Amazon’s Jeff Bezos is determined to create a whole new way of accessing the written word: lifting it from the eventually fragile and impermanent paper to an electronic version that changes the way we think about reading—and writing. Thus, about two years ago: Kindle, an e-reader and competitor to the only other e-reader I believe was on the market, the Sony Reader. Most users believed Kindle, while flawed, was the superior of the two products.
Forget for a moment the act of reading a book: of holding it in your hand, of smelling it, of taking time to read the reviews—the praise, the way certain other readers articulated its value, if such was the case—of this object you just purchased for, say, $15.95 from Borders. Now think about just the essence of the work: not the reviews, not the cover, just the words.
Purists were skeptical, even deeply offended that any attempt (even Sony’s, which preceded the Kindle but never really got traction in the media) to subvert the Book: as if technology can encroach on every part of our lives, except reading books. Well, I was (and am) a purist and was skeptical—although I must admit I was curious about Kindle, if for nothing other than the “gadget” factor—and dismissed it as geek-fad.
Besides, the reviews I read were largely negative, although some well respected authors spoke up in support of Mr. Bezos' baby. It was awkward. It was cumbersome: too many ways to inadvertently page forward or backward, and in general the interface was clunky.
I believe most of those criticisms were valid, and I can say this because, on a complete whim (a "gadget-pulse" as I like to call it), I purchased Kindle’s latest iteration, 2.0. It was an impulse that cost me; the Kindle sells for $359.00. At $15 dollars a book, that’s 24 books I can hold and touch and possess.
.jpg?t=20120209092158)
Article comments
1 - Tinu
I. Am SO. Jealous. My next toy will be a Kindle, it solves my pack rat problem -- I buy and read three books a week, rich or poor. What am I supposed to do with all those precious books every few weeks when I need to move? Sell my darling babies? Uh, NO. LOL, now I can have them with me forever. My. Preeeeecious.