Monday, March 9, 2009

Dreaming of a Kindle

I have been thinking about a Kindle (electronic reading device) since it first came out, I guess about two years ago. I saw the Amazon video featuring Toni Morrison on how she uses and appreciates the Kindle. Or was that just an ad? I can imagine for an author and a voracious reader as Toni, a Kindle makes a lot of sense. Imagine her toting ten books along with her on overseas journeys or she could just bring along one little Kindle on which she can store thousands of books.

One reason I didn’t immediately purchase a Kindle is I’ve been waiting for the price to come down. But now there’s the Kindle 2, the updated version that even reads to you and is about $50.00 less than the original version. You could use the speaking option when you’re driving or when your eyes are just too tired to read. I’ve also been trying to figure out how I feel about reading books on an electronic device? My friend Sujatha, is the only person I know of who has a Kindle and she really likes it.

When Oprah mentioned that you could look up a word instantly on a Kindle, that idea really appealed to me. I also like the fact that you can download a book from anywhere in less than 60 seconds. I almost convinced an elder who is an avid reader to consider the Kindle. She was sold on the idea at first. But she thought that the books downloaded for free. When she found out she had to pay $9.99 for each book download, she was no longer interested. She just recently gave into the idea of using the Internet and is intrigued with her new hobby of purchasing used books on Amazon for a fraction of their original cost. But I'm convinced that she will eventually cross over to a Kindle.

But hey, I’m not trying to sell you a Kindle; I’m actually trying to get one myself. So I just want to know what do you think about the idea? Do you have a Kindle? Have you considered getting one? Do you have a romantic relationship with dusty old books and can’t imagine cuddling up to an electronic book? Tell me your thoughts.

3 comments:

  1. I think you should get a Kindle. I'd love to have one. It would be so convenient! It would become another indispensible piece of technology. You will probably end up loving it for reasons you hadn't even imagined.

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  2. I'm not a big reader, but I would miss having the feel of a book with the colorful covers and notes from other authors on the back. I feel the same way with downloading music. I may download a song if I only want that particular song, but I still would like to have the CD. Some covers are very artistic, and I enjoy reading details on musicians, background singers, notes from the artist, lyrics, etc. Who knows? I may try it out one day.

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  3. BUY IT!!.. I have the Kindle 2 and I love it. I too thought I would miss the "feel of a book" but I really dont. Its a little smaller than a hard cover book,the only thing you will really miss is the page turning. The best feature is the ability to buy and download books instantly directly from the Kindle. I usually have the Kindle in my bag, so when I hear about a book that I want to read, I can get it instantly and not have to wait for it to come in the mail or to get by a book store. I am a member of a book club and the search feature comes in handy when I am need to find a passage quickly.....it is pricey but you will enjoy it.

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