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I used to love doing this too, until I realised that helping someone build a PC is the same as signing them up for a lifetime of tech support for free.
“I bought a new printer and plugged it in and it’s not working? Why doesn’t it work? You built the PC, it’s your fault.”
“My ISP told me I need a new wifi router, so I plugged in the new one they sent, now my PC doesn’t have any internet. You built the PC, why doesn’t it work?”
“My colleague told me I need to upgrade my antivirus so I got a Norton subscription, I installed it and now I can’t receive any emails. Come and fix it, you built the PC.”
All 3 of these are real experiences I’ve had. There are countless more. These days I say “I’d love to help you build a PC, but it’s been 15 years since I’ve used windows, I don’t really know how to install it or set it up or use it. I’d be happy to build a PC with a Linux based OS for you.” By that time they’re already finding someone else.
I carry a jailbroken Kobo with wifi disabled. That solves most of the issues you have described here. I sideload DRM-free ebooks. I can’t stand reading text on my phone’s LCD screen (and OLED is worse), but eink screens are totally different, my eyes like them.
That’s exactly what external light means. If you need to sit near a lamp to read your book, then you are relying on external light.
Btw, I agree with the point in general you’re trying to make. Physical books and physical note taking still have a place and are often gone forgotten and underutilized. They can promote greater information retention, due to the tactile experience being mixed into the reading/writing experience.