A couple of weeks ago, I set off on a 12-day trip to London and St. Petersburg. Ordinarily, this would mean pretty much carrying my weight in reading material — who wants to be stuck on a plane with the wrong book? — but this trip was different. Instead of half a dozen books, I was setting out with only a Kindle. While my shoulder was happy about the lighter carry-on, I couldn’t help feeling a bit unprepared.
The verdict? I’m not sure I need to travel with books ever again. While I did end up buying a novel in the London airport (the first few pages of Little Bee got me hooked, and I couldn’t use the Kindle’s wireless feature overseas), having several books and periodicals at my fingertips was pretty much heaven. Not to mention that the device was a conversation piece — even the flight attendants were asking about it.
Me and my new favorite traveling companion on the plane ride home -- who says you can't cuddle up with an electronic device?
This experience only cemented my opinion that the Kindle is the device that will take ebooks mainstream. The novelty factor, the convenience of having a world of books at your fingertips — it reminded me of the way I felt the first time I traveled with an iPod. The Kindle isn’t perfect: it’s expensive, the joystick feels somewhat prehistoric if you’re used to devices with a touchscreen, and the wireless network can be slow. And aside from the device itself, there are issues about pricing and DRM that have yet to be worked out (at least publishers can look to the experience of the music and TV industries while working on these). Still, I can’t help but feel that ereaders are the best way to make reading relevant for a generation that’s grown up with the Internet.
Anyone else ever traveled with a Kindle or another ereader?
I received a Kindle earlier this month as an early birthday present. I had adored from afar as my best friend had already purchased one. One hour into my Kindle I was hooked. It is the most amazing item I have ever owned. Between my Kindle and my IPod, I am a happy girl! I love that I can dowload preview chapters and keep them on my Kindle for a rainy day when I am inbetween books. Its light, recharges quickly, and will hold a charge for quite some time provided you turn the wireless off. I even have my Bible on it and use the Kindle at church. Will it ever replace books totally for me? No. As an addition to my book collection? Simply put- heaven on Earth!
Keeping preview chapters for emergencies is a great suggestion, and I love the image of reading the Bible on it at church. Amazing how easy it is to get used to, isn’t it?
I received a Kindle for Christmas. My review is mixed. I live in a rural area and can’t use the wireless connection at all. Have to first download to computer. Then I was reading just the second book I purchased and the Kindle froze. Had to call support to be talked through a restart. As one family member said, Have you ever read a book and had the final chapter missing?
Good point: technology is only your friend when it works! Luckily we haven’t had those kinds of issues with our Kindle yet.
I’ve had my K1 for a year now and absolutely love it. I prefer to read on my Kindle than an actual paper book. Traveling is a breeze with a Kindle. Lots and lots of books and no heavy luggage or fear of running out of reading material. I’ll be upgrading to a K2 this fall and gifting my K1 to my brother.