhones as wifi-only devices without accruing ridiculous fees. A quick tour of their settings controls later and they were good to go. Note to new iPhone owners- spend a few minutes reading up on the device or send us your questions and we will answer them here on the site and help other new iPhone owners in the process!
Then there was the gentleman carrying a Kobo eReader and an iPad. I’ve read about Kobo here on the site thanks to Carly but never actually saw one of their eReaders. Intrigued, I asked him why he chose that particular reader. His response? It was the cheapest he could find. Yes, while we often look for features, speed and other such things many “normal” folks tend to gravitate to… price.
There was a lovely woman sitting next to me on the flight home yesterday who was using an iPhone in a heavy-duty case. “What case is it?” I asked. “An Otterbox case,” she replied and then added, “I love it and if you knew how often I drop my iPhone you, would understand why I need it. I just wish it were waterproof.”
I told her about the LifeProof Case I am reviewing that is rugged AND waterproof and, upon showing it to her, she was impressed.
Right before the plane took off she held it up and spoke into it. “Don’t tell me you are using HeyTell?” I said. “I am. I love using it and have gotten all my friends with iPhones and Android devices using them.” Seriously, if you have not tried HeyTell give it a go. It is an awesome awesome app!
Then, after we were in the air, out came her Kindle. Did I mention I saw more Kindles, nooks and other eReading devices this trip than ever before? Yes, mobile devices in general, and eReaders in specific, seem to have hit critical mass.