For my birthday last year, I bought myself a
Kindle. Since then, I have discovered several things I love about it, and a few things that I don't. I love the idea that you can buy a book without leaving your couch, or from anywhere in the world. I love that you can have a full library of books contained in one slim container. I love that any book in the public domain, which includes all the classics and many books that are now out of print, are free for Kindle users. I love that the American Heritage Dictionary is automatically included in your Kindle and if you come across a word you don't know, all you have to do is highlight it and the definition automatically appears (this is definitely one of my favorite features). I love that you can highlight passages and even type notes about passages and that all of your highlights and notes are automatically saved and organized within the device. Also, if you find a passage that you want to share, you can automatically select said passage to be posted on your Facebook page or Twitter account (I have never actually used this feature, but I think it's pretty cool).
So, overall, I think the Kindle is pretty darn awesome. That said, there are three things in particular that I miss about books:
- The smell
- The feeling of paper against my fingertips as I turn actual pages instead of pressing the "Next Page" button.
- I have never once opened a "real" book to find this waiting for me:
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| Day 62: Arrgh! |
It reads "...a few minutes of charging". That's pretty nice. It seems like phones, cameras etc..takes hours. Pretty spiffy.
ReplyDeleteWell, that just means it takes a few minutes before it will start up again. Then, you can use it while it is plugged in and charging, but it will take a while before it is fully charged.
ReplyDeleteHave there been times when you decided to go to the library or bookstore instead of buying the book on Kindle? Are there certain types of books you prefer not to read on it?
ReplyDeleteAny type of book where pictures are really important I refuse to buy on the Kindle, such as cook books, gardening books, etc. But other than reference books such as those, I haven't bought any real books since I bought the Kindle (mostly because I haven't had to...I'm behind on the ones I've got as it is!).
ReplyDeleteMy friend has a Nook and she says you can share/trade books, is that the same with the Kindle? That would make it worth the money for me if I had a few friends to swap with. I've been thinking about asking for one for a gift. It would certainly come in handy during vacations/travel. I, like you, love the feel and smell of pages. I think my fingertips are self soothing or something while I'm reading, bending the pages back and forth. Love the dictionary feature!
ReplyDeleteMel, I wasn't sure about the share/trade feature, so I did a little research and found this on the Amazon website:
ReplyDeleteAmazon Official, posted October 22, 2010
...later this year, we will be introducing lending for Kindle, a new feature that lets you loan your Kindle books to other Kindle device or Kindle app users. Each book can be lent once for a loan period of 14-days and the lender cannot read the book during the loan period. Additionally, not all e-books will be lendable - this is solely up to the publisher or rights holder, who determines which titles are enabled for lending.
So, it is limited, but at least it exists. It's a start! :)
Thanks for researching for me. :)
ReplyDeleteInteresting! The limits do make sense, to get the author properly paid. I didn't think about that. I could see how electronic sharing can get out of hand.
Got Lit in the hardcopy and also easy listening CD for the commute from the library. hee hee.