Playaway Digital Booksby Lauri Griffin | More from this Blogger 11 Dec 2007 01:19 PM Our library has a new item called "Playaways". These are pre-loaded digital audio books. The playaway device is a 2 ounce box. It's smaller than an altoid tin so the device can be tucked into a pocket. It comes with an attached lanyard so the listener can wear the playaway device like a necklace. It uses a AAA battery. You will also need a pair of earphones. All in all, I like my Ipod Nano better. Our library also offers e-books for downloading. But the playaways are a nice alterative. The ability to "bookmark" passages is a definite plus. You hit the bookmark button and can return to it at any time. I also like the ability to pick the levels of voice speed! It's sort of a cross between speed reading and speed listening. I also like that when you turn off the playaway it automatically saves your place. When you turn it back on there's no fumbling to find the right chapter or passage. The playaway provides 10 levels of volume the listener can cycle through. You can also rewind or fast forward. Plus you can skip ahead or back an entire chapter or skip to your bookmarks. The tiny screen shows how much time is remaining in the current chapter and how much battery power you have left. I like to check out the playaway books for days when I'm cleaning house. Having the player around my neck works great for moving around the house. I can also stop and start it easily when I need to. You can buy your own playaway books. They run from around thirty to fifty dollars. The company also offers a half price deal when you return the playaway and purchase another. This seems expensive to me. I'm glad our library offers the playaways for free. If you knew several people who liked to trade books then the price wouldn't be that bad. There are over 700 books available now in fiction and non-fiction, and current and classic titles. Also See: Using Audio Books During Family Storytime Learn more about Lauri Griffin  Lauri lives in Colorado with her husband and three sons. Amidst all the laundry and packing of lunches, she tries to keep parenting fun. Relevantmedia tags User Comments No comments on this article yet. Be the first to comment! Discuss this article
|
Media Reviews categories |
