So, I’ve had my Kindle for several months and I can honestly say that I love this thing. I’ve had a chance to test the device by reading about 10 books, and I really can’t say enough about how much I use my Kindle. Not only have I found the experience of buying a book from the Amazon Kindle Store a pleasant experience, I’ve found several other sources for ebooks – most of them free (more about those places in another post).
I’ve converted several technical manuals from .pdf to the Kindle’s proprietary format (.azw). This can be done by either by emailing the files to your Kindle (for a small fee of $.10), or emailing them to a free conversion service offered by Amazon. The free service converts the files and then emails them back to you for transfer to the Kindle via usb. All files on the Kindle are easily searchable – this makes finding information in books, magazines, and the technical manuals a breeze.
There are a few drawbacks to the Kindle. First, when purchasing the electronic version of the book, you don’t have anything to put up on your bookshelf. There is something to be said for the experience of holding a real book in your hand. On the other hand it is nice to be able to carry hundreds of books in one small device. Second, I still think the cost of the Kindle books is a little too high. True, most of the titles are significantly cheaper than their hardcover counterparts, but I have found that the paperback and Kindle versions are the same, or very close to the same price. Shouldn’t I get a price break for saving a tree, cutting down on my carbon footprint (no shipping therefore no UPS truck), and purchasing a version of the book I can’t loan to friends?
If the cost of the books could be lowered, and if the ability to lend books to my friends with Kindle’s could be added, I think this would be the perfect reading device.
