Earlier this week Jon Stewart (yes, we are a little obsessed) invited Amazon's Jeff Bezos on the show to talk about the new Kindle e-reader. In between the loud and jovial laughter by Jeff, Jon brought up a very important point that we wanted to share with you and then get some insight. After Jeff explained what the Kindle is Jon replied, "Books are decidedly low tech, almost comfortably low tech...When I was a kid and I moved, I had no furniture, but I had crates filled with books. It made me feel like my time on this earth, I had accomplished something."
Jon has a point. Books and the shelves they fill are as much a part of one's décor as the pictures hanging on the wall or the Thomas Paul pillows on one's couch. They, like someone's CD collection, offer up a glimpse into someone's life and personality that you may only find after years of knowing that person. They in essence are the Cliff Notes of a person's life. Plus, you can't really color code your Kindle collection.
On top of that, books are seeped with a tradition. A tradition of curling up on the couch and holding a thick, warm book; flipping the pages and smelling the paper and ink with every turn. With the Kindle you miss all that. Yes, you get in return thousands of books in the smallest footprint ever, but can you really give up the feel of a book?
We for example, and we feel very guilty about this, still buy magazines because we would much rather read off of paper than the computer screen. Plus, we would much rather lay on our side with a folded up New Yorker than have our hot and heavy laptop on our laps -- we've found it's hard to read on your side with a laptop.
Are you planning on buying one of the $360 readers? Do you already own one? Please tell us about your experience or why you've decided not to get one.
Mr. Nonymous and I have thousands of books that we've acquired over the years, but we don't buy that many now because we're heavy library users. It just doesn't make sense for us to pay $360 for a device that will require us to spend more money, when we're reading the majority of our books for free, or just about free.
view KateNonymous's profile
1st off - I click on the article. I click log in (and clearly I'm logged in) I click refresh...and I still can't click and answer your survey. You might want to see to that little bug.
My answer is: I will never chose an electronic screen as my first choice for reading a book. News? Yes. Articles? Yes. The screen can replace magazines (which would still be a little sad) but not full-length books. If you're worried about the footprint - go to the library or buy secondhand. And encourage publishing houses to use recycled materials when printing new books.
Also - don't Dr.s and other pros recommend that you let your eyes focus on something that isn't backlit most of the time? And look away periodically when you do? I don't see how you can become engrossed in an all-nighter when you have to look away every few minutes. Talk about plot interruption.
view EmmieB's profile
the kindle isn't backlit. it's not the same kind of strain on your eyes as a computer.
view fardaesm's profile
I like the idea of being able to read in bed without trifocals. On a Kindle, you can enlarge the print.
view SunnyBlue's profile
Its just more e-waste!
view supapfunk's profile
I love my Kindle because I like to read several books at once. This makes it easy because it remembers where you left off in each book. Most books are $9.99, which is less than I would have paid. When I leave the house each day I don't have to decide which book to bring with me... They are all there. And it's so light. Easy to hold in one hand and turn the page while holding the pole in the subway. Great for traveling light. The e-ink display is easy on the eyes (not backlit). The 5 choices of font size are great. I still have lots of hard-copy books, just not as many, since now I buy only design, art, cooking, graphic novels in hard copy... books where the color photos & layout are the main thing.
After moving several times in my life, each with huge book collections that needed to be pruned, I totally appreciate having a smaller collection now because of my Kindle.
view nic221's profile