[pct-l] Books on the Trail Question

[Bill Batchelor]

I would consider getting a device really geared toward book listening if
possible.  Years ago I listened to books from Audible.Com and got a free
player for my annual subscription.  This device and service combination had
a few advantages:

1. The books are divided into chapters/sections.  So, you can easily skip
forward from chapter to chapter.  Many other forms of books on tape or
podcasts are one long continuous recording.
2. On most players, once you turn off the device it resets without any
knowledge of where you were.  So, think of a six hour read, you are in the
middle of hour four somewhere.  When you turn the device back on you need to
FFwd stopping, listening... ...  Or, you need to remember to write down the
minute/second count before you stop it.
3. The free player I received is called an Otis.  Two AAA and weighs only
2.0 ounces without batteries (2.8 with).  It also has an SD expansion slot
so new books could be on a card in resupplies.  Not sure if this is such a
big deal with all the memory of an ipod you could have all the books you
need.  However, with Audible.Com the subscription comes with a couple free
books a month (they have various offers), and SD cards in the mail shipping
the next free one might be a nice option.  The Otis remembers where it was
when it was shut off and has a nice feature that is a skip forward or back 8
seconds (for that "what did he just say?").

Audible can be a bit pricey, but I have not looked at their rates for years.
Much time has gone by since I used this type of service, but the list of
problems and solutions are still valid and may give you some good questions
to ask.  I think I remember seeing some sort of a link between Itunes and
Audible and maybe many of these listening features can not be done just as
well with current Ipods.  

I hope this helps,
Bill B  aka Ezhno