This is great!
January 7th, 2010
I have made posts in the past on the Amazon Kindle. I was discouraged because of their service map which did not include this area -but, –what a great idea! What fantastic service! What amazing capabilities! However, all my research said that it could not be used in Wyoming. Much of the user map did not cover Montana, Idaho, Alaska or Wyoming. Some places had some coverage in rural areas but the coverage was slow. What a disappointment.
My well read daughter travels internationally so the new Kindle was tempting as a Christmas present for her as it offers some international coverage capabilities. She lives nearer a large city than we do, so it could be somewhat functional. Even though Kindle offers a computer download service, the beauty in the Kindle is it’s anywhere anytime super fast downloading abilities. I think I can justify the expense for my kids better than for myself, so I ordered her one for Christmas!
What a hit! She couldn’t stop asking questions, babbling about what it could do, where it could do it etc. We left the room and she was still speaking, probably to the Kindle itself as we had stopped listening….
Wonder of wonders, she could download in Rock Springs! This could be her ruin as she was the child whose shopping only included bookstores, never clothing… so holding back will be the issue. If her Amazon account gets shut off by the company we will know what has tragically occurred between her balance of money and her ‘book need‘ .
It truly is a wonderous device. Although, as a librarian, I probably should not promote the use of a book reader where the reader is tied into buying books from Amazon. So, I justify this by including that Jeff Bezos has tried and succeeded with his digital reader. They included tons of features, book marking, the ability to mark passages, search for those passages, connection to the Internet, no wireless charges, fast page turning, instant definitions, a “read to me” feature, paper-like display, light weight, can hold a library worth of books (1,500), can be used for pdf documents, offers a sample of the book before buying, can subscribe to newspapers, magazine and blogs, can be used internationally and, wonder of wonders, will function in Wyoming!
I wonder if the Amazon people know their map is not representative of it’s ability?
Yes, the kindle is a success! How fantastic is the ability to browse hundreds of publications that can be instantly downloaded? Or obscure definitions available with the press of a button? One of my favorite features allows the user to change the default dictionary-Foreign Language Dictionaries can be purchased and then used to instantly define words as you read! Unfortunately this tool will not be a boon until the Kindle has more foreign language offerings, but as popularity grows so will selection. It is true that books whose pleasure lies in their beautiful photographs or artwork cannot be enjoyed as well kindle style, and that your bookshelf may no longer be a conversation piece, but the advantages of a greener way to enjoy books, and a superior notemaking method overcome any reservations I have about the kindle. While I will never give up ‘real’ books, I am thrilled at the possibility of a library in my purse!
Comment by Kelly — January 7, 2010 @ 11:00 am
I want a Kindle too!!!!!! Maybe if I am really, really good, Santa will bring me one next year. Or some really nice librarian will adopt me and put me on her Christmas list.
Comment by Micki — January 18, 2010 @ 4:26 pm
Santa will be watching closely….
Comment by Cindy — January 26, 2010 @ 7:17 pm