My Mom Always Said I Was a Winner...

I am not what you would call a "lucky" person. For most of my life, I was the complete opposite of lucky. When it comes to things like raffles, my name or number is never called. When it comes to office lottery pools, my co-workers would be more likely to hit a few numbers if my name and money were not attached to them.

However, when it comes to our building's Holiday Raffle, my company seems to forget all of that, and I actually make out quite good.

Last year, in a raffle of "Last Man Standing" (in which everyone's name is entered into a lunch box and the prizes start out small and increasingly get larger), I somehow ended up being one of a pair facing off for the chance to win a flat screen TV. I lost the TV to the other guy, but ended up walking away with a brand new Wii system.

This year, I found myself in the same situation. It was down to me and one other person, facing off for the Flat Screen TV. Whoever's name was called next walked away with an eReader, and the "Last Man Standing" took home the TV.

I knew the other person was silently chanting for my name to be called, and to be honest, so was I. I already have two large Flat screens, and had no clue how I would even get it home... and I secretly wanted to have a go at an eReader.

Would you believe that my name was called next?? The people I work with were all thrilled I got it, since they all know how big of a book nerd I am. And we all immediately tore open the box to see what kind it was.

A Quick Look at the iView 700 EB

I had never heard of it - and as soon as I got home, I googled it. It's an iView 700EB with a 7" LCD screen. No Wifi - which means I have to download directly from my PC, which is ok, because I have a handful of PDF files already stored, so it was quick drag and drop into the eReader. It also means I will not have to curb the urge to download when I am out and about, spending money I probably shouldn't on yet another book!

The iView is backlit - which is very similar to reading off of a computer screen, and seems a bit harsh on the eyes - and displays color.

One thing I noticed right from the start - Not all eBooks are formatted to fit the screen of the iView. After a quick scan of the user manual, I was able to figure out how to adjust the font size and get the text to fit on the "page". The options are basically Small, Medium, or Large. Sometimes Large is too big too fit on the page, and Medium is too small. Other times it was a perfect fit. Knowing myself like I do, I foresee that being a point of frustration and aggravation.

Page breaks appear to be alright for the most part, but again, it depends on how the eBook was originally formatted (I assume) because of the 9 I downloaded tonight, a few wouldn't line up properly no matter what font I chose.

The scroll and 'next page' buttons are simple enough and located along the right hand side of the screen. On the left, there are menu numbers, for easy selection when viewing the main menu.

I have the capability of storing and viewing video, music, and photos on the iView as well, which is pretty neat. It's almost like a mini-computer minus the internet, in that sense. Depending on how much storage space I need (this thing holds 2GB on it's own, but I can increase that with a memory chip), I could potentially use this as a backup for my more precious photos and music.

What to Expect From Me

Yes, I have been fighting the good fight against the eReader craze, and believe me when I say, if I had not won one, I am pretty sure I would never have bought one, or allowed one to be bought for me. Nothing will ever EVER be able to replace the feeling of holding and reading an actual, physical made-of-paper book.

But, since I have one, I totally plan on using it, and testing it out. Who knows. I might surprise myself and really like it, and maybe, just maybe, want to upgrade to something more high tech - like a Kindle or Nook.

Though that is really pushing things a bit far for the moment. What you can expect from me right now is a product review - as I use it and become more comfortable with it, I will be posting my experiences with it here on the blog.

Feel free to follow along, share your own eReader likes and dislikes... and root me on as I tackle the world of digital reading... one itty bitty baby step at a time!

(by the way, Amazon is the only site I could find a customer review on. There was one review, and the person gave it one star. This could get interesting!!!!)