eReading on the Android Phone

So I've recently acquired an Android mobile 'phone (an HTC Legend). It's sort of like an iPhone but without having to sign up to the Apple cult. I like it a lot; it does all sorts of clever and amazing things, not least of which is its ability to let me talk to people who are far away ...

But that's all by-the-by - I mention it here because I've been using it for reading and writing and I thought you might be interested in my experiences.

For now, reading. I've never had an eReader before so I was intrigued to know how well it worked, especially as the screen is so small. In fact it's great. Not as good as an old-fashioned paperback, but very, very good. The small screen-size is only a bit of a pain. But it's wonderful to be able to read something when I'm stuck somewhere with my 'phone and no book. I've been reading Kafka's The Metamorphosis waiting to meet the school bus and The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam sitting in a traffic jam. Wonderful; I'm completely sold on it.

The software I've been using is Aldiko, which works very well, although it needs a better selection of books. There are several alternatives available or coming soon. It did have my eBook though - sitting in a cafe I wondered if I could download The Armageddon Machine and read it there and then. A few clicks and it was on my screen. Magical. I didn't read it though - I already know what happens ...

So, I'll stick to paper books for most of my reading, I'm sure. But I can see myself reading more and more electronically too.

As an aside : poetry, I find, works especially well on the smaller screen, because of its typography. On paper, poems tend not to use the full width of the page anyway.

As an aside to the aside : have you read The Rubaiyat of Omar Khayyam? If not, you should. I thought they were going to be heavy going as I don't read too much 12th century Persian poetry. But they're not difficult at all. They're witty, beautiful and engaging. Their basic message is this : live for the moment! Drink! Have fun! I enjoyed them a lot.