Saturday, February 4, 2012

Kindle Review

Larry gave me a Kindle electronic reader for Christmas. Isn't it a cute little thing? It's only six and a half inches long.It's four and a half inches wide.
And look how thin it is! Only one quarter of an inch thick.
It boggles my mind that this tiny device can hold lots and lots of books. Whole books! This technology is wonderful for text books. I hated when our boys had to haul around forty pound back packs full of books. This little item weighs in at five and a half ounces.

You can choose from several font sizes for the most comfortable reading. Your bookmark never falls out and gets lost, and the most amazing part is: instant gratification! If you are looking for something good to read and your own book shelves don't entice you, a quick visit to the Kindle bookstore allows you to download a book in less than a minute. Can you imagine? A whole book goes from somewhere or other right into this little Kindle.

It came in a brown cardboard box, so I decided to make it a little jacket.
with an extra pocket for the cord.
Even though I like a lot of things about the Kindle, it does have a few drawbacks. When I'm reading a good book I like to have the title of the book and the name of the author right in front of me. I can push the right button to discover the title and author, but it's not like with a book where you get to admire the artwork on the cover.

My mom was always a great one for lending books she liked to anyone who wanted to borrow them, and her four children acquired the same habit. Having a book in a Kindle makes it harder to share. If you decide you don't like the book you bought for your Kindle you can't just resell it on ebay or donate it to the library's used book sale. You can keep it or delete it.

At some point in every book I read, I flip through to read further into the book or check out the last chapter. I know that is possible with the Kindle, but I feel lucky to have learned how to download a book, change the font size, and recharge the battery. I don't know how to flip through to the last chapter.

Overall, I like this cute little reading device. I like that I can read it in bed easily. Some books are just too big and heavy to read in bed. I don't like that I may fall asleep and have it crash to the floor. That has happened with books my whole life, but I don't think it would do the Kindle any good. I doubt if I'll ever read it at the beach; sand wouldn't do it any good either.

All in all I prefer real books, but it's fun to try new things.

5 comments:

Connie said...

I love my Kindle, but I agree it's still not the same as a real book. I miss the cover art and book title and author's name being at the ready too.

Also, since I have one of the older versions and have only black and white, the Kindle wouldn't work for me to read a book with lots of color pictures in it--especially children's picture books. It just wouldn't be the same.

However, for most all adult fiction books, I really love it! I love that it can hold so many books and is so convenient to just slip into my purse to take along with me. :)

How clever of you to make a cover for yours!

ladydi said...

Mine is the black and white version, too, Daisy. It's plenty for someone who isn't completely committed to this technology yet. :>}

Locket Pocket said...

I'm really enjoying my Kindle but I am missing being able to read the blurb on the back of the book when I am part way through or flicking back a few pages or chapters to check something. I'm not naughty like you at checking the end!!! ;o)

Lucy xx

Gingerbreadshouse7 said...

That's the nices present ..easy to read in bed I betcha :o)

ladydi said...

Guilty as charged, Lucy!

It was a delightful surprise, Ginny!