A Review of Amazon's Kindle

First off, I love watching golf on TV because you can accomplish a lot of other things while it is on. Very relaxing white noise that is interrupted by moments of excitement. Doesn't look like Tiger is playing well enough to win, but you never know...

A trait that started with my grandfather on my Dad's side and has been passed through my Dad to me, is a love of gadgets. The newer the better, the cleverer the better. My Dad loves innovations and is the usually one of the firsts to try things out. I think it is funny and great that my father is an early adopter. He will never be one of those people is afraid and unwilling to use new technology. My grandfather was one of the first people to buy a VCR. I used to watch Saturday morning cartoons anytime I wanted because he would tape them for me.

The other great thing about my Dad is that once he finds something he thinks is pretty cool, he wants everyone close to him to have one. This brings me to my birthday present in January, an Amazon Kindle. I envied my Dad's as soon as he got one and hoped that I would be able to have one someday. I had to wait a little while as my present was actually a printed invoice from Amazon because my Kindle was back ordered. In fact, if you were to try to buy an Amazon today, you would have to wait awhile as they are still back ordered, Amazon can't make these things fast enough. When I finally got mine, all my hopes were fulfilled. The Kindle is great, but I can see that it isn't for everyone.

Another trait that was passed down from my father was reading. Saying that he is an avid reader isn't doing him justice. The man has a stack of books by his reading chair and a stack at his bedside. He is reading all of them. He reads probably 10 or so books at a time and his library has a immense amount of books. I am not as close to the reader he is, but I do read at least four books at a time and really love to read. I wish I could read more. So, this little invention is perfect for him and me because we read so much. Here's why...

1) The digital book is cheaper than the physical book. The average price of a Kindle download is $9.99. (Some classics are as cheap as a couple of bucks.) Compare this with a $25 hardcover and you can see that you save some money, especially if you buy a lot of books.
2) It is wireless. The great thing about the Kindle is that you can connect wirelessly to the Kindle store, find the book you are looking for and wham bam, it is instantly downloaded. You never need to connect your Kindle to your computer.
3) It can hold a lot of books. I've got about 10 or so books on mine and haven't come close to filling it. Even if I did, it has room for a memory card and you can upload books to Amazon, where they will stay forever.
4) The main goal of the Kindle is that it is less obtrusive than a book as far as letting your imagination go. I don't know how you prove this actually works, but I can say that reading on Kindle does engross you in your reading, at least for me. And if you are worried about the headache that comes from reading a screen, don't be, there isn't the glare that is associated with most electronic devices.
5) What I really love about the Kindle is reading newspapers and blogs. You can subscribe to the New York Times or Newsweek and have it delivered to your Kindle automatically. When you get rid of all the other crap, you actually read the paper.

There are some cons. The library of titles isn't very extensive, but that will get better with time. The Kindle isn't cheap, but that will change with time as well. And others will tell you that it doesn't have the charm that a book as, the cover of a book, opening it up, the smell, your collection on a bookshelf, etc. I don't put too much weight in those things because the same was said with records, tapes and CDs and now all my music is digital. If you love to read, I would at least say you check one out and see what you think. I don't know if Kindle will revolutionize books, but it has a chance and as an avid reader and gadget nerd, it certainly impressed me.