As seen here, in an attempt to get more people to use Microsoft Reader they are offering free downloads of e-book bestsellers for the next 20 weeks.
You have to do all that activation malarky (and I know some of you are not too keen on that - Hell, I’m not too keen on it), but in return you be able to download 3 e-books a week. The ones available this week are -
Candy & Me by Hillary Liftin
Last to Die by James Grippando
and A Short History of Nearly Everything by Bill Bryson
Thanks! I’ll check it out.
I don’t have a PocketPC and I won’t be tied to my computer for reading books! Maybe if I had a laptop…
but I don’t.
Oh well…
I’m all over it just for the Bryson book! (I’m hoping I’ll be able to convert it to the reader on my Handspring.)
Let us know if you figure out a conversion… I’m addicted to e-books on my Handspring too…
Is this working for anyone? I see 2 announcements of the free offer, but can’t find the books actually available for download.
Try going here Harriet:
http://www.microsoft.com/reader/promotions/free_shop.asp
I had to re-activate my reader for some reason, but it worked.
Pocket PCs are uncomfortable for reading, and laptops are huge for a book. Maybe we need some good e-books readers.
Still no luck. And Revtim, if there’s a link in your post, I don’t see it.
Could the problem be because I use the Tablet PC version on this machine?
You don’t see the link? That’s odd, it’s the second line of the post. Anybody else not see it? Maybe because I made the with Mozilla it’s hosed up. Lemme try again:
FWIW, I still don’t see the link.
Perhaps this is just an extensive, elaborate, practical joke on ME??
GOTCHA!!!
Just kidding. Can anybody else tell me if they see the links in my last two posts?
Maybe the colors are set differently on your machine Harriet, and the backround=foreground. Try highlighting my entire posts, and maybe you’ll see the links.
I see the links… But I could be hallucinating.
I haven’t tried e-books before. Exactly how much of a pain in the ass is it to read one off of a laptop?
No, even highlighting I don’t see the links. There appears to be only one blank space after “again:” in your second post. Too strange!!
And I see chestnutmare is in on the whole thing, too…
If it’s not too much trouble, could you try posting the link in non-html format, so I can paste into my browser?
No problem Harriet. I’ll uncheck the “Automatically parse URLs:” option:
This week’s free titles:
I Am Madame X by Gioia Diliberto
Open Innovation by Henry Williams Chesbrough
Joy Luck Club by Amy Tan
Kal, thanks for the heads up! 
Totally cool, Kal! I’ve not tried ebooks yet and this is a grand opportunity for me.
Thanks Much! 