Yes, I broke down and got one. With all the reading I do for Bookmarks and in my spare time, I decided to take the plunge and get Amazon’s Kindle (version 1.1—not the smartest thing to do, I realize, but someone needs to check out the electronic reader concept for those not daunted by the hefty $399 price tag, no?).
And… I love it. The Kindle will never replace the stacks of books, magazines, and newspapers lying around the office and home. It will never mimic the smell of a new book, the excitement of browsing the titles in a bookstore or library, or the joy of flipping through the pages to read the ending first. Simply put, it will never replace paper and the printed word.
But: I love it anyway, and this is why:
1) Portability: When I travel, I don’t want to lug around six books. The Kindle can hold about 200 books, with the option of using Amazon to store even more books and switch them in and out of the Kindle.
2) Web access: The Kindle offers free access to the Internet via the Sprint network. Sure, the Web browser is a little rudimentary, and its purpose is to allow users to purchase books from Amazon (books download in about a minute; I tried it), but for a Luddite like me who has shied away from PDAs and iPhones, having portable Web access is kind of new and fun. That’s all.
3) Free books: Amazon wants users to purchase books from Amazon, but some blogs pointed me to free e-book sites with books in the public domain, including http://manybooks.net. It’s a good chance to brush up on the classics.
4) Readability: The Kindle screen isn’t as large as even a paperback, but I find it extremely readable (it has an e-ink technology that mimics a printed page). And, it’s nice to be able to increase the font size.
5) It’s easy: Technology is not my forte, but using the Kindle is easy. I figured it out even without the directions that supposedly came with it but did not… sort of.
Are there any downsides? Sure. I can’t figure out the whole bookmarking thing yet, the built-in dictionary doesn’t contain Indian slang (I’m reading Rohinton Mistry’s Family Matters), I keep turning the “next page” tab by mistake, and it’s an expensive toy to buy and maintain. And, it can’t do everything—but nor is it meant to. For me, it’s simply a convenient and fun supplement to the printed word. But will I carry a few books with me when I travel just in case? Probably.
Any thoughts out there on e-readers?
Best,
Jessica Teisch
(Bookmarks Managing Editor)
Ereader
I too have a Sony Ebook and totally, totally love it. Would have got a Kindle but was unable to get one. The Sony is great. It is so nice not having to carry all those books. I seem to read a lot faster for some reason. I love how fast they download. The selection is awsome so far, and the cost is something I can live with. Why is it that most look at this like something from another planet, and seem to think you have to be a computer geek?? This is the greatest think since sliced bread. I know the future will bring many improvements to both models. So, why I ask does not Amazon and Sony get together and offer us more choices and perhaps even more models??
This is the future of books, so come on people lets all get on the boat!! LOL
Thanks for the review
A friend and I were just talking about this last night and saying how great it sounded, so it's nice to know it really is great. I'm glad my house isn't in its service area, though, since I would be too sorely tempted to blow $400 on it that I don't have!