This is like a new sweater or cool new pair of jeans which I bought weeks ago but which still have their tags on. I’ve been on the fence about the Kindle for a long time. I was still working for Amazon when the prototype was being handed around internally and I didn’t like the look and feel of the device. I decided to wait for v2.0 – since I’m very sure this team will raise their game with the next version. But then ‘an insider’ tipped me off about the $50 discount which came with Oprah’s endorsement of the product and I capitulated.
Funny capitulation. I took it out of it’s box, charged it up – was extremely impressed with the auto-registering and set-up – and sat down to read the 1st of my 14-day delivered-to-your-Kindle trial subscription to the New York Times. And I’ve barely touched it since. It turns out that I have no more time to read with a Kindle than I had without. Funny that. (# times I read more than the front headline on the NYT subscription before it expired? 1).
But in the next few days, I’ll be visiting with friends. We have a couple of flights, which will come with waiting time in the airport, and we’ll be taking public transport around San Francisco. I’ve loaded my Kindle up with some books and I’m looking forward to this test. It’s going to be fun – and a lot easier than carrying around a bunch of books. My challenge? Keeping my Kindle to myself. CAM has already eyed it up as “just fantastic”. Usually when we travel, he gathers up a monster pile of books to take with him. Which also usually prompts a fun mother-son “No, you can’t bring that much stuff” discussion. This time, the pile of books hasn’t materialized yet. I suspect we’ll be having a “What do you mean I can’t use your Kindle?” discussion instead.
Has anyone else tried the Kindle for traveling – inside or outside the U.S.? Or the Sony e-reader? Do you have preference?
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