I WANT an e-book reader and I must have one!  I am tired of all the books I buy and having to keep up with them.  I have broke down my thoughts and would love any comments to help me finally decide.

Kindle 

The kindle with its low price has me wanting to go that direction more than any other.  I know what type of books I like to read and amazon book store has most of the titles available for the Kindle.  The e-ink and battery life of the new generation is very attractive.  The big downside, I don't get all the cool features of the iPad.  Apps, web surfing and so on.

Nook

In my opinion, I feel like this is a very similar product to the Kindle.  Barnes and Nobles saw the success of the Kindle, tweaked and added some features and called in Nook.  To me, there just does not seem to be enough originality to make me want to chose one over the other.  Additionally, when I searched the BN site for books I like to read, less were available for the nook than the Kindle.  I welcome someone to prove me wrong on this one and bring up some points I have missed.

iPad

Total awesomeness.  I want it!  But wait, reports I have read say two things bad.  1. it's not that great of a platform to read books on.  2. because of the light it emits, the iPad is more like watching TV than reading a book.  Meaning that my sure fire way of getting sleepy, reading, now is going to keep me awake.  Apple's selection doesn't seem to be that great right now (at least for the books I like to read).  But it is Apple, that will change.  I can't remember that last time I bought music anywhere but iTunes.  We all know Steve Jobs wish is for the same thing to happen with books and media in general.  We are now saying, "what's a CD?", but Steve Jobs wants us saying "What's a book" or "What's a Magazine".      

Wrapping it up

What's makes this the hardest for me to decide is that I am cheap.  I want to be a cool kid and have an iPad.  But it's the most expensive option. My other issue in general is that a recent report shows that people read much slower on the "ebooks" than real paper.

Wondering what you can do to help the suffering in Haiti?  Here are some practical suggestions.

Make a CWS Kit  - For those seeking additional ways beyond donations, Church World Service, a key relief partner of the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ) is providing hygiene, infant and medical kits. These kits are assembled by volunteers and shipped to people in need.   For individuals or groups wanting to assemble kits, visit the link listed.  Kits can be dropped off at the Religious & Spiritual Life Office in the first floor of Jarvis Hall at TCU. http://www.churchworldservice. org/kits_main

Stay Aware and Involved - Various departments and student groups will be coordinating their own efforts in the months ahead. Post what you're doing at the Facebook group "Horned Frogs Reaching Out to Haiti" or email faith@tcu.edu to receive occasional updates and let us know what you're doing.

Volunteer Locally - by getting involved with our local Chisholm Trail American Red Cross chapter, you join others who provide assistance during various disasters and relief efforts.  This can include providing safety and health services, transportation, education, disaster services and much more.  Click here to volunteer http://chisholmtrail.redcross. org or email faith@tcu.edu if you're interested in Red Cross volunteering and training with others at TCU.

A List of Selected Agencies Providing Assistance:
Visit the sites of the organizations below to give online:

    The American Red Cross International Response Fund  
          http://www.redcross. org

    Partners In Health Haiti Earthquake Fund
      http://www.pih.org

   Disciples of Christ Week of Compassion Fund
      http://weekofcompassion. org
   
   UNICEF Haiti Earthquake Fund  
    http://www.unicefusa.org

    International Medical Corps, Earthquake in Haiti Fund
      http://www.imcworldwide. org

    Mercy Corps Haiti Earthquake Fund
      http://www.mercycorps. org
  
    Doctors Without Borders
      http://www. doctorswithoutborders.org
  
    Oxfam Haiti Earthquake Response Fund
      http://www.oxfamamerica. org

    Catholic Relief Services
      http://www.crs.org

    American Jewish World Service Earthquake Relief Fund
      http://www.ajws.org
 
   CARE
      http://www.care.org

    International Rescue Committee IRC Haiti Crisis Fund
      http://www.theirc.org