Last fall I purchased the latest version of Amazon's e-book reader called the "Kindle". The newest version is quite a bit cheaper ($139) and slightly smaller that previous versions. But, the biggest advantage from my perspective, is that there is now a wifi-only version. That was key for me because I didn't need another monthly cellular bill and I have wi-fi nearly everywhere I go - home, work, coffee shops, hotels, airports, etc.
Why's it cool? I get my daily newspaper subscriptions downloaded automatically to it daily - no more trudging through the snow down the driveway in the morning to fetch my paper. And, newspapers and magazine subscriptions and books are cheaper in Kindle format than in print format PLUS I get to be "green" by not consuming trees for paper copies of my reading material. There are a lot of "wins".
You can also put audio books and PDF files on the Kindle. You are assigned a Kindle e-mail address (your_name@kindle.com) and you can just e-mail PDF or Word files to that address and, voila, they appear on your Kindle just like magic!
Currently, aside from two newspapers (National Post and NY Times) I have a couple of magazine subscriptions, some tech manuals, and some recreational reading on my Kindle. The best part of it is that it fits in my jacket pocket so I take it with me all the time. Whenever I have a few moments to read, whatever I'm reading is already my pocket!
The battery life is great. It uses a technology called "e-ink" that keeps battery use to a minimum so I only have to plug the Kindle in for charging about once a week. I highly recommend purchasing a protective cover to keep the screen from getting scratched. There are also covers with built-in reading lamps.
There is a Kindle "app" for the iPhone, iPad and PC as well so you can read books from your Kindle library on any of those devices as well AND it synchronizes the last page location so, no matter what device you pick up, you can continue reading from where you left off. That's cool.
You can only get a Kindle from Amazon (go to http://www.amazon.ca/). The main competitor to the Kindle is the Kobo e-reader available from Chapters, Indigo, etc. The price is similar and so is the functionality - especially now that they've added wi-fi capabilities.
Over the past few months, for me, the Kindle has become one of those "how did I ever do without it" devices. Try one, you won't regret it.
Monday, February 7, 2011
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