Summer reading can be fun, and Microsoft’s new promotion makes it even more fun by giving reading a high-tech edge and offering e-books for free. For the next 20 weeks (July 2003 to November 2003), you can visit the Microsoft Reader Web site and download three e-books for free. As I write this, the current titles are Candy & Me by Hillary Liftin, Last to Die by James Grippando, and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson. Future titles include: The Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan, Get Shorty by Elmore Leonard, The Sinister Pig by Toby Hillerman, and The Blind Assassin by Margaret Atwood.
To view the books, you download the free Microsoft Reader software. E-books can be viewed on any computer screen, although portable devices such as Pocket PCs, tablet PCs, and laptops are more conducive to reading books. Also, the LCD screens found in most laptops and Pocket PCs, produce a clearer, more readable type and are easier on the eyes when reading for long periods of time.
Three free books are offered each week, and the previous weeks offerings are removed, so you must visit the site each week to download your books. Remember, you can always download the books now and read them later. I will be downloading all the books offered, just to bolster my e-book library. I find that I really enjoy reading e-books on my Pocket PC, especially when I travel.
Microsoft is using this promotion to expose more people to their Microsoft Reader program. First rate books for free – this is one you may want to check out!
