To Kindle Or Not To Kindle

... that is the question.

Last week, I tweeted that I was a bit surprised that Oprah highlighted the Amazon Kindle - a wireless, portable reading device - as one of her new favorite things.  I think O is pretty sincere when it comes to books... and given how much I love books, I was just surprised that she was enthusiastic (and that might be an understatement) above an electronic device that moves away from physical books.  At the time, I said I couldn't imagine making that move myself... but I tweeted that before seeing the show... but after seeing it, I have to say I have been having a semi-serious internal debate of whether to once again drink from the Oprah kool-aid well.   Here are my pros and cons:

Reasons To Get A Kindle

It's a pretty cool gadget

It saves paper / "green"

Reduces household clutter on an item that is rarely ever used again

Most books priced at $9.99 (60%-ish off hardcovers/20%-ish off paperback prices)

Oprah $50 discount (but only for a couple more days!)

Easier to handle (especially vs. bulky hardcovers)

Built-in dictionary look-up / ability to highlight passages

Reading reviews, avid readers and book "lovers" appear to like it

Reasons NOT To Get a Kindle

If it ain't broke, why fix it - cool gadget, but "needed"... ummm, no.

Even with Oprah discount, still costs enough ($300+ w/ discount) to give a pause

First generation product - so likely to improve in the future

No back-lighting - seems like this would have been a no-brainer feature

Can't go to a store and physically see, touch, experience the Kindle - so a bit of blind faith

I LOVE shopping for books.  Heck, after the whole Internet novelty wore off I stopped ordering books from Amazon because I missed going to the bookstore and buying books.

Bookstores seem to be in enough trouble these days - especially independents - so this just seems like another nail in coffin

Well, I had hoped getting these down in print and out of my head would help to clear things up, but I seem to be even more conflicted than before I started the post!  In other words, pretty typical Libra behavior... that ever charming see-saw of not being able to make a decision or else making a rash one!   So we'll see what happens, I probably decide what to do (or not to do) in the next day or so especially given the $50 discount code.

Comments

[Todd]

Ahem. Just a friendly reminder. One does not buy cool new gadgets for oneself anytime in the period between October 15 and December 25.

[Amy]

Fellow Libra and book lover here:) I'm torn too, and posted about it as well! Right now I don't have room to build my own personal library, so that's my biggest pro. Pricing, bookstores and the public library are my cons.

How about we make a pact to wait until the next generation to make a decision?!

[Scot]

Years ago, while reading The Omen at 4 in the morning, I got so scared. When I got to the part when the dogs entered the graveyard (remember that?) I heard our family dog growl and, literally, threw the book across the room. Try doing that with some $300. gizmo!
Part of reading a book is the tactile experience of turning the page. Feeling the paper at your fingertips. Sticking your finger behind the page you're reading in anticipation of finishing the page and turning it, visually attacking the next one. Holding the spine in your hand and absorbing the sensation of its firmness.
Why would you want to give that up?
These little electronic readers take the meaning out of A REAL PAGE TURNER.
Been there, tried that, didn't much care for it.

[Joanna]

I'm a libra too but I am not suffering the angst you and Amy are. I have already defected from the page turner as Scott puts it - I listen to a lot of books on my Ipod. However, I am not so much into the Kindle and I have seen and held one. There was a gentleman in the bookstore where I work sitting on one of our cozy couches reading his kindle a few weeks ago. Imagine that! At first I was like oh, wow, that is such an awesome gadget can I hold it and see what it is like? I admit - it was cool - with type face resizing for easier reading and the dictionary etc. But then I was like - why is he in my bookstore with that thing? I dunno - I don't think it's for me - I spend so much time on my laptop now that it is a refreshing change to my eyes to read an actual book. So for now I am not moved. Plus the whole Oprah thing turns me off. My two cents!