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I don't see myself spending that much money for a book reader. Sure the technology is neat, but not worth it in my opinion. I'd much rather carry around a good book. One should only read one or two books at a time at most. Once you are done, put it on the bookshelf. So until such novelty items as the Kindle come down in price, I don't plan on wasting my money. Perhaps you can come up with more justification than I am able to, however.
Well, I wouldn't rush out to replace it, if you have an original one...
I have the original Kindle, and it was worth every penny. I originally thought that I would miss the "comfort" of pages, and in some respects that is true. I still have some favorite authors that I will buy in hardcover/paperback. (Happily, the item is pretty sturdy and hold up well to travel wear and tear.)
As someone that travels a lot, being able to cart around 40 or 50 "books" in one slim package is invaluable. I can change my mind part way through a book to an old favorite, if I'm too tired to concentrate on a new book. I can log in on-line from anywhere in the world and get a newly released books (more often cheaper than the real deal) within minutes - I've even managed to be tucked up with a cup of tea and reading a new release overseas before some friends in the States have made it to the store (no, I don't give away any endings).
If you're in an area (Stateside only) with the wireless service (most city areas), you can even have a sample chapter of a book downloaded for free, so you can decide whether or not to purchase the book. I was able to "discover" some new authors that way.
As to the original question, I won't be rushing out to upgrade my "older" model. I've gotten used to some of the quirks (placement of page turners can cause you to inadvertently change pages, if you're not careful). Also, you can keep copies of the books you order on your computer or a thumbdrive or harddrive - so the extra storage space is not that big a deal. I have more than 30 "books" in mine, and I am nowhere near reaching capacity.
P.S. Amazon has free books available also... and they're not all garbage titles. There are also other sites where many of the Classics are available for free. I have my very own copy of an old favorite with me all the time now... "The Count of Monte Cristo".
Personally, I don't think it is "an incredible piece of technology." There is NOTHING like a paperback in my hand. After I've read a stack of books, I send them to soldiers in Afghanistan as long as the company I work for pays postage.
The sergeant I was sending to said there were soldiers reading books who had never read a novel in their lives. He said the were building a library for books. I'm sure they are finished with it, now.
The one thing that tempts me about the kindle 2 is the text-to-audio. I've been a rabid reader for most of my life, and now I'm legally blind and can't read normal sized print or even large print without great difficulty and severe headaches. Many of the books I'd like to read just aren't available through the talking book library, and when they are available commercially, the cost is prohibitive. So I'm thinking about it - but I also live in an area where all downloading would be via USB connection, so I have to take that into consideration, too.
"The Author's Guild claims that the new Kindle's text-to-speech software is illegal, stating that 'They don't have the right to read a book out loud,' said Paul Aiken, executive director of the Authors Guild. 'That's an audio right, which is derivative under copyright law.' Forget for a moment that text-to-speech doesn't copy an existing work. And forget the odd notion that the artificial enunciation of plain text is equivalent to a person's nuanced and emotive reading. The Guild's claim is that even to read out loud is a production akin to an illegal copy, or a public performance."
I don't see myself spending that much money for a book reader. Sure the technology is neat, but not worth it in my opinion. I'd much rather carry around a good book. One should only read one or two books at a time at most. Once you are done, put it on the bookshelf. So until such novelty items as the Kindle come down in price, I don't plan on wasting my money. Perhaps you can come up with more justification than I am able to, however.
I agree with most of the sentiments in this thread about the Kindle. I have been reluctant to try a book reader myself for the same reasons.
One of the good things about having a Kindle thought is that it is handy for trips. Instead of carrying several books, I can just carry the Kindle. I am going to French Polynesia in May and it will really come in handy there. You can only carry a certain amount of luggage onto the inter island planes. Instead of having several pounds of paper/hard backs I will just have the Kindle. Of course, I will need to be more careful with it than I would a paperback.
I own the Kindle 2 now and LOVE IT. I think unfortunately paper newspapers will go extinct. It is very nice to get my newspapers delivered to me this way because of the convience. And if you are a avid book reader most books cost 9.99 and if Amazon does not raise prices then the Kindle pays for itself after you purchase 50 or sixty best sellers. The best thing is you can read this thing in bright sun.
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Well, I wouldn't rush out to replace it, if you have an original one...
