[Just in time for Black Friday, today's posting is by
Patsy Comella, Director of R+K's Media Department]
Wondering what to get for that special person for the holidays? Tired of all those old paperback books around the house? Voila the
Kindle.
I was recently at a conference and at the end of a session we were asked to send a text for a chance to win a Kindle. What is a Kindle I wondered? But because I like to win stuff I complied. Low and behold I was the proud winner of a Kindle.
The Kindle, marketed by Amazon, is an electronic book. It is the size of a book and the screen reads like a book. However, being a voracious reader, I had doubts. “Give me the feel of a book, turning pages, bending down the page to mark my place” I thought. Never the less, I thought I would give it a try. And now I am a believer!
The good:
- The format is super. The screen is easy to read and is so like reading ink on paper.
- Buying books online via the Kindle is simple and fast using their “whisper net”. I was at the airport and accessed the Kindle store without having to pay for internet access. The download was fast and I didn’t have to go to the book store and carry extra stuff on the plane. One can also subscribe to newspapers for the Kindle but I wonder why one would want to do so when they are free online.
- The cost of the books range between $6 and $10 so not a huge bargain but not out of line with the printed versions.
- Love the quick charging and overall battery life.
The bad:
- The toggles on the side for next page, previous page and back (yes there is a difference between the two) are on the sides and run from the top down 2/3’s of the sides. Meaning it is easy to lose your place in the book. I have been known to hit the side buttons accidentally and lose my place in the book. Bottom line, getting back to the right spot somewhat challenging.
- There really aren’t page numbers only these cryptic numbers I have yet to figure out at the bottom.
- Although the Kindle store has most popular books, the number of titles is limited if one is looking for a specific title that isn’t broadly circulated. I was looking for When Christ and His Saints Slept: A Novel by Sharon Penman to no avail.
- The keyboard is challenging but maybe I just have fat fingers.
The ugly
- The case is a disaster. The device doesn’t fit securely and serves no practical purpose. It would have been better to just supply a bag to protect the screen.
- The cost. At the new reduced price of $350 (down from $400) it is still expensive which will limit widespread acceptance. This device would be great for schools (think about all those text books) but is priced out of the market. Maybe when Amazon comes out with the next generation, the current generation will be priced low enough to have mass appeal.
I would be interested to hear others thoughts on the Amazon Kindle.