[kzwief]

I need your feedback if you own a Kindle. I would LOVE one. Seriously, it would be wonderful. What do you like and not like about it? If you own one, would you buy one knowing what you know now?

[DancinBear63]

(Warning: Long reply)
I have had my Kindle for almost 5 months, and love it. Here are a few of my thoughts:
Pros-
1. It's an opportunity to have thousands of books at your fingertips, and many of the classics are FREE!!
2. No need to go to the library or bookstore. Just point, click, and it's there.
3. It will be great for book club discussions. You can create notes that are linked to specific passages, and easiily recall them at a later date.
4. Free web browsing.
5. It's just cool!

Cons-
1. The books can be quite pricey. New books can cost $9.99+. (I am a cheapskate.)
2. The pagination system doesn't actually correspond to the printed page, so it would be hard to direct fellow book club members to your passage, if that's something that you might want to use it for.
3. Not all books are available on Kindle yet.
4. It's all in black and white/ shades of gray.
5. The automated reader has no inflection, so it's worthless.
6. It's really expensive ($300)- and that's before you buy any books.

Do I love it? Absolutely.
Will I still buy three dimensional books? Absolultely.

I wish I had it in college, when I was majoring in lit. It would have been easier to carry one unit, than storing the dozens of paperbacks that I purchased each year.

I find it absolutely ridiculous to pay $10 for an e-book, when I can get the real item for a comparable, or lower, price at Barnes & Noble, or online. There are thousands of free books available for the Kindle, but they're mostly of the classical genre. There are also a lot contemporary books offered as freebies, buy you really have to keep an eye out for them. So far, I've downloaded more than 120 books, and have purchased fewer than a dozen of them.

I think the Kindle is absolutely worth the money, but I can see how it would be very easy to break the bank (especially since it's so easy to buy- it's tied to your Amazon account). Some of my friends buy several Kindle books each week, paying full price.

Sorry for the length. I could go on and on...

[Jennasmom1990]

I'm glad you asked this question bc I have seriously been considering buying one for my college classes. It would be a lot easier on my back then the actual books in my backpack are...lol

[momraine]

I wanted one, but then I figured out that I can download kindle books to my i-phone so I have been doing that, especially the free or cheap ones. I had thought about it when I was in school, but most of my text books were not available on Kindle.

[amyfk]

As a SAHM mom who is trying to reenter the workforce by working in the public library(Im a professional librarian) I woe the day that the printed page may be fully replaced by gadgets like the Kindle. Im sure there is some need for them, but it still makes me sad.
Amy , NJ

[DancinBear63]

Amy- I shudder to think of a world without printed books, too. I love my books dearly, and think of many of them as old friends. However, I also shudder to think about moving the 1500+ books that I have in my home. The kindle allows me to acquire more books than I would have otherwise had room for.

[Dickons]

I've been curious about it but was concerned on how 'old' eyes would read it. Can you change the font size and if you do does it make reading tedious?

Kind regards,
Dickons

[Mommy K]

My dh asked me if this would be something I would want for Christmas and I said-no ...

I love books, to re-read favorites, and I need to hold it and turn pages etc. I recycle some books-give them away etc. But I enjoy the whole process of reading and the books themselves are a big part of the experience for me. I imagine being all comfortable on a rainy day on the loveseat, w/ the fireplace on and holding a cold metal thingy instead of a book. No, it would not work for me.

[cantwait2bmommy]

Love, love my kindle. I love that I can read every first chapter of any kindle book free to decide if I want to buy it and I love that once I decide to buy a book, I can have it right now from anywhere. I thought having a kindle would mean I would stop buying physical books. Not even close. Lots still isn't available and some things that I refer to all the time or anything with images, I have to have in a physical book. I agree with the pagination frustration (the "page numbers" I've been reading mostly non-fiction lately and it just doesn't work as well for me. I will say, I love to be able to highlight and make notes in the non-fiction on the kindle, but it just isn't the same as the physical book. Lots of font sizes to pick from, including gigantic for my old eyes. :=)

eta: Another MAJOR disadvantage to me is that I can't take it in the bathtub which is where I do a lot of reading.

[MkMw]

I too love, love, love my Kindle! I am a HUGE reader - always have been. My parents gave me the DX version for my birthday and DH gave me the case so I can protect it and stand up to read while I'm eating (lunch is my "me" time), and drying my hair.

The font size is easy to change, I read with the default during the day, but at night as my getting older eyes get tired bump it up one size.

We moved this summer (spent 5 weeks driving from Oregon to Virginia) and had a full car - 4 adults,3 kids, 1 dog. It was perfect - I read probably 15 books but didn't have ANY storage issues. I had my non-fiction and fiction right in the same place and could flip back and forth on a whim. I actually often read 3 books at a time, non-fiction, regular fiction and fluffy fiction.

I still have paperbacks for poolside and the beach. The DX will fit into a gallon size ziploc bag but it's just not worth the risk for me.

Buying book after book does get spendy, but now that we are settling into "real life" I don't have as much time to read, so as far as an entertainment budget it's not horrible.

There is something to be said for touching, smelling,feeling a book - but, the kindle is pretty darn cool too!

[amyfk]

It was interesting to read all of your input. I am a public librarian(youth services) looking to reenter the job market. I am taking a nonmatriculated class at the local library school. Luckily the professor feels there will still be a need for children's librarians in the future because many people come to the library for storyhour, homework help, programming, etc. I had served as a youth services librarian for several years before we adopted my dd. I want to change to reference and decided to go back to school to take some classes(I have taken two). In the past year I have been following public library postings and hoping to move into reference. It looks like libraries may not require many reference staff in the future as folks are often at home Googling answers, reading on Kindles, etc. etc.
I can see the merits of reading on a Kindle and downloading books, but I am wondering what it will do to the future of my field personally. I am wondering if the libraries of the future will be virtually paperless and just a bank of computers and chargers and book computers. As Im approaching 40 and not of the Blackberry generation it makes me shudder. I am actually thinking of going back to school for something else because currently state library budgets are in the toilet and because I wonder what the future holds in my field.
As an unbiased person not talking professionally. I would be curious to see how the Kindle works. I never went out and got one. This year I am trying to save a few dollars. So I dont know how it operates. I heard there is no glare so you dont have the same sort of glare when you read a computer screen. For many aspects of my life I love my computer, but for reading books and newspapers, I think Id miss not having the paper version accessible. It may just be due to my age and because I grew up with them. In terms of buying books I only will buy paperbacks on occasion as they are cheaper and I am using my own public library as I dont want to pay the high fees for hardback adult books at present. With my own books i have accumulated in the past I hope to donate them to a library in need or goodwill.
Thanks for reading, and it's interesting reading everyone's comments on this issue. I was curious as to what folks would say.
Amy K, NJ

[joepegcamp]

I love my Kindle. I also love my books. I love holding a book in my hands and turning the pages. But I wouldn't give up my Kindle.

I don't think the Kindle will kill paper books. In fact, I thinkpeople will read MORE than they are now. And I don't think that libraries will ever go out of business. My library offers downloads of audio books, so I see them offering two-week loans for the Kindle, etc.

The medium is certainly changing, and that is always good. Sure, we'll have growing pains as we try to accommodate the newer technologies.

As for librarians, with the onslaught of information today and in the future, we'll turn to librarians to help us sort out the useful information to the not-so-useful information. You'll turn to your librarian to help you find the needle in the haystack. That's what I do now. And I'm about as connected as they come.

[DianeS]

I have a friend who is disabled, and has difficulty turning pages of a physical book (sometimes it's hard to get just a single page to turn). How are the controls on a Kindle?

My friend can handle a mouse, and single computer keys, but can't press two keys at once. Also, larger keys and touchable areas are easier than smaller ones. Thoughts?

[amyfk]

Interesting perspective. Thanks Peggy.
Amy K, NJ

[DancinBear63]

DianeS- The buttons to turn the pages (forward and backward) are quite large, and don't require a lot of dexterity.

I'd recommend that anyone interested in the Kindle check out the video on the Amazon website.