What Should I Know About Digital Comics?

As comic book fans who read this blog know, the biggest thing happening in comics right now is the dawn of digital comics. Comics are on the verge of being as downloadable as music and movies have become. But for me, a person who is not the most tech savvy in the world, I'm not sure how I'll fit into the digital comics world.

The thought of downloading comics in a digital format is appealing, certainly from an economic standpoint, assuming they will remain cheaper than their print counterparts. But I fear how convenient or not they are to read in such a format. I've tried reading some of the freebies on Marvel's digital service on their Web site, but I find their reader dreadful. The main devices that digital comics are aimed at are mobile devices rather than desktop or laptop PCs. I don't own an iPhone, iPad, Droid, or Kindle, nor do I wish to get one any time soon, which likely puts me at a strong disadvantage in dipping my toe into the digital comics water.

Even if digital comics are readable on a desktop computer, do I still need a special app or media player to view them, or do I just get to open a pdf and read away? Is one file format better than the other (pdf vs. cbr)? Is one service (Comixology, Longbox Digital, etc.) better than another, although I imagine it's way too early to make that judgement.

If anyone out there has experience with digital comics and these services, please leave a comment and let me know what you think. Thanks!