Has anyone given any thought to the Kindle? It's Amazon's new electronic reading device. Kind of like an ipod for books. When I first heard about it, I dismissed it. But I know a techie who's made me reconsider its usefulness. You can actually make margin notes that are saved and can be transferred to a computer writing program. How awesome is that? Then you could take quotes from the book, along with your notes, and compile them into one document. That would make keep a reading journal so much less time consuming, at least for me it would.

I first dismissed the Kindle because I thought it unlikely that it would access many of the books that I read. But, even if you only compile most of the classics into such a compact format, it could really be useful. And, at less than the weight of a book, you would always have those texts at your fingertips. I don't know, on second thought, it's not so easily dismissed.

I've taken a look at the Kindle too and I do think it would be pretty handy. The price is a bit high, but prices are always higher at the launch of a new product. And being a few weeks before Christmas they are trying to milk the market for every penny. I suspect in January the price will drop significantly, much as did the Apple iPhone.

Yeah, I wouldn't even think of buying one until nearer to next Christmas, Chris. By then the price will have dropped substantially, and we'll also have more reports on what people generally think about the product. But I probably won't be buying any kind of widely read books between now and when I finally decide whether to get one.

I don't think I'll ever make the transition from books to electronic devices. I can buy a book, underline in it, make notes in the margins, etc., and to back to it for the next thirty years. My fear with the electronic devices is that they will evolve as quickly as other digital media, meaning that you have to constantly upgrade.

Just look at the progression in music - records, 8-tracks, cassettes, CDs, and now MP3s.

I want to buy a book and have it for as long as I want it.

I'm interested in the concept, but haven't tried it. Heh, too much of a cheapskate. I like the look of the Sony Reader more than the Kindle for what that's worth.

One benefit I could imagine is if you were interested a specific area say the U.S. Civil War, the Iraq war, or a scientific discipline - you could download 10 or 20 books on that subject. Then if you wanted to research a person's name, a specific event, or hypothesis you could collate details from those books quickly. That would be a significant advantage over paper. Otherwise, just for reading, dunno if I'd spring for it...

Hey, LanDroid, good to see you around again.

One advantage I noticed to the Kindle over the Reader is that it has internet connection which allows you to read periodicals. I think that would be useful to those that travel often. Also the connection allows you to get books directly from the Kindle rather than having to download first to your computer, as the Reader requires.

I also like that the Kindle has a page turner on each side of the machine. At first, this might sound trivial but think how you hold books in one hand or the other for long periods of time, and sometimes for very specific reasons (e.g. in your right hand leaning away from a person on your left who's taking up way more than her share of space on the train/plane, etc.). It'd be nice not to have to reach across your body in those situations in order to change the page.

But I agree, the Reader has a sleeker look than the Kindle. None of that really matters much though, because they'll both be onto their second or third models before I decide to get one.

My guess is whatever device pushes away from the rest of the pack will be the first to devise a way that allows borrowing from libraries' electronic sources. That's how students are going to want to use it anyway, I'd imagine.

Jales wrote:I can buy a book, underline in it, make notes in the margins, etc., and to back to it for the next thirty years.

I get where you're coming from, Jales; I'm a notorious margin marker and am normally skeptical of all non-paper books. But imagine how conveniently this thing would travel. If I could stick say a hundred titles that I'm forever going back to onto the Kindle, I'd be a happy gal. I think it could become a great reference source. I don't know about you, but whenever I travel, one of my great consternations is trying to decide which books to bring. It's usually upwards of half a dozen titles, when I finally get through sorting them out. And that's not because I'll read through six books while on vacation, but because I don't know what I'll want to read while away. With the Kindle, I could grab that and maybe one or two of the current books I'm reading.

I had originally dismissed it myself. But the more I think on it, the more I'm finding it might be useful. It certainly wouldn't replace my library, and most of my reading time will probably be spent with actual books. But it could be a nice convenience. I don't normally spend $400 on conveniences though, so it'll definitely have to wait a year or two.

Whether or not I ever bother with an electronic reader probably depends on lot on whether or not they'll work out some deal whereby, once I've bought a hard copy of the book, I can also access the digital version. I'm a bit like that with MP3s, too. I like the convenience of having an iPod, but I'd rather not buy all my music online, nor have my primary copy of a CD stored on my computer. With books, I'm likely to want an even sharper distinction. Presumably, with an MP3 player, the sound is the same -- it's stored in the same digital format and pushed through the same sort of speakers. Only the storage medium has changed. But there's always going to be a difference between looking at a sheet of paper and looking at an electronic screen, and I don't want to be stuck with the electronic screen, no matter how much they reduce eye strain.

So while I like the idea that I could travel with just an electronic reader rather than a stack of 3 or 4 books, I wouldn't want to read the electronic version of those books when I'm back at home and it's just as convenient to snag an actual, physical book from the shelf. Make it so that when I buy the paper and print version of the book I'm also buying the rights to access the same book online, and you'll have my attention. Until then, I think I'll take a pass.

Good point, Mad. I love my MP3 player too, but hardly ever buy music online. I'd rather have the physical product than a folder in my computer. It seems more secure that way. And that's a route I don't see these devices taking.

Hi Mad,

Your idea is great - and it would lead me to buy an electronic book device. I'd even pay a few dollars extra, if the print book came with an electronic copy.

Let's hope the publishers have the same idea!

Jan.

No, better yet! Let's hope they don't have the same idea and have to buy it from me! A round for the house on me when the check clears at the bank!