Books and Good Reading.
The
cool guide to living in Crete:
Technical
Review.
This review is intended to be read in conjunction with the book
indicated. It is the first technical review we have produced. Hopefully
it will encourage readers of the traditional book to take the plunge and
try an e-book. They really are good and for those with special accessibility
needs of any kind, offer an almost instant solution to many of the
problems which bar the way to independence. Or who, perhaps like me,
just want someone else to read my bed-time story - when I am
ready!
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Title: The
cool guide to living in
Crete
:
Author:
Carol
Palioudaki.
ISBN 1 84481 129 8 Publisher: Cool Publications Limited.
2005.
Price:
CD 8.99 GBPounds (€13) or Computer Download: 3.99 GBPounds
(€6).
CD Delivery: Europe 7
days. Rest of the World 14 Days.
Source: www.coolpublications.com.
The Cool Guide to Living in Crete: The Technical Review.
Well,
I enjoyed reading Ann’s review – she has, apart from being an
outstanding reviewer, direct personal experience of
planning and implementing her own move from
the UK to her own home here on Crete which she and partner Richard
had built for them. Navigating
and negotiating their own way each step of the rather twisty road.
BUT, the technology is mine!! And
so is reviewing it….. So
here we go…
Download or CD Purchase. We downloaded copy of the book and saved to CD.
Remember though that there are many extras on the CD version produced by
the publisher. Our copy runs perfectly every time we use it.
Much easier and a lot faster than visiting a bookstore seeking a
title, only to find it out of stock and having to await the next delivery.
Downloaded, I have it
now, in my hands so to speak.
The PDF format (both CD and download) files run perfectly on Adobe Reader (everyone and his dog has it
or can get it – free) and my only concern is what do I do if a shop-purchased
CD version fails after use or is
damaged? The answer is
possibly to make a back-up copy when you first get it.
Our download worked perfectly. Remember though that the
quality of a download, where and how you save or back-up your copy depends
mostly upon you and your equipment, the type of connection you have and the
load on the connection (how many people are online). As, equally
importantly, does the speed of the download. Buyers
of the downloaded E- Book get the benefit the publisher’s archived copy.
Get a new copy as and when required at no charge other than your internet
connection. Excellent insurance…
The book. It looks like a
book; it works like a book; the presentation is very clear and, more to
the point from where I sit, it is far more available than any paper copy
can ever hope to be. Accessibility
must be close to 100%. The
type is clear (fonts can be changed as desired and can be varied between 8.3 - 6400%!!)
and if that is not the answer, your computer should be able to read the
whole thing to you - aloud! Links are colour coded; and additional comments
are
made directly by placing your cursor over a red
which throws up an information box instantly. Try
it here. Excellent.
The links (both internal and external) are colour coded light blue and
although the text usually depicts which sort of link you are going to
(another page or an external website) this is not always the case.
More significant, perhaps, is that if you use an internal link to
move to another page there is no direct link to take you back.
Just don’t be lazy - remember the page number you are leaving! You
can type into the page number box in the Adobe reader for an instant fix!
But then it is a bit disappointing, having been led into laziness by the ease
and speed of navigating the book, not to have someone show me the way
back. There is a ‘Back’ button, but it takes you only to the previous
page.. However, this is a
general problem with hyperlinked navigation, not just this book.
But, back to my
deckchair and sunshine, which is where presumably a good number of
readers either are already or want to be.
Scattered throughout is a small icon of a tape recorder  .
Usually alongside a Greek
word in brackets. Click the
tape recorder, speak instant Greek.
Very well done. Congrats!! But
in the section on Greek Language there are no tape recorders….
And maybe room for a few for the section on telecommunications
– in a panic it may be helpful to understand the standard operator
responses from the various services. There
is a good selection of Greek language medical pronunciations on pP112,
but I would have loved to have seen this feature on p88 Appendix#1 –
‘Name Days Feature’.
Value for money. So what do you get for your money? Well,
this book itself can answer a whole host of questions even before you
buy your ticket to Crete. Knowing
where to go and who to see can save you endless trouble and possible
strife. The download gives
you, depending upon your connection type and speed much of the
information you could ever seek almost immediately. ADSL (Broadband) can
provide it in around 30 seconds; ISDN a few minutes; and standard
dial-up? Well the theory is about 1.5 hours…. Not too bad, but on
Sunday, with the world and America on line, I was offered 4 hours plus
on an Intel Centrino 1.5 Ghz laptop with 512Mb Ram. If this is you then
get the CD – you can order at any book shop. Or, of course, directly
from the publisher.
Cool publications tell us that “Alongside the book, the CD packs a
host of extra features: the latest Acrobat Readers; interactive digital
magazines; unique screensavers; MP3 Files; a photo-album of Crete; and so
on. The download (e-book) is available only through our website but the
CD can be ordered through any bookshop". Good value?
Excellent, either way.
Conclusion. There is something here for everyone who is contemplating living in
Crete and although this part of the review is supposedly technical –
maybe the advice on pages 129-130 applies:- Fruit and Wine by the Kilo!
Olive Oil & Tsikouthia in bulk! Top up your glass before it is
empty! Grow a big ‘tash
and flick your worry beads!
Measuring; counting; using your judgment and worrying if you have it
right – all technical skills, or so I claim! And at a maximum of 13
Euros the CD, or 6 Euros for the download, Carol Paloudiakis book will
tell you just how its done!!
Nice one Carol Palioudaki. Nice
one Cool Publications.
Yassas. .
Reviewer.
WB.
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