This is an older article which I wrote after testing this and then I bought one of my own. Before posting, I wanted to let people know that I have a ton of book reviews to post as well but I've been holding fort at the hospital, off an on, after having a fractured foot plus caring for a relative. So this is a copy and paste of an earlier article I'd written, just in case anyone is intersted in the Kindle bookreader:
When I heard of the Kindle-reading device on Amazon, I wasn't immediately drawn to it. So far, I'd resisted all the other electronic readers that had come along and ended up sticking with regular books, the kind that actually have front and back covers, take up space on bookshelves and even show signs of use over time. I also collect vintage books. But it is already sold out on Amazon, weeks before Christmas!
So what got me to break down and buy a Kindle from Amazon, especially with a price tag of $399, not exactly pocket change, before it was sold out?
For one thing, I review books so that was one factor that made the Kindle perfect for me ( it currently has 88,000 titles available, including 100 out of the 112 bestsellers listed on the New York Times list ) A definite plus for me as well as anyone interested in the hottest new books!
Another attractive feature? The ability to get information quickly and a lack of room for storing books.. But there was more to it than that.
The Top Features of the Kindle Bookreader:
1. Currently, Kindle offers instant access to over 90,000 books, blogs, magazines and newspapers.
The benefit: You have a chance to review a book, see a blog posting or read an article in a magazine before the actual publication hits your local bookstore or magazine stand. You are among the first to read that hot new bestseller or see the latest news or blog posting.
2. Book prices are lower for Kindle downloads than buying the actual book, plus there isn't an added "shipping" charge
The Benefit: Well, just do the math. Kindle editions of new books and bestsellers top out at about $9.99 each compared to hardcover prices at many bookstores which are much higher, about $16.95 or so. You can wait for prices to drop - but the trade-off is a longer wait time and those shipping costs.
Here's why that $399 price may end up being worth it: If you buy at least 20-30 books a year, plus magazines, you could end up saving money over buying the hardcover in less than a year - or just over a year.
They are all offered at a savings, too.
3. To repeat another point made in the above paragraph (worth stressing again), you also save money on magazine subscriptions: If you want to get a month's worth of Time or some other magazine, you can get the subscription for 99 cents a month through the Kindle program. Do a comparison and you'll see that a six to 12 month subscription of the traditional print version of Time is somewhere between $16 and $30. But for six dollars, you get the magazine automatically uploaded into your Kindle reader - and you save money. Do be aware, though, that not all graphics will be in the Kindle version, not something I've found a major problem. The text is still plenty useful for me.
The Benefit: Less cost per magazine, quicker delivery, no lost issues in the mail, don't have to wait for mail delivery. The monthly cost for a weekly magazine like Time is less than buying one issue in the store! Tired of the magazine? Just delete it. No need to recycle or toss it in the trash. One less bundle of paper to deal with.
4. Two hundred books held in a Kindle takes up a small amount of visible space. I figure if I am willing spend a bit more for energy saving flourescent bulbs it made just as much sense to buy the Kindle. I quickly realized that I was bringing a lot less paper -and clutter - into the house. Also, in all honesty, I wasn't always able to read the magazines that piled up and didn't throw them out as quickly as I should. Now I might have a chance to tackle those and clear them out!
Benefit: Less visible clutter, no time spent sorting, stacking and storing (or discarding) magazines and newspapers. More time for decluttering (hopefully).
5. Adjustable type and font sizes - I should have bifocals. I don't. WIth the Kindle, I can adjust the font to a size where I don't have constant reminders that my eyes aren't quite as youthful as they used to be. The print is easy to read, right on the border of meeting the standard for large print books.
The Benefit : I no longer have to buy or hunt down large print editions for my mother. After I read a book, she simply takes the Kindle, adjusts the font size and reads it herself. It is like getting two books for the (low) price of one, or about $4.98 per use, considering the number of users.
6. Portability and wireless capability as well as long battery life- I've gone as long as 3 days without having to recharge mine. This isn't likely to die on you quickly. It is lightweight and easy to carry. It weighs about 10 ounces, yet holds up to 200 books! I'm still amazed by that and grateful that I don't have to find a place for extra books in my home.
The Benefit - No books to dust, store or carry. No worries about bugs or mold getting into my books.
7. No monthly fees, service plans or costs - Buy the Kindle and then use it as often or as little as you want. You determine how much you want to spend for the convenience of having book, magazine and blog access in an instant.
The Benefit: You control any additional costs after purchase.
8. You can email your word documents and pictures to Kindle for portable and easy viewing
The Benefit: A personal and custom experience and extra convenience in sharing and using word documents and photos.
Okay, after hitting some of the things I really like about Kindle, do I recommend it for every booklover? Nope.
Here's who might not like it:
Book collectors - First editions, complete with typos and other quirks, can be more valuable than anything held on Kindle. For those who invest in books as collectors' editions, this won't be a substitute.
People who read only a few books a year, rarely glance at blogs and grab a very occasional magazine off the newstand
Anyone who likes to read in the bathtub or simply prefers the feel and smell of a traditional book. Just as some individuals prefer fountain pens to ballpoint pens, there are those who simply enjoy holding a book in their hands and smelling the newly printed pages. For them, it may be worth the effort to care for the books, dust them and watch out for bugs and mildew.
Those who like to wait till books appear in the library rather than pay for them or who don't mind holding out till a bestseller finally makes it to a half-price store.
Those who care about form over function. Not the prettiest device around but that isn't my priority. Function is.
To sum it up: I like the Kindle bookreader but, surprise, surprise.... I don't consider it a replacement for books but a supplement, another option.
Why? Because I also collect vintage books. For me, this offers the best of both worlds - an opportunity to momentarily enjoy books I don't find worth keeping on my shelves as well as the chance to save enough time and save some money.
Finally, I wanted to add one suggestion: Before you get one, check out the availability of the EVDO coverage in your area at coverage.sprintpcs.com/IMPACT.jsp
You need to have that to use this (as I understand it).
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Comments: 43
I'm not trying to be difficult, but I donate books I don't want any more to the library or sell them to the used book store. If the books evaporate once I've accumulated the limit (since I'm a notorious rereader) and I can't get them back without reinvesting, that may be an issue for me.
My husband gets a ton of magazines in his office so I wouldn't want that option.
Besides that, I prefer paper and hardcover books period. I'm going to be a holdout on e readers.
I, too, donate books. Stephanie: Once you've bought 200 books, you would have to delete one to get another. If you NEVER get rid of books or keep all you buy, then obviously this feature won't appeal to you.
Remember, this is NOT for everyone. For instance, why pay $399 for an item if you read one or two books a year? Not cost-effective. But the Kindle DOES have features you can't get for regular books. You can annotate or write notes without damaging a real book. You can upload your documents or photos and take them with you. If you are older or have trouble dusting or maintaining actual books, you don't have to do that for at least 200 books.
For those who donate their used books, consider this: a bestselling book will probably end up being donated by many readers besides you. In fact, many thrift stores routinely go through their books and (gasp!) toss the ones where they have multiple copies of the same title in a dumpster! Even some libraries do this (read the book Double Fold to see how they handled vintage magazines). I have many vintage magazines which were nearly ruined by libraries, although I hope they've changed their policies since then.
You can just check out the local dumpster behind your book or thrift store if you don't believe me. They may even have to tear off the covers first if they are a used or even new bookstore. Some people still "dumpster dive" in hopes of finding treasure but many thrift and used bookstores and even the library puts locks on their dumpsters to discourage this practice.
I just make sure I'm reading a paperback and it isn't a collectors' copy - or I hope it isn't.
I like "real" books too. But think of it this way. Not all food is meant to be microwaved. Even so, how many people have - and use - a microwave- for certain things? Not for gourmet cooking, necessarily.
Sorry to hear that you are still having those trips to the hospital. Hope you are up and about in no time!
I used to be a really big skeptic of reading books on-line, but think it's going to become common, especially as the technology continues to improve. I never thought I'd read newspapers on-line, but now read more on-line than not, even though I still subsribe to our local paper. It will be interesting to see where this stands in five years.
I like #4, #6 is funny since books don't have a problem with being wireless or having a long battery life either.
I get my books from thrift shops and book exchanges - and pass them on... I pay postage at the maximum. If the books are gently read, then I give them as gifts.
When I am asked to join a book club (shopping, not reading), I join, get the minimum required and leave again. I pay about $6 for a book - including shipping and handling - if I want the new books that badly.
I have SO many books waiting to be read, I can do without the gadget.
My husband and one son have terrible allergies to perfume ads. Also, some people are allergic to paper and to mold or mildew as books age. Sometimes this is preventable but not always, especially in very humid climates, not without expense and care. I keep my books in a climate and humidity controlled-room (really). Why? Because books are made of paper and paper is made of a formerly living material and needs a balance of humidity and dryness to last well.
Consider the allergy factor, too, folks. That is all I am saying. I PREFER real books, those with paper. My nose doesn't always cooperate, especially with magazines with perfume ads.
I have a Franklin E-book-man that I love as far as portability and the ability to change font sizes and the back-light for reading in dark places. The main drawbacks are the need to recharge or replace the batteries fairly frequently and the need to have a computer to plug into and download from.
I don't know how self-published books get into the Kindle readers but I will try to research that and get back to you. I wrote this review from a Kindle bookreader's point of view and not from a published writer's point of view, self-published or not so I have some gaps in my information base here, sorry.
I was wanting one of these while reading your review until I got to the price tag. I hope they come down.
What do you think of the keyboard placement on the Kindle? Does it get in the way at all? I have a Sony Reader and LOVE it.
As a real reader, the convenience and comfort of an electronic reader are indisputable. I understand,also being a book person myself, that book people will always like books but for actually reading large volumes of work for the sake of reading, I think the readers are great.
I was reading up on the Sony E-Reader. Although it holds fewer books, the memory is expandable and books can be stored on the computer (so, presumably, won't disappear when the book is full) and it can read books in different formats (such as word files and pdf files).
I don't doubt that Kindle has some advantages or they wouldn't be selling any (since it's a bit more expensive than the Sony too). Is it the available books (or their prices) or are there other disadvantages for Sony/advantages for Kindle?
I'm not trying to be difficult or say there's anything wrong with the Kindle. I just want to understand what gave the Kindle the edge for you.
You are not being at all difficult. I've always, always resisted book readers. I am a book person and I like the real thing. However, there are times when I've bowed to advances. I can't speak to comparisons between the Sony and Kindle because I'm not a Sony user. However, there are forums on Amazon where these things are debated. I'd check them out.
One thing I found VERY useful - getting the New Yorker, from volume one to now, on CD, ads and all. You get free updates yearly! How's that for a bargain?
As I've gotten older, I've had to face the fact that perfume ads make magazine reading more uncomfortable for me, particularly while bathing, perhaps due to the heat making the perfume mix with water vapor? I'm just guessing. I LOVE to read while in the bathtub but I generally stick to newer and less desirable magazines, not collector copies or anything like that!