As I get older, I'm finding that I'm needing reading glasses more and more. So far it's just for a few things: sewing (which I only do because my youngest daughter wants to learn to sew -- I went something like 20 years without a sewing machine), and reading the small type on medicines. That last one seems kind of important.
And so with a lot of meandering, I come to the point about Amazon's kindle. For the unitiated, a kindle is an electronic book. It's very cool because you can go on-line to Amazon and download an amazing variety of books to the kindle.
And one of the fun things that you can do with the kindle, that you can't do with any other book, is increase the font size, an exciting improvement for those of us who want to read but don't want to have to wear reading glasses in the foreseeable future.
After having used it for several weeks now, here is my list for the pluses and minuses of the kindle:
Pluses:
1) Already mentioned, the font size can be changed for those of us who might become seeing impaired soon.
2) You can download a variety of different reading materials. This was huge for me because I don't always want to read the same things while I'm hanging out in the car waiting for the kids to come out of robotics or karate or soccer or some other thing that I'm constantly waiting for.
3) You can browse books either on-line with Amazon or directly on the kindle. This is similar to being able to browse books at a bookstore, except that with Amazon, you can also look up user reviews.
4) The Amazon downloads offer trial chapters of some of the bestsellers. This is analagous to the experience of being able to sit and read a first chapter in the bookstore.
5) I like the size. It's way better than carrying around a huge hardback book. I can see taking this on an airplane with lots of books downloaded and being able to choose whatever I want to read with just a small piece of electronics.
6) You can read it on the counter or at the table without actually holding it or keeping the pages open. Usually I just have to prop the book open with my plate, which causes it to have a weird shape, especially if it's a large paperback. One thing that I don't know, though, is how the kindle will perform after it's gotten spaghetti sauce and cookie crumbs spilled all over it. I guess that remains to be seen.
Minuses:
1) You never have to wait for your regular book to charge.
2) The buttons to go to the next page and previous page are so large that I'm constantly accidentally pressing them.
3) The bookmarks are kind of screwy. Noting page number is senseless because it's dependent on font size, which can change. The kindle offers a bookmark feature which works well if you remember to use it. Unfortunately for me, I downloaded Ken Follett's "World Without End" preview for free, and when I purchased the whole novel, I hadn't thought to make note of the "locations" number at the bottom, which seems to be apropos of nothing. Admittedly, you could probably go to a certain chapter in most books, but this particular book only lists the sections in the Table of Contents, and each chapter is given only by numbers. The whole thing made me yearn for an actual book where, if worse came to worst, you can hold it by the binding and just see where it wants to open to.
Overall, I'm really enjoying the kindle. The pluses outweigh the minuses by a lot for me. I really, really enjoy being able to download a variety of content and carry it in a small size. The case that it comes in is not the best, but it would be fine if I could slip it into a purse with a pocket on the side. I'm actually thinking about going out with the kindle to buy a purse that it would fit neatly into so that I can carry it with me everywhere. Hmmm, wonder if Coach has anything?
I solved the accidental pressing of the next page key by cutting off the two retainers near the middle of the case, and using Industrial Strength Velcro to hold the Kindle more in the middle of the case. Not only is this much more secure (the original is not), but it leaves a strip along the outside right edge of the case which makes it possible to pick it up without pressing the key accidentally.
Incidenally I really love my Kindle.
Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.
Posted by: Charles Wilkes | February 05, 2008 at 11:02 PM
Another way to overcome the accidental pressing of the Next Page tab is to stretch the elastic band over it, which helps secure the Kindle in its cover, and makes it easier to hold the unit while reading without constantly hitting the next page tab. It has to be placed just to the right of the scroll bar, so you can still navigate.
Gordon
Connect2Books.org
Posted by: KindlesforKids | February 06, 2008 at 06:58 AM