John Derrick

When I began searching for a good ebook reader I was shocked by what I found.  Not all ebook readers are created equal, as you will soon see…  and just because it is more expensive, doesn’t mean that it is better.

The Amazon Kindle was my first choice for an ebook reader.

I have heard a lot of praise about the Amazon Kindle, from friends, readers of this site and even Oprah.  In fact, I had heard so much hype about this device, I expected to purchase one without a second thought.

BOY WAS I WRONG!

I don’t want anyone to get the wrong idea, the Kindle is an amazing product.  It can download ebooks, magazines and newspapers in minutes, and it doesn’t rely on wifi “hot spots” to do it.  It uses a technology similar to a cell phone, only without the monthly fees and service agreements.

The display is the closest thing to paper to hit the market.  Once the words appear, it does not take any juice for them to remain on teh sreen until the page is turned, so the battery life is incredible.

It feels good in your hands.  It’s the size of a thin book and very light weight.  The page turning on the right and left is intuitive and similar to flipping forward and backward in a real book.  I really like the way it bookmarks a page by making a “dog ear” in it, like we all have done to a paper book at one time.

You can check out this video for an excellent overview of the Amazon Kindle Ebook Reader.

Discover More About The Kindle on Amazon

But the Kindle is NOT the ebook reader for me for one HUGE reason and a couple of smaller ones too.

The main reason I am not buying a Kindle for my ebook reader is because 90% of all the ebooks that I already own, and I own hundreds of them, are in PDF format, and the Kindle does not read PDF ebooks.

I just couldn’t believe that!  An ebook reader that does not read the vast majority of ebook’s on the market!

I can forgive the lack of color…  Yes, I would expect to see full color for the price of the unit, but I could learn to live without it.  After all, the screen is supposed to be eye-strain free and resemble ink on paper, but I guess they have not mastered color ink yet.

I read that Amazon will convert word documents so they can be read on the kindle, and that you have to email the .doc to your kindle.  They charge you a small fee for this, which I also find unacceptable.

#1 The Kindle Ebook Reader should have a port of some kind (USB?) that allows me to connect my PC directly to it and download all of the ebooks that I already own.

#2 It would take a long time to email each ebook I own, one at a time, to be “converted”.

#3 I should not have to pay to be able to read an ebook that I already bought on a device that I already paid for.

So, despite the incredible technology I had to rule the Kindle out.

I took a quick look at Sony’s ebook reader, which had a lot in common with the Kindle, and even though it did have a lower price, it still had the same problems as the Kindle.

Still in shock that these “ebook readers” could not read my ebooks, I moved on to a most unusual device.  Most people would not consider a PSP  (Play Station Portable) when looking for an ebook reader.  I know I never would have thought of it before, but I bought my son a PSP for Christmas so I decided to give it a shot.

There are several options for viewing ebooks on a PSP, and yes there are converters for PDF ebooks.  I tested a few of them but in the end I found it very unreliable.  The load times could be very long (like 15 seconds per page) and some books did not display correctly while others simply would not work at all.

My son was very excited at the idea of using the PSP to view ebooks, because he knew I would then buy one for myself and he hoped that we could play games together.  Unfortunately the PSP would not work for me.

So at this point I was beginning to think that I was out of luck.  I just want to be able to view my ebooks away from my computer.  I don’t want to print out every single book I purchase.

I do own a laptop, and I could use that for reading ebooks, but it is a bit bulky even though it is fairly new.  It has a 15.8″ wide-screen, making it too bulky to carry around in one hand and certainly too large to hold like a book.

That’s when I finally hit on what I needed.   The perfect Ebook reader, which can also play MP3 audio books and even play videos.  With a large enough screen to view an ebook comfortably and yet small enough to hold in one hand.  Best of all, it has 100% compatibility.

It is called a “NETBOOK”.

ASUS Eee PC 900HA 8.9-Inch Netbook (1.6 GHz Intel ATOM N270 Processor, 1 GB RAM, 160 GB Hard Drive, XP Home) Black

Finally I have found the the perfect ebook reader!

I have done a good deal of research online and I can not find anything but praise for this device.  I can’t believe I had never heard of it before.

The unit is about the size of a mousepad, and yet has all the power of a complete PC with a 1 gig of ram (upgradable to 2 gigs).  I never have to worry about compatibility because it runs windows XP and is upgradable to Vista.  It comes with a 160GB hard drive, which can be easily upgraded as well.

You can watch movies on it too, which is handy for any video courses you may have.  I can load that hard drive up with my MP3 audio books too!  I don’t need the webcam built in or the build in microphone, but since it does have WIFI Internet built in, I could use it to make free Skype calls around the world with video.

With the USB ports you can plug anything up to it that you could your home PC.  It has a 5 hour battery time (estimated 3 – 4 hours of video playing) which is more than enough for my needs, but you can buy stronger 6 cell batteries I am told which can last 8 hours or more.

I just wanted an ebook reader, but I can see myself doing so much more with this mini computer.  Because it has a memory reader built in, I can foresee using this on our next family vacation and unloading the pictures from our cameras onto this net-book.   Then you can shoot as many photos as you want because you’ll have a 160GB device you can move them onto.  Much less bulky than a laptop.

I can’t believe I can get all the power of a PC into a little mini-PC NetBook for less than the price of the one color Ebook reader Amazon Kindle.

I should point out that there are even cheaper netbooks without hard drives inside, which you can see here.  I think it is worth it to get the large storage space for a few dollars more.

There are all sorts of these Netbooks on Amazon

My research has led me to choose between Acer and Asus, and I think I am going to go with the ASUS listed here.  I am going to see if I can find it locally tomorrow and if not I will order it online.

I also found free software for this Asus netbook called EeeRotate (eee is the product line for ASUS’s netbooks).  It makes it more easy to read E-books on the Asus netbook by rotating your screen so you can hold it in your hand like an open book.  It also rotates the touch pad also, so it will scroll correctly while rotated.

I am pretty excited to get my hands on this.

I sure wish I could find the 900ha in white though.  Asus says they make it in black, white and grey, but so far everywhere I look I can only find it in black.

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As always, I love to hear what you think, so if you have any ideas or comments… leave a comment below this post!

- John Derrick

written by John Derrick \\ tags: ebook reader, kindle, netbook, pdf reader

My Favorite Product For This Week:

I hope everything is exceedingly well with you and your loved ones this year.  Thank you for being part of this site and part of my life.  It has been a fantastic year and I look forward to more great things in 2009.

I would like to share a family tradition with all of you.  Each year, on Dec 24th, Christmas Eve, we all gather around our Christmas tree and each select one present to open.  Of course we don’t allow the children to open their “main” or biggest present, but everyone gets a present on Christmas Eve.

We all enjoy it and hopefully you will too.

If you have ever wondered, like I have, where the American Christmas comes from, then you are in for a treat.  I want to share with all of you a little book on the History of The American Christmas.

It’s Yours for Free
Click Here To Download It.

You are sure to be surprised as to why we celebrate on Dec 25th, and why we put trees in our houses.

In fact, most people have no idea where any of these things come from:

The Christmas Tree. Hanging Stockings. Christmas Cards. Caroling. Santa Claus. Gift Giving. Egg Nog. The Yule Log.

There is a reason we perform every single Christmas tradition we know today. And some of them may not be why you think!

So please accept my early Christmas Present to all of you.

DOWNLOAD NOW

Happy Holidays one and all.

- John Derrick

written by John Derrick \\ tags: Christmas, free, History of Christmas

My Favorite Product For This Week:

The 11 Forgotten Laws?

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The 11 forgotten laws seminar with Bob Proctor is now over.  I saw that a lot of you attended using the free passes that I gave away.

I am curious as to what everyone thought about it?

You can see some of video clips here and read about the product Bob Proctor has put together, which is called…  you guessed it:  The 11 Forgotten Laws

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Did anyone here purchase the 11 forgotten laws product?

I have to admit, I have not purchased the product yet.  Honestly, I am not sure if I am going to purchase it.

Here is why…

YES, I have been a fan of Bob Proctor’s for many years. He is a well respected teacher by almost everyone.  I know that he was in The Secret, and I know that there is a LOT of BUZZ about this 11 forgotten laws.

BUT….

Even though the economy is falling apart and the news delivers one negative story after another….

My Life Is Great!

Using the Secret Course method, I have lost a LOT of weight, made a LOT of money, found a deep love with my wife and kids that never existed before and possess an attitude of extreme gratitude.

I feel like the luckiest man alive!

I work from home, get to spend time with my kids and feel incredibly optimistic about the future, not just for me, but for the world in general.

I have to ask myself “If it ain’t broke, why fix it?”

Seriously….

I’m not saying that I have all the answers, but when things have been consistently good, and getting better year after year, using the Secret Course, should I dilute my attention by creating 11 rules (or laws) that I must follow?

What I am doing now only takes a few minutes first thing in the morning and a few minutes before I go to bed.  That’s it.

Of course I watched the subliminal videos for awhile and reprogrammed my mind…  but I don’t need them anymore.

Yes….  I am using Brain Evolution to bring me deep calm and relaxation.  IT IS MY STRESS BUSTER!

I believe it also increases my energy and allows me to think clearer. All of which are benefits of meditation, it just so happens that Brain EV takes me into deeper meditation than anything I have tried thus far.

Brain Evolution does NOT try to change the rules or add additional rules onto the law of attraction.

What if by adding more rules, or laws, I become sidetracked, or I find them hard to follow and then find myself feeling negative about not being able to follow them all exactly.

It takes me back to my original question of “If my life is going great… and the law of attraction is flowing through me powerfully, using the Secret Course method, what is my motive to change horses in the middle of the race?”

So what is YOUR opinion on the 11 forgotten laws?

As always…  I love to hear from you.

written by John Derrick \\ tags: 11 forgotten law, Law of Attraction, secret course

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Remember when you were young and everything in the world was fresh and new?

Life was more exciting and full of promise.  I believed I would change the world, and even though I have embarked on a career that has helped many people, when I was a child possibilities were limitless.

One of the amazing things about being a child is getting to do things for the first time.  The world was new and exciting.  Every experience had a first time and nothing compares to the excitement of doing something for the first time.

Remember your first kiss?

Even though I love my wife very much, a simple peck on the lips these days is common place and in fact is expected whenever we part each others company or when she comes home after being out all day.

Remember the first time you drove a car?

My nerves were screaming as I drove my parents car down the highway at night.  Sure, it was a straight stretch of road and today I drive without even noticing it, but the first time was a very different kind of experience.

Those first times make you feel alive.

The first time you vacation somewhere everything it new.  The first time I went to Las Vegas was far more exciting than the third time.  My first trip to Victoria, British Columbia was wonderful and more exciting and fun than any time I have visited since.

How long has it been since you felt alive?

Now that I am in my thirties I have to admit that most of what I do I have done many times before.  It may be comforting, but it doesn’t feel as exciting and vibrant as doing something for the first time.

It doesn’t take any money to do something new.  In fact, you can take something that you do regularly and change it up so that you are doing it in a way that is new and exciting.

Even something as mundane as taking a shower.  Sure, the first time you took a shower by yourself it was probably pretty exciting.  You were not sure how to get the water exactly right and didn’t know how long it would last.  There were new sights and smells and even the feel of the water falling onto your body was a new experience.

Tonight I decided to do something new.  It was on a whim.  Something that I had never done before.  I took a shower in the dark.

If you are anything like my wife, you probably think I am a bit off my rocker, but I assure you that taking a shower in the dark, at least for me, was an exciting new experience.

It was completely dark, so just moving in the bathroom was a new experience.  I noticed that I kept the water extra hot, probably because the blackness around me felt so cold.  Every noise in the house stood out.  Reaching for the shampoo was no problem, but I had to use my sense of smell to find the right bottle among the many bottles that belong to my wife.  Rinsing soap I could not see was an interesting experience.

In essence, I took an otherwise mundane experience and made it into something completely new.

Another option is to take a cold shower, where you only turn on the cold water.  WOW…  that is completely different from what I am used to also.  I guarantee you will feel awake after one of those…  if you can stand it for the length of a full shower.

I just rearranged the furniture in my house and now every room has that new exciting feeling.  My front room is so different that every day when I walk out into it I am surprised.  Sure, the effect will only last for a week or two at tops….  that’s because I will soon be used to it this way.

The other day I bought a new piece of software for editing videos.  The first hour I thought to myself “wow, this is nothing like I’ve ever used before”.  Now, a just a couple days later it has already lost it’s excitement and is just another tool that I enjoy using.

How many gadgets have you bought and were excited to use it for the first time?  New cell phones are a great example of this.  It’s exciting to open the box and play with the new phone discovering all the features, but a month or two later it’s just a phone.

Here are some ideas of ways you can feel young again,

1. Go to a new restaurant

Try to pick somewhere with a new kind of food that you have never tried. Mexican, Greek, Indian, Russian, Middle Eastern, Tai, Chinese, Mongolian, Cajun, Sushi, or something you have never tried before.

2. Try a new sport you’ve never tried.

3. Try using your non-dominant hand for a day.
It’s amazing how strange it feels to do something with my left hand.  Even something as simple as signing my own name.

4. Take part in an activity new to you…
Try your hand at bingo or a play a game of pool or use a batting cage.  The world is full of activities that most of us have not tried.  You don’t have to be good at it in order to enjoy doing something new.

5. Get involved with a charity or community service.
Volunteering is a great way to interact with others and give back to the community at the same time. And sharing your time is not just good for your mental health. Researchers at Johns Hopkins University, found that as older adults participated in Experience Corps, they showed both mental and physical improvements, including increased strength and endurance. By choosing activities that are personally rewarding, you may discover similar benefits.

6. Be a tourist in your own town!
You’ll be surprised how much there is to do right where you live!  Contact your local chamber of commerce or look your city or area up in Google.com  and you’ll be amazed at what you find to do and sights to see you probably never seen in your own area.

7.  Join a Local Group.
You can check out the website:  http://www.meetup.com/ and see what is going on where you live.  There are thousands of groups of people getting together for everything you can imagine and more.

8. Explore a new area.
It doesn’t have to be anywhere in specific, you could drive to a city that you have never been to before and spend the day exploring all the neat sights, sounds and local shops.  If you prefer the outdoors, when not hike a new trail or visit a lake or camp grounds you’ve never been to.

9. Explore New Romance, or Re-Kindle An Existing Romance.
It doesn’t matter how long you have been together with your spouse, you can rekindle that spark and find brand new excitement.  Share a candlelit dinner, create a thoughtful gift or take your partner out dancing.  Suprise him or her with something brand new and you may just find yourself pleasantly surprised with a new romantic excitement…  just like in the “good ole days”.

If your single, try dating someone unique or unusual and explore outside your normal comfort zone.

Of course, if you really want to spice things up in the bedroom….  you may want to explore 500 Love Making Secrets. It’s even Oprah approved!  Okay… nuff said on that.

10.  One of the best ways to feel young, and keep your mind young…  is to challenge your mind with something brand new.
Learning a new language is one of the surest ways to keep your mind young.  Rocket Spanish, is supposed to be the fastest way to begin speaking Spanish.  No only does it keep your mind young, but it opens the door to a whole new world of conversation and eaves dropping.  You’d be amazed at what Spanish speaking people will say to each other in front of you because they presume you can’t understand what they are saying.  That alone makes for great fun.

If you have any additional ideas on how to feel mentally young again, please leave your comments below!

written by John Derrick \\ tags: alive again, feeling young

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