KINDLE - do you own one?

[flame boy]

I think the kindle will be released in the UK very shortly, within the next month or so. I don't know quite how I feel about it, I love books - I love the sense of atmosphere they give to a room and the bending on the spine which denotes a well loved and well read book. I think the Kindle is an excellent accompaniment to books but it's no replacement as far as i'm concerned. Then again, I bet people said that about mp3 files....

 

[Northland]

I just ordered it, has not arrived.

Any opinions? U like?

Let me start with a quote: "The book is here to stay. What we're doing is symbolic of the peaceful coexistence of the book and the computer."-Vartan Gregorian


I can't stand the mechanized version of books, I need the comforting feel of paper and the concern in my brain that I am folding back too hard when opening to a new page and damaging the spine.

With all that in mind, I have used the Internet to view parts of various books over the years; however, I cannot seem to quite get the hang of it. I scroll too fast or a new page offers a message telling me the page doesn't exist (although on a retry it does). Those knots make the enjoyment utterly impossible.

Additionally, if you drop the damned Kindle thing and it breaks, you are screwed. The book you were reading is gone, even if only until you get a new Kindle or get to the library or bookstore and get a genuine papery replacement. When a book drops, it doesn't break. Even if a book falls into a tub of water, it can be dried out and still function. can or will the Kindle match that? Stay with the paper; but as Mr.Gregorian states, there can be a 'peaceful coexistence' between the two. Besides, nothing compares to the feel and smell of paper.

 

[deleted213967]

Still under the spell of this darn thread, I came 1 dangerous click close to ordering the larger $500+ DX version of Kindle.

My excuse: being able to download cheaper and state-of-the-art textbooks to beef up my general knowledge.

It then dawned on me that I could buy a quite decent laptop computer for that price. I decided that I'd wait until Kindle comes in color and at a more attractive price.

I still see it as a complement for paper-based books, not an immediate replacement.

 

[Viking_UK]

They're now available in the UK through Amazon, but I think I'll wait a while before getting one. I like the idea of it, cos I read a lot and carrying two weeks' worth of books when going on holiday does bump up the luggage volume and weight. I also like the idea of being able to download the next volume when you finish the previous one.

However, I can't see it taking over from physical books in my life. I just love the feel and smell of books and I'd really miss that.

 

[Phil Ayesho]

The dark ages eventually came to an end when people started re-discovering all the books that had been hidden from the bonfires.
There, patiently waiting, accessible to anyone who could read written language, was all the wisdom and discoveries of a thousand generations.

I wonder, should civilization fall at a time when the only way to access any of this information we are accruing daily would be to utterly rely on a piece of technology that will no longer function... how could humanity ever recover?

We are gradually turning all forms of information into a resource that will dissolve into nothingness the minute the power goes out....
The movies and photos you collect thru your life will never be found in an old valise in the attic by a great grandchild.

I wonder if we are, in our rush to digital nirvana, really going to achieve the oblivion that nirvana threatens?

 

[SilverTrain]

The dark ages eventually came to an end when people started re-discovering all the books that had been hidden from the bonfires.
There, patiently waiting, accessible to anyone who could read written language, was all the wisdom and discoveries of a thousand generations.

I wonder, should civilization fall at a time when the only way to access any of this information we are accruing daily would be to utterly rely on a piece of technology that will no longer function... how could humanity ever recover?

We are gradually turning all forms of information into a resource that will dissolve into nothingness the minute the power goes out....
The movies and photos you collect thru your life will never be found in an old valise in the attic by a great grandchild.

I wonder if we are, in our rush to digital nirvana, really going to achieve the oblivion that nirvana threatens?

Or will it just increase the value of my collection?

 

[justmeincal]

Part of the enjoyment of reading for me is to hold the book in my hand. Think I'll skip the Kindle.

 

[D_Diesel Oyl]

I like the Kindle - have used it for a while now - read several books on it. It's great.

I will still read some hard-cover books now and then, but the Kindle is very handy~ !!