From the Editor by Craig Stark 28, 4 October 2004

Stop by the Amazon forums on almost any day of the week, and it's likely you'll find a lively debate about the pros and cons of using handheld devices for researching books in the field. I recently test drove one of these - namely, ScoutPal - and quickly concluded that it was something I shouldn't be without a day longer, despite the fact that ISBN-era books aren't my bread and butter. Last week I became a paying subscriber, and my hunch is I won't be unsubscribing anytime soon. ScoutPal owner Dave Anderson confirmed that this was the typical pattern - once he hooks a subscriber, he's usually got 'em for good.

There are some buts here, but they don't have anything to do with the quality of Dave's product or its potential usefulness to you as a bookseller. They have to do with memory - specifically your knowledge of flashpoints, and how ScoutPal may or may not affect things. I'll discuss these issues in today's feature article. By the way, if you're ready to take the plunge with ScoutPal, you can get there from the link in today's article, the link in the email newsletter, or the banner ad appearing near the top of BookThink's web pages. Go. Sign up. You'll be glad you did.

Finally, Pamela Palmer is here again with a third BookTopics entry - Book Photography. If you're not getting bites on your books (or big enough bites), upgrading your photographic skills could help significantly.