Thoughts about my Kindle

I love my Kindle! 

I took it on my trip last week.  Before leaving I downloaded 6 books and one magazine. It was great not having to worry about a stack of books.  I love this convenience.  The Kindle is compact and lightweight, weighing less that one paperback book. 

The reading area is six inches by six inches.  It displays black type on a soft white background.  To my delight, I had no eye strain, even after 3 straight hours of reading on the plain.  Eye strain was a concern because I often suffer eye strain trying to read things on the computer.  It felt like I was reading more rapidly because I didn't have to pause to turn the page.  "Page Turning" is accomplished by pushing a page forward or page back button. The new "page" appears instantly.

Learning how to use the Kindle was easy.  Aside from reading, you can make notes, look up words in the dictionary that is included on the device, shop for more Kindle books.  The Kindle also has a voice reading feature, but I didn't try this feature.

The cost of books are mostly $9.99.  A few are less expensive.  Not all books are available as a Kindle e-book, but there are about 200,000 books.  Because I can purchase books for $9.99, I am willing to read some books that I might not necessarily read because I can buy them for less than the price of a physical copy.  (of course I could wait until the book hits the library, but I like to buy books)  I would probably not buy a book that I could purchase for less than $10, unless I want the convenience of the Kindle.  I would only buy books in which I don't plan to make notes.  So I wouldn't purchase textbooks on a Kindle since I like to mark up my textbooks. 

The only negative is that the device seems a little frail.  I haven't dropped it yet.  Because of its frail quality, I don't think the Kindle would be suitable for kids in lieu of school books.  They would be too easily broken.

Also, since highlighting and make notes directly on the pages of a book is not possilble, students might find it difficult to study with a Kindle. 

Lastly, since kids are already using computers, e-books could be made available for computers thus reducing the need for another device for students to keep track of. 

By the way, if you have an iPhone or a Touch, you can download a free Kindle reader app, which allows you to buy and ready Kindle e-books.   There's another free app called Stanza, and you can read free ebook that were created by the Guttenberg Project.  These books tend to be the classics.
-- Stacey