At first glance, the Amazon Kindle seems interesting, but a bit expensive for a single purpose device. It does not play video, it does not do much with music, it does not check email, but what it does do is remind you of the joys of picking up a good book.
I used to be an avid reader, but in the few years prior to getting my Kindle, I probably averaged only 3 to 4 books a year. Last month, I have had my Kindle for a year. In that time period, I have read 37 books. My wife received a Kindle for Christmas. Since Christmas, she has read 8 books. I know several other people that have gotten Kindles and it is the same story over and over again.
Why is this? What has renewed my passion for pages? Actually, the lack of pages is what probably did it for me. While there is nothing better than opening a new book, the pages can stick together, the type can be small and the book can be hard to keep open. Kindle removes all of this and leaves you with nothing but the author's words on an easy to read screen. Turning a page is as easy as twitching your thumb. Also, the ease of purchasing a book is what makes reading almost an addiction. When you finish a book in a series, the depression of the story ending is replaced with the joy of being a few clicks away from the next book, all in the comfort of your bed.
Lets talk about the price. In my first year I have read 37 books. Assuming that I have saved an average of $3 off of the retail price of each book (which is probably a fairly conservative estimate), I have saved $111 off of the bookstore price of the books that I have read. At the current device price of $260, the savings on books would almost have the Kindle paid of within two years of use and I plan to use it for years to come. This makes the price a lot easier to swallow. Maybe it is time for you to put down that book and pick up a Kindle from Amazon. Check it out at: http://www.amazon.com/kindle
Image attributed to: Jon 'ShakataGaNai' Davis
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