Not rushing for Kindle

Not that it's available in the UK. I like reading stories online (I wouldn't work this site if I didn't). I like reading fanfic & original fic. I don't mind downloading a pdf for free. And I love the magnificent, free, anthologies put out by Read These Lips. But I have no intention of forking out my hard-earned dosh for any ebook reader. Or paying to receive any ebook - not even by my favourite authors. Why is that you may wonder (and even if you're not wondering I'm going to tell you so you might as well give in, sit down and enjoy yourself). And of course, because I'm me I'm not going to simply say it, I'm going to ramble on & tell you a story. *g*

I went up into the loft (roof-space) this past weekend to get down the Christmas decorations. I brought down all the boxes that were there. One of the boxes contained our collection of Cagney & Lacey video tapes. Every single episode. Might as well throw them away. Why?? They're on beta tapes. It's getting hard to find vhs players & tapes these days. It's been 15 years since you could buy a betamax player. Another of the boxes contained my uncle's old records. Useless. They're not even vinyl, which we could play as I still have a turntable. They're wax 78s. Haven't been able to play those in almost 30 years. Then there's my old friend H. She once had an 8-track. Remember them?? She actually owns a copy of Bridge Over Troubled Water on vinyl, 8-track, cassette and cd. She almost bought a copy on mini-disc too but she wanted to wait for the price to come down. Just as well she did. Whatever happened to mini-disc?? Wasn't it the future of music?? But that was before MP3 and MP4 and ipods... you get the picture??

And yet here on my desk I have a copy of Sir Walter Scott's Heart of Mid-Lothian. It's in paperback. Probably one of the first paperbacks ever made because the date inside is 1838. That's 190 years ago. I can still pick it up and read it.

When there's an ebook that the publisher can guarantee can still be read - easily - in 200 years I might just consider it. (Not that I'm planning on living that long - but you never know what medical science might discover. Or I could get bitten by a vampire or something...). But even 20 years would be a major achievement for technology. In the meantime I'll be like Captain Picard - I'll stick with books - they never become obsolete.

Ze

Birds of Prey

• The Best Memory I Have of You is Forgetting by seriousfic (Birds of Prey Femslash Masterlist).
  
  BtVS
  
• Chapters 14 & 15 of Faith in the Family by georagetaz (BuffynFaith.Net).
  
  Criminal Minds
  
• Part 1 of Call Me by lostnfoundcause (Women in Kevlar).
  
  
• Part 2 of Call Me by lostnfoundcause (Women in Kevlar).
  
  CSI
  
• New Traditions by ardvari (Sassy).
  
  Dr Who
  
• Blue Boxes and Birthdays by xhecticbankaix (d w femslash).
  
  Original
  
• Amazons, Speed and Weed by Aurelia (The Athenaeum).
  
  Stargate SG-1
  
• Filling in the Blanks (final part of Changing Lives) by SJSlashfan (Area 52).
  
  South of Nowhere
  
• Parts 1 & 2 of Wet Sand by lovelucklyrics (South of Nowhere fanfiction).