In case anyone else is curious about the e-Bookman:

- the screen text display is crisp, crisp, crisp. Absolutely readable.
- the backlight is perfect. It is actually easier to read with the backlight in a pitch-black room than during the day. The backlight is not effective in daylight.
- The latest software is required for the OS before you can transfer any files to a MultiMedia Card (purchased separately, up to 64 MB).
- You can get free downloads of news from various sources on a daily basis.
- Franklin's own e-book store is pretty slim pickin's, but they offer links to some stores with lots of books.
- audiobooks.com has tons of audio books, but the quality, while listenable, is not great. Sounds like a low-end MP3.
- there is a flaw in the software that causes a "skip" in audio every 15 seconds or so; no audio is lost, but the skip is annoying. There is a rumour about an upcoming fix.

This is a great tool. I can buy books very cheaply on the Web and get them downloaded instantly. There is a library of probably 10,000 classics, all free. You can bookmark your page, and you can set the Bookman so it returns to where you were last time you powered down.

Add to that some fun games, and the toolset (PIM-like apps as found on Palms), and the synchro-capability with MS Outlook and other apps, and this is becoming indespensible. ... Mike