The Amazon Kindle
July 13th, 2008I don’t have one…but I have been doing a lot of thinking lately about the Kindle from Amazon.com. The Kindle is a digital reader…basically an iPod for reading. You can buy books ($9.99 each) and download them to the Kindle to read wherever you are. The device can hold about 200 books and has wireless ability for access to the Kindle store from anywhere. You can also get newspaper and magazine subscriptions automatically sent to your Kindle when the new issue comes out.
Physically, the Kindle is 10 oz and 7.5″ x 5.3″ and it is surprisingly thin at 0.7″.
My main concern (apart from the $359 price tag) is that I think it would be weird to read a book on a computer screen. I certainly don’t like reading e-books on the computer. It’s difficult to do. But all the reports I have read about the Kindle says the screen is amazingly comfortable to read on. They say it doesn’t feel like you are looking at a screen.
My other concern is not being able to physically own the book. I like my mini-library that I have. I like sitting in my chair and turning the paper pages. I like seeing my progress towards the end of the book.
Again…I have never used a Kindle. I don’t think I have plans to buy one (although if someone wants to send one to me to test…I would certainly appreciate it!).
I am interested, however, in what you think about the Kindle. Do you have one? Do you like it? Hate it?
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July 14th, 2008 at 1:57 pm
I can’t get past the $9.99 a book. Do you know I can get hardbacks for that cost? When the price of downloads drop more than that, I’m in.
July 14th, 2008 at 5:49 pm
i agree–how about 9.99 vs the library? Also, i agree that there is something comforting about books…to see, to touch, to even have on your shelves. Although i read news online, i still hold onto a standard newspaper–it seems so much easier to peruse. i can’t imagine flipping through a magazine with all the photos, or a book with photos or illustrations on the Kindle. And what about lending a favorite book to someone? Ah, but who knows? Someday we may wonder how we ever lived without it!
July 14th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
hey – we’ve just started a book lovers and kindle owners social network (amaonkindle.ning.com). it’s still in alpha – however there are a lot of kindle owners and if you’d like you can go on there and post in the forums or ask the people in the kindle owners group.
in particular i think you should get their input on the eInk screen which is very easy to read on.
you’ll definitely get your questions about the kindle answered.
July 14th, 2008 at 6:31 pm
edit: it’s amazonkindle.ning.com. i misspelled the name
July 15th, 2008 at 3:54 pm
I’m not into the whole Kindle thing. It’s not like books aren’t mobile. You can already easily carry them with you wherever you go. Sure, it saves space at your house, but unless you live in extremely minimalistic architecture, I’d think you’d want your books to take up some space. It makes everything more cozy.