To much information, yet not enough.

[Penforhire]

E-books are just another form of electronic file. If you want to preserve the file for indefinite future use you need to take the same actions you would for digital photo files. Copy them to back-up media (store some off-site) and/or store them in a cloud service.

If you have the file on a single hard drive and it crashes or burns up in a fire it is gone. Depending on where you obtained that file you might also be able to re-download it from the same vendor, assuming they are still around.

If you have a longer view there is yet another task, copying back-up files to current storage media as old ones go obsolete. See any floppy drives (any size) on recent PC's? I consider that dead media. CD-R's are not "dead" yet but they probably will be in less than a decade.

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by Penforhire

E-books are just another form of electronic file. If you want to preserve the file for indefinite future use you need to take the same actions you would for digital photo files. Copy them to back-up media (store some off-site) and/or store them in a cloud service.

If you have the file on a single hard drive and it crashes or burns up in a fire it is gone. Depending on where you obtained that file you might also be able to re-download it from the same vendor, assuming they are still around.

Very important point. Backup always and often.

Personally I backup to a USB flash drive (almost daily) and DropBox (my Calibre library syncs there) and to a USB hard drive and other media (such as DVD) less often, but usually monthly.

[FatDog]

The beauty of Amazon is they remember your library. You can read any of your books on your phone, your kindle, your computer, your tablet, etc.

When one of our kindles broke during a trip - they sent a replacement, we turned on the new Kindle, told it our account and password and it made all the books available.

If you want to buy ebooks from other sites like Fictionwise or others - they usually remember your bookshelf but you do download the files. This means you are responsible for copying the files, making backups, etc.

If you are not comfortable with regular backups, burning copies to recordable CD/DVD disks, etc - just go with a Kindle and let Amazon take care of it.

Some advice:

Get a second credit card to use just for internet transactions. Ideally you put the card in the name of your family trust so the debt/credit/ownership can be given to your heirs.

Create a new Amazon account tied to this credit card and use this account for the Kindle purchases.

Do you have a computer or a tablet or an Android phone? Download the Kindle app and try reading. You dont even need to have a physical kindle.

If you decide you like the experience - consider one of the now $69 Kindles. Basic e-ink but is lightweight and you can read in bed. Add a cover for $30.

If you have NOT dove into the tablet devices but are curious - consider the Nexus 7 or perhaps the newer Kindle HD.

[piperclassique]

Just on a sidenote piperclassigue. with the fact the John Lewis in the UK will be selling the nook, wont that mean that they will have to start selling the ebooks as well from B & N

Yes, I expect so. Doesn't help anyone in mainland Europe though