A friend emailed me quite a while back (sorry Mark!) about this cool new device from Amazon.com, and at first I was skeptical, but now I think this thing could be the coolest new device I've seen in a long time.
The Kindle is an automatic book reader that holds over 200 titles. It's the size of a paperback book, weighs about 10 oz, has an electronic-paper display that eliminates eyestrain, and doesn't require any wireless plan. Amazing! You can download from a huge list of titles (books, magazines and newspapers) right from Amazon's Kindle store and most books cost $9.99 or less. You can also subscribe to blogs as well as house Word documents and photos on it. Check out the demo video in the Kindle link to see even more cool features. The downside is that the cost of the unit is $399 and they are currently out of stock because demand has been so high.
I am really excited by this technology. It seems like such a great way to travel lighter (I have a serious over-packing problem). On the other hand, one of my favorite things to do on vacation is walk around the pool or down the aisle of the plane and observe what everyone else is reading. I love the smell of a new book and the feeling I get when I crack it open to the first chapter. I even have a dictionary in my nightstand in case I need to look up a word in a hurry and don't want to leave the warm sheets! But Kindle has a built-in dictionary – oh I am so torn! I'm thinking I will wait for the price to go down (it always does) and try one out. It will never replace the real thing, but I'm techie enough to want one. Unless of course someone needs a good gift idea for me....
No worries Amy G. Pretty cool device for someone who travels and is an avid reader for sure. Load it up with a list like you keep and off you go. I wonder though, would you miss the tactile part of the reading experience? Sometimes the feeling of turning the pages and even the smell of an old book adds to the joy of reading. At least for me anyway.
ReplyDeleteI agree, Mark, nothing can replace the real thing. I love books so much and look forward to the day that I can have a home library. But I think the kindle would be a fun alternative now and then!
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