Well, nearly four years have passed since then, and last week, after more consideration than I am willing to admit, I purchased the Kindle Paperwhite, and I am so, so glad that I did.
The biggest issue for me in my bibliophile life is portability. Sometimes I'm reading something absolutely enormous and I want to take it with me when I'm out and about, but it becomes difficult. And sometimes I'm reading a few books at once, which presents even more of an issue for portability. The main draw of the Kindle was the ability to take my books with me wherever I go, and that's exactly what I've been doing for the last seven days. My Kindle stays tucked in my bag all the time, and I read it on the train, between classes, and just about everywhere else.
One of my biggest concerns before finally taking the plunge was the interface; as an Apple user, I wasn't sure how the Kindle's touch screen would match up to that of my iPhone. I knew it wouldn't be as sensitive and responsive as the iPhone screen, but considering that I wanted the simplest reader with only the reading capability, I didn't think it would matter too much. And now that I've had a week's worth of experience with the device, I can say that it's definitely not an issue. It's no Apple touch screen, but it certainly does the job.
For the price and for how handy the Kindle is, I would say that it is definitely a worthwhile purchase. I will by no means stop buying books, (I love them way too much) but now I have a way to take them with me no matter where I go, and no matter how much space I have--or don't have. Plus, my handy Kindle cover disguises it as one of the vintage books I adore so much!
I agree with you that there is something special about a book, which an i-reader such as a Kindle does not offer. In your case though, I agree that buying a Kindle was a beneficial decision. Now you can carry your books with you wherever you go and not have bricks in your book bag. I have an iPad and have tried over the past couple of years to read books on it, but honestly it has been hard for me.
ReplyDeleteI can relate to the decision about getting an e-reader. I got an iPad over the holidays and one of the biggest draws was the portability of it. When I was abroad, I realized just how convenient it would be for traveling and ever since then I feel like I read even more because I have easier access. But, nothing will compare to reading a real book!
ReplyDeleteDefinitely bought a Kindle right before going abroad since I knew there was no way to carry my books everywhere with me (let alone take them all on a plane...eep). It's been really helpful, but I'm still extremely partial to reading real books. I feel like it's completely irrational to want the paper pages, but I love them so oh well! Glad you made the investment though, I think you'll like it (:
ReplyDeleteI said the exact same thing, but I bought a kindle for my textbooks last year. I love it! I always put my textbooks on it, which makes things wayyy lighter. I also share a library with all of my siblings, so it's a really easy way to share books. All in all, while there is nothing better than turning the pages, the ease of a kindle is worth it!
ReplyDeleteI got the Kindle a few years ago and had trouble getting into it. I think it's great for textbooks and such, but I read mostly biographies and plays, so I flip back and forth a lot and have several pages open for quick reference, which is difficult on an e-reader. I'm glad it's worker out for you! My mom never leaves home without hers
ReplyDeleteI recently purchased an iPad mini for reading, I was thinking about getting the Kindle but figured that, since I am a Mac user I would adjust to it better. I have found that I really like it! The ability to get books right away whenever I want them is definitely what I like best! And I agree, the portability is also a major plus!
ReplyDelete-Michelle Edelman
I love that you are such a reader that you have to think about reading so many books at a time. That's so awesome, you should be seriously proud of this habit - tech not withstanding. Also Robert Darnton is awesome.
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