Monday, August 23, 2010

Never Say Never

I wrote a few weeks ago that life had sort of run away with me. I had so much I could have posted about but I wasn't sure it was really anything anyone would care about. That continues.

You know that phrase: "If you want something done, give it to a busy person." That's me. The more I have to do, the more I get done. I can work at home but sometimes I shouldn't.

In real estate as long as you have a computer and telephone, you can work just about anywhere including your dining room table. When I do, it's not always pretty. There are days when I sit here in my sweats until 1 p.m. without having washed my face or brushed my hair. But I may have negotiated a deal to completion and prepared a sales agreement in that time.

There are days when Paul comes home early and I'm still sitting here. I think he's often wondering if I've actually been working or playing Jungle Jewels. It could be a little of both.

But I digress. I said I never would, but I bought a Kindle. I have been borrowing Pam's for the last year to see if I liked it. Despite being one who likes new gadgets, I put off buying one because I wasn't sure it was worth the investment. The only real issue I had with it is that you have to buy the books. I seldom buy novels. I usually get them from the library.

The average cost for the books on Amazon is $9.99 and it's a breeze to download them, usually in less than a minute. But it's still an expense I wasn't sure I wanted to have.

One problem with library books is that you may wait a long time for a hot book. Depending just how popular the book is, you might be 200 on the waiting list. No such problem with the Kindle. You can also download 50 pages of a book for free to see if you want to buy it.

When the cost of the Kindle dropped dramatically, I figured it was time. I like it, a lot. It's very easy to use and easy to carry. What I like most about it is that it's so comfortable to read with in bed. I read before going to sleep, and I could never get comfortable. I had to keep shifting as I turned a page. With the Kindle I fold back the cover (you buy a cover separately) which makes a little tent, and I can read on my side. Turning the 'page' is just a quick push of a button.

But it's not quite like reading a book. I miss being able to thumb back through the pages. You can go back with the Kindle but the pages are not numbered like a book and finding a particular passage isn't that easy for me.

It has a cool feature that allows you to change the size of the font. There is a progress bar on the bottom of the display which tells you how far you you have read in the book. I find I read quicker on the Kindle. Part of that I attribute to not turning a page. It's a very seamless read. It's not backlit like a computer, and that's supposed to be easier on the eyes. They sell book lights that fit it.

The Kindle is very sleek and compact; easy to take on a plane or slip into your bag to read in the doctor's office. There are lots of other features on it like a dictionary and a way to highlight passages and save them. You can also archive books on Amazon. I can see that might be worthwhile because they are in alphabetical order on the Kindle and scrolling through them after several have been downloaded would be time consuming.

Everything considered, I like it and am glad I finally bought one. As the title says "Never Say Never."

8 comments:

A New England Girl said...

I have yet to succumb to the Kindle, although I am intrigued by it. I just love the feel and smell of new books far too much to give them up. I've always been that girl that spends an obscene amount of money on books so I can build my own personal "library" -- but as I mentioned, I am intrigued by the Kindle and often wonder how long it will be until I cave in and snatch one up. Seeing such favorable reviews brings that day closer :)

Elle said...

I have been intrigued by the Kindle for quite a while now. I go back and forth on whether or not I'd really use one, especially because I currently use the library and paperback swap for free books.

Then hubs got an iPad,and I played around with the e-reader a little bit. Now, I'm in love and I want one so bad. I'm trying to use self control and wait though...I have to have more free time for reading before making the investment! Thanks for the great review. :-)

Badass Geek said...

I've been intrigued by e-book readers, but I'm still not sold on one. I'd miss having the actual book, the tangible pages to turn. After all, it's why they call good books "page-turners", not "button-pushers".

Debby@Just Breathe said...

Good for you, I hope you love it. I think that if I was a reader I would do the same thing. I'm in the collect books stage :)

Pam said...

You mentioned the one feature on th Kindle that I miss when reading a "real" book - the built in dictionary. I use it all the time on the Kindle and find myself looking for the cursor when I'm reading a book and want to check on the meaning of a word. But I'm way to lazy to go get a dictionary. Books still win hands down, though.

Michele said...

Okay, You know that I have to weigh in on any of the Ereaders. The codex (or book form) has been around since just after the Christ died. In fact, Christians invented the book (codex) in order to hide their writings from the Romans. Getting eaten by lions sucked in so many ways. That being said I like paper. Why? Because paper lasts. Electronic is the most fragile median ever. I spend half my day figuring out how to preserve electronic material. Paper? No problem. Electronic? Hard as hell. If books are going to be published only in electronic form how are we to preserve them for future generations?

After bitching I'll have to say they do look cool.

Sultan said...

I have been lusting after one of these. I do agree though that it might bankrupt me with my book addiction.

Jeanie said...

I've been avoiding the Kindle for now. Just can't make myself read books that don't smell or have a touch. That said, I seem to lose my glasses a lot and the adjustable type would be a very good thing indeed!

 

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