I love my Kindle. I’m currently on my second one and see no real reason to upgrade until it stops working. For a bookish person, I’m one of those rare types who isn’t all that attached to the feel or the smell of print books. That doesn’t mean I don’t enjoy the heft of a book in my hand, but the storage capacity of an eReader makes them much more efficient.
I Love My Kindle
Love is a strong word, yet we tend to declare our love for people and things like an infinite supply exists. Maybe that is because love, like any emotion, begets more of the same. Beyond a doubt more than a few of us have probably fallen in love with our eBook readers. Was yours love at first sight? Or did the relationship grow in fits and starts? Besides, how do you know when it’s love?
- Thinking about your beloved one a regular basis.
- Wanting to spend time together.
- Continuing to love despite imperfections
A Kindle is Efficient
I certainly think about my Kindle on a regular basis, mostly in terms of how the existence of eBook readers have changed the world of publishing. The question of going the “traditional” route in publishing has many nuances these days, and the eBook explosion has prompted more than a few folks to give writing for publication a chance. Also, for someone who doesn’t like clutter, it’s great that all of my new books can be in the palm of your hand. When I made a cross-country move, the movers informed me I only came in second to the “bird man” (a professor of ornithology) in number of books owned. That was then when I possessed five large bookcases. Now I’m down to just a few shelves on one tall bookcase. I still prefer various reference books in print.
Chances are if you own a Kindle, you will read more. Mostly because it’s lightweight and easy to read while riding an exercise bike or traveling. To think that I hauled a mass market paperback of Gone with the Wind all over Greece and Turkey the summer of 2010 when it could have just been downloaded to a device. Factor in Kindle for iPhone and Kindle for PC and it’s possible to read books at anytime and anyplace. Not to mention practically any book in the public domain can be downloaded for free. How sweet is that?
A Kindle Does Have Drawbacks
My first Kindle was of the 2nd-generation variety with with a built-in keyboard and clunky experimental browser and Wi-Fi connection. I did like how each side of the screen had forward and back buttons for turning the pages. For me, both then and now, the main selling point of choosing a Kindle over say Nook for the iPad is its use of e Ink and absence of screen glare. The ability to adjust the font size is also a boon. It’s great for reading straight text, but lackluster when it comes to showing details in photos and on maps. Any special formatting usually looks a tad weird.
On my first Kindle, navigating could be frustrating for any human used to using a smartphone. For instance, posting to Facebook that you’d finished a book could be very cumbersome. The keyboard was tiny and I had to toggle back and forth between the alphabet and special characters to type out one tiny sentence. Now with the advent of various Kindle devices, a more user-friendly experience is assured.
Enter the Paperwhite
I can’t ever see myself buying a Kindle Fire. I use my ancient iPad for reading informational nonfiction. I suppose that’s one of my quirks as a reader. It helps that photos and diagrams look much better in color on the iPad screen, but I mostly just like to keep my fiction separate. Storing it on the Paperwhite I acquired circa Christmas 2012 seems more intimate since I like to cozy up with it in bed and enjoy its purple leather cover that snaps shut “almost” like a real book. The one thing I don’t enjoy about my Paperwhite is the necessity of touching the screen to turn the page. I was bummed that it didn’t contain page turn button sensors on the side! No product is perfect.
The newest Paperwhite version is even waterproof! I’ve yet to read an entire book on my phone, but I keep telling myself to get in the habit rather than engaging in mindless social media scrolling when I’m waiting in a long line or at the doctor’s office. Even though the Paperwhite prompts users to submit a GoodReads review upon completion, I still prefer to do that on my laptop. I definitely prefer using my Paperwhite as an entirely dedicated eReading device.
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I love my Kindle. Do you love your Kindle? Let’s count the ways by leaving a comment below!
If you enjoyed reading this post, you might enjoy reading Free Kindle Books-The Great Purge or Book Formatting Mistakes to Avoid.
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Glad you shared your love for your Kindle. I go back and forth on wanting one. I still love to hold a book, but I have to admit I love my Kindle app on my Smartphone and it does make it easy to read when you’re somewhere waiting for something or someone or just want to “test out” a book you’re coveting! I may fall for one eventually. Thanks for sharing.
When you do take the eReader plunge, definitely go with one that has a touch screen!
I love my Kindle, and can’t wait to get the new Fire. I have the app downloaded on my smart phone and use it a lot, but when I travel I prefer to carry the Kindle . The new Fire’s color and touch screen are two selling points for me. Angry Birds here I come!
Ahhh I lost my Kindle this morning and I’m about to go camping. How will I survive?
I love my Kindle Touch. I’ve tried the Fire and I don’t like it– hurts my eyes as it is too much like a computer. It also is way too small for watching movies and things, which is why I got the color in the first place. It is also too large to fit into a purse.
I’ve tried reading on an iPad, but don’t like all the light it puts off. The only time I do wish my Kindle had backlighting is out camping, but I got a case that has a little LED light, so that’s worked out pretty well. Good luck finding your Kindle!
I have had a love affair with the Kindle since it made its first debut. Yes. I was an early adopter when it was lots of $ to get one. I do not like the Kindle Fire, but I love the new touch paperwhite reader I have now. I just prefer to read my books on my Kindle. I can read on other devices, but they are not my preference.
Cheryl, like I mentioned on G+, I’m can’t seem to get my hands on a Paperwhite in order to see how I like one, but BestBuy is the only place I’ve looked.
I have a basic gray kindle, but I will say I primarily use it to “test” eBooks I am publishing on it. But, I do load it with whatever I can find for free on Amazon from time to time, especially classics. I don’t use a tablet, not because I don’t like them, but because I use my iPhone a lot if I’m just sitting at the couch. But, that’s mainly for social media, news, etc.
I am still in the 20th century with my paperbacks and library books.
Rob, I keep going back and forth on my ultimate reading preference. Though I’m reading my first print book in over a year since I won Louise Erdrich’s The Round House in a contest. Mostly, I think eBooks appeal to my orderly nature by not taking up space, though I do still definitely prefer to read travel books, etc. in print.
Library books appeal to my orderly nature as I get to give them back when I’m done. I usually end up giving any book I purchase away once I’m done with it.
I do not have a Kindle but I adore my Nook. I started out with the simple e-reader version but quickly upgraded to the color Nook with WiFi and Apps.
Elizabeth, I love all the Apps and such, but I’m sooooo bad at getting distracted. I’ve found I will do almost anything on the iPad to avoid reading. I have to check all my Apps before I settle in to read, and by the time that’s happened, I’m usually too tired to read.
I LOVE my Kindle too!
I love it so much…. When it is not next to my bed, it’s in my hand bag and — when the weather gets a bit warmer — it will migrate up to the roof in the late afternoon or early evening.
I got my Kindle a week before my mom had knee replacement surgery. I read to her in the hospital — Pride & Prejudice and stories by Edgar Allan Poe. A few weeks later, I bought her a Kindle. My dad, who had been solidly in the “real books only” camp, eventually grew jealous. We got one for dad.
Now we are a Kindle family of devoted readers.
No question here. KINDLE!
Candy, it’s probably safe to say I’m the only Kindle-owner in my family over 25… not to mention the lone family member who reads books on a regular basis. You’re lucky to come from a family who reads 😉
I’m on my 3rd Kindle–now with an HD Fire. I love it for a pile of reasons, not just books, but watching TV/movie when traveling. I also still love my print books and don’t think people have to either/or. Something for the non-e-reader people to think about: my sister has Rheumatoid Arthritis and holding print books can be painful. Holding that lightweight Kindle does the trick.
RoseMary, I have a second-generation iPad. It’s so old it won’t even update to iOS ten. It still works for everything I need to use it for except for streaming Redbox movies to my AppleTV box since that requires a newer operating system. I’ve recently added all of the writing books I want to read to my iPhone. I figure I might as well scroll that type of info when at all possible rather than social media feeds. Trying to cut down on the brain drain!