Download E-Books Straight to Your BlackBerry with Mobipocket Reader

If you're a BlackBerry owner who likes to read, here's great news: The new version of Mobipocket Reader for BlackBerry lets you download e-books directly to your device. Or, to put it another way, it's like having a bookstore in your pocket.

For those unfamiliar with it, Mobipocket.com is an online e-book store that carries thousands of fiction and non-fiction titles. Mobipocket Reader is the software (also available for Palm, Windows Mobile, and most other portable devices) that lets you view the books on your BlackBerry. The new version adds an over-the-air bookstore, thus allowing you to preview, purchase, and download books -- no PC required. (Take that, Kindle!)

You don't even need a PC to install Mobipocket Reader: Just point your BlackBerry's browser to m.mobipocket.com and you can fetch it over the air.

Admittedly, reading on such a relatively small screen (especially one with such a rotten font) is off-putting to some, but if you're willing to try it for a few days, I think you'll get used to it. I've read countless e-books on my various Palm devices over the years, and I've always loved the convenience. Nothing beats having a good book on hand when you're stuck someplace with nothing to do. [via jkOnTheRun]