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Book IT!

Get IT Done

Information Technology (“IT”) provides a wide variety of entertainment options. With a cursory look, you find immersive videos, impressive images, and a plethora of cleverly written works from millions of authors. While one may argue that the written word alone is not IT, I suggest that it is IT if it is delivered through IT. In this article, I will be discussing eBooks.

Much of our time is spent waiting. Americans may spend almost a year of their lives “waiting”. Waiting at the doctor, waiting for a train or bus, waiting in line for groceries or gasoline. Wait, wait, wait.

I hate waiting. I need to be doing something all the time. I used to carry a paper book everywhere so that I always had something to do. While my home used to be filled with packed bookcases, we downsized a few times and had no room for the books. I jettisoned the paper and I now use Kindle software [almost] exclusively. This allows me to have a book anywhere I am. In fact, I have hundreds of titles at my fingertips wherever I am.

Having a variety of literature at my disposal, makes waiting a pleasant pause. I can always open an eBook and escape. With hundreds of titles on my eBook I can choose a work that suites my mood.

eBooks are shared across devices so that I can read the same work on my laptop, tablet, or phone. Opening an eBook on any platform takes me to where I left off, even when I did so on a different platform.

When I used paper books, I highlighted clever turns of phrase as well as facts that I wanted to remember. To find those highlights later, I needed to fan through the paper pages looking for my highlights. It was manual and I often missed the jewels. With eBooks, once you have highlighted text you can export it to a “notebook”. Now, for each book that I have enjoyed, I have an extract of the best parts to remember and share. One of the powerful functions of an eBook reader is its ability to search. Simply highlight a word or phrase and then hit “search”. You can search in the book – who is Martin again? (You can jump right to where the character was introduced and then jump right back.) You can search the web – show me a picture of the Canola plant. And then jump right back to where you left off. Highlight a word and a dictionary, Wikipedia and translation windows appear.

And while most books are expensive, eBooks can be had for a couple of dollars. Additionally, you can borrow eBooks from the library. No visit required. Just choose the work and it downloads to your devices. And while our local library has many titles on offer, they may have lent out the work you seek. (The library’s license ensures that they only loan out the number of copies that they purchased.) I will share a secret with you. As residents of New York State, we can borrow eBooks from the New York City Public Library. I have never found an eBook at the NYC Library that was not immediately available.

As with paper books borrowed from the library, eBooks must also be returned. But with eBooks, any notes that you exported are yours to keep.

While Information Technology has introduced huge benefits to our lives, at times, it can be frustrating. I hope that you find moments of peace and joy in your use of IT. Find a title you like and book IT.

get IT done

And Think About IT!

Tony Keefe, COO, Entre Computer Services www.entrecs.com

MARCH 2022 The ROCHESTER ENGINEER | 13