I haven’t been on-board with e-readers from the beginning. I’m a traditionalist in that right, and there’s nothing better than cracking the spine and sniffing the pages of a brand new book.
However, I was gifted a hand-me-down original Kindle for Christmas this year (previous owner is now the proud papa of an iPad), and nostalgia aside, I’m a little tempted by the convenience of it. Using the amazon.com site, it’s easy to pick books and automatically sync them with the Kindle. Like magic, when you turn on your e-reader, the latest book order is just there!
That said, I haven’t found some other features of the Kindle that easy to use so far–potentially issues that have been addressed with the new Kindle Fire upgrade.
For example, a lit agent recently offered me a comp book for review, but she’d only pass me the e-reader file. It was next to impossible for me to get the file to open on my Kindle without downloading new software on to my computer. To avoid computer memory bog-down, I tried to email the file to myself and open it on the Kindle. Logging into Gmail was extremely difficult as I had only cursor arrows and the menu button to navigate the web page.
Suggestions for a new e-reader? Or did any of you get an upgrade this year that you find easier to use?
Sarah Ann Noel is a freelance writer, blogger, and public relations professional. She blogs “Read Alert” every week and covers other Denver-related events and thoughts on writing and motherhood on her personal blog. Check back every week for reviews, literary events, and other bookish finds.
I was skeptical of getting a Kindle as well… I love an old-fashioned book! (I AM a librarian.) …but when I found out I was moving to Vietnam, I decided a Kindle would give me the access to books of my choosing… English-language literature can be expensive abroad, not to mention not always a great selection. I’m happy to say I’m extremely pleased with my Kindle! I can buy new reads and they appear on my Kindle. I do still read ‘books’ too but I’ve come to terms with it being ok that I love both. 🙂
Well, if a librarian says so, it must be okay! Now that I carry a huge diaper bag with me everywhere, it’s nice to slip in the Kindle and not worry about the weight and bulk of books. And it is great for traveling!
Despite the obvious conveniences, I’m still a fan of an old-fashioned, feel the pages turning, non-abstract book! There are many times I will go back over something in a book that I read in the first couple chapters to clarify an event or solidify a character. That’s much more difficult to do electronically. Besides, how we will share books if they’re all on our Kindles?!
I know! I do like the feeling of turning pages. And I ridiculously feel the need to display all of my books as if they’re trophies. Can’t do that with a Kindle either!
I love the Kindle and the related kindle apps on all the smart phones. If I forget the Kindle or Ipad, I can continue reading my book on my phone from the exact page I left off. When I return to the Kindle, it is also on the correct page. I now walk into an airport bookstore, look at the titles and download the book. It is great.
I didn’t realize that it synced with the apps no matter what device you’re using. That’s really great!