How did I ever live without a Kindle?
jewel September 25th, 2010
A few weeks ago I got my very first Kindle. I had been wanting one since the first generation Kindle came out in 2007. Alas, it was priced way outside my discretionary spending zone. So, I looked on in envy to those folks I knew that had one. Finally, with the Kindle 3, came affordability, along with a stylish graphite color. I bought the wi-fi only edition at $139 and it is worth every penny.
I was a little concerned when I ordered it that it would end up being another gadget that I rarely used; I love gadgets, but have a tendency to tire of them fairly quickly. Very few of the gadgets that I have bought over the years have withstood the test of time. I needn’t have worried, though, I *heart* my Kindle and wonder how I managed to go so long without owning one.
Things I love about my Kindle:
- It’s lightweight – I don’t tire of holding it
- Easy on the eyes – I can read for hours without eye strain
- Easy to use – I was up and running in minutes and only needed to skim the users manual
- Variety – I can have a library of books at my fingertips
- Built in dictionary
- Easy to notate and highlight
Since the iPad came out, I know a few people that prefer that gadget or are trying to decide between the two. Although I do not own an iPad, I have been asked from time to time my opinion on which to buy. In my mind, the Kindle and the iPad serve 2 different purposes. The Kindle is for reading and it excels at that purpose. The iPad is a very portable computer. Yes, you can get Kindle software for the iPad, but I wouldn’t want to read for very long on one. I can’t read for very long on a computer screen and still actually enjoy what I’m trying to read. If you can, though, more power to you. Personally, even if I owned an iPad, and they certainly have their strengths, I’d still do the majority of my reading on my Kindle. For those of you trying to decide between an iPad or a Kindle, you might find this post by Mark Jaquith helpful.
Now, I think I have some reading to do 
Google+
Twitter
I use the Kindle app on my iPhone, I love having something to read no matter where I am, and can carry 100s of books at a time! A full Kindle would be nice but it’d be another gadget I’d have to carry around, and I already have a laptop and the iPhone! The Freebooks app on the iPhone is nice, too… it has a lot of classic literature (like stuff from Project Gutenberg).
– Brett
I have the Kindle app on my netbook, and it’s good for on the go reference stuff like my photography books. I used it for reading for a while, just to see if that would work for me and…no. Web surfing, yes. Watching movies, yes. Storing photos on, yes. Reading for more than a few minutes…not so much.
There are quite a few free books for Kindle, too and several websites that offer such. It’s pretty nice, for sure. For me, all my every day gadgets fit into a small backpack, so carrying them around isn’t really an issue for me. I have my backpack with me most of the time anyhow.