Monday, May 30, 2011

The Poor Man's IPad or Android

I've been hearing from friends and readers about the joys of praying the Divine Office with a mobile device. But I wasn't counting on experiencing this anytime soon. My cell phone is a tracfone, and I can't justify getting a "real" cell phone with a monthly plan, web access, etc. I really don't need it. As for an IPad or one of its cheaper Android cousins--I figured  I should make do with the netbook computer I bought two years ago.

Then I researched for an article on  the future of book publishing, speaking to many people in the business who spoke with a mixture of excitement and terror over the ebook revolution. By the time I'd filed the piece with my editor, I was consumed with curiosity and anxious to have a taste of the mobile/digital/e-reading culture. And Mother's Day was fast approaching.


Enter my new Kindle, at the bargain basement price of $114.  I was thrilled to learn that not only does a Kindle put  Jane Austen, GKChesterton, the Bible and the Summa in my purse, but it also has web browsing capability.   So the convenience of a  mobile breviary is mine as well.

I can use DivineOffice.org, which is nice,

Or ibreviary.com, which seems even beter formatted to the Kindle screen, and more readily converted to larger print size than DivineOffice.org
I had no idea Kindle could be so versatile. I know it hasn't got all the bells, whistles, and fancy apps of the other devices, but for a middle aged lady who carries a tracfone, this is the essence of cool.  And now I have no excuse for missing daytime prayer because I'm out doing errands.