do you need a Kindle?

I don’t.

Because I no longer read.

I pick up very few newspapers or magazines. And almost never read books.

My preferred input source is my ears. I listen to audiocasts including:

  • Buzz Out Loud
  • The Economist
  • NY Times Front Page
  • MacBreak Weekly
  • net@night
  • NPR
  • On The Media
  • Slate Magazine
  • This American Life
  • This Week in Tech
  • WNYC Radio Lab
  • And listen to books on tape. Currently Ghost Train to the Eastern Star by Paul Theroux.

    But those who still like to use their eyes to read … are quite charmed by the Kindle.

    click image for details on Amazon
    click image for details on Amazon

    A respected review:

    The good:
    Slimmer and sleeker looking than the original Kindle; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon’s familiar online store; built-in free wireless “Whispernet” data network–no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes and navigation; a faster processor speeds up the device; with 2GB of internal memory, it’s capable of storing 1,500 electronic books; font size is adjustable; improved battery life; displays image files and plays MP3 and AAC audio; compatible with Windows and Mac machines; new Text-to-Speech feature allows you to have text read aloud.

    The bad:
    No expansion slot for adding more memory or accessing files; files such as PDFs and Word documents aren’t natively supported, and need to be converted at 10 cents a pop by Amazon; no protective carrying case included; battery is sealed into the device and isn’t removable; hardware and content is still too expensive.

    The bottom line:
    While it’s still short of perfection–and has a price tag that’s too high–the Amazon Kindle 2 offers a range of improvements that makes it the best overall e-book reader we’ve seen to date.

    Price range: $359.00

    CNET

    One thought on “do you need a Kindle?

    1. Expensive but worth it. The coolest thing about the kindle is how it seems to disapear when you read, and you really don’t notice it. I find myself reaching down to flip a page every now and again…

      It is too expensive, but if you travel, or just want to have a lot of books at your fingertips, this is the toy for you.

      Basic web is kind of cool, and in an emergency, I’ve checked my email on it (though it really is not meant for that, and the user experience on hotmail or OWA is less than exciting).

      All in all, a very cool device that I am glad I finally bought.

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