Is Amazon Kindle a Book Killer Or Savior?

February 23, 2011, By 6 comments

Is Amazon Kindle a Book Killer Or Savior?

I'm an old school book lover. I love shopping at book stores, strolling through libraries and of course, reading books. I analyze book covers for their artistry, and appreciate the texture of both book covers and pages. There's nothing quite like holding a book in your hand and getting lost in its pages.

So when people began talking about electronic books, or e-books, I demonstrated the appropriate amount of outrage. E-books will NEVER displace real books.

However, as a writer who makes a living online, I've come to appreciate the beauty of digital delivery. The idea that I can click a button and have instant access to a book is revolutionary for publishing and for readers.

But the book reading experience is far from perfect on a computer screen. I, along with many readers, find it hard to focus for long periods of time without eye strain.

A week ago, I decided to check out the Kindle, Amazon's e-book reader which uses the E Ink Pearl technology, rather than a traditional LED computer screen. It's said to be easier on the eyes than LED, and lasts for weeks without recharging. And oh yeah, it holds up to 3,500 books.

The Kindle comes in two sizes – the 6-inch variety which retails at $139 for the Wi-Fi version and $189 for the Wi-Fi/ 3G combo, and the 9.7-inch Kindle DX Graphite which costs $379.Though the larger one costs almost as much as an iPad, I wanted something which I could read PDFs on without having to scroll a lot.

So did the Kindle change my mind on e-books? Read on for the review.

Photos courtesy of Kindle.com
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Comments (6):

Bee C. I use the kindle to download books quite frequently, because it's easier having a selection of books at my fingertips whenever i'm stuck somewhere for a long time. Occassionally my mood changes and I want to read a drama, or a horror and they are all right there. I buy books of my favorite authors though and keep them on a shelf, since I'm more likely to re-read these and I still like the feel of flipping through pages. - 05/29/2011
Ashley W. I really enjoyed this article. Although I don't know if I can ever give up books for an electronic copy, I can see why it would be convienent. My issues are all sensory and deal with the physicality of owning the books. - 03/24/2011
Julie A. Love my Nook - better sorting, better availability of books plus sources, can change my own battery when it comes time, support in local stores, swipe my finger to change pages. But, all that aside, if you read at night, no matter what source, you need "an external light source", so that is not a "con". - 03/23/2011
Angela B. I buy most new books and old books on my kindle. Most of the other books I buy in actual books are books not available from authors I like from the 1920s-1980s. - 03/20/2011
David W. @Kurt - Thank you. I'll likely still buy some books in paper format, particularly reference books. At the moment, the Kindle is a bit awkward if you want to "thumb through the pages" to find something, though there is a search feature. For the most part, though, I'm thinking my book purchases will likely skew 80% Kindle, 20% paper books. - 02/26/2011
Kurt S. David, Good thoughts. I too struggled with the change, but I have ultimately, by way of a gift from my fiance, switched to the Kindle. I still buy copies of books by authors I love, but the majority of my stuff comes via electronic delivery. Initially, I raged against it and claimed I'd never go to the dark side; however, like almost everything in life, change comes and you go with it. I still wish it were just a book world, but that wish is fleeting and becoming rapidly disconnected from the reality that is well on its way. Thanks for the piece. - 02/23/2011

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