What is a Kindle?

Ever since I started telling people I received a Kindle for Christmas, I’ve gotten a lot of mixed responses. The most common response is, “what is a Kindle?” Let me try to explain it briefly…

A Kindle is basically an IPod for books in the way it works but it is about 6 times larger than an IPod. The screen is built bigger so you can read on it for hours and not damage your eyesight. It is very lightweight…about 1 lb.

One of the big advantages I’ve found so far is that you can get almost any book instantly. The Kindle automatically connects to Amazon.com. If you have a book you want to read, you conduct a search on Amazon, find the book and then look for the “Kindle price.” It’s usually $9.99 or less to download a book. You can even download a preview chapter of the book to determine if you want to read it or not before you purchase it. If you decide to purchase it, the book is downloaded to the Kindle and you can start reading right away.

The other advantage is that you don’t have to store the books once you finish reading them. Everything is stored conveniently on the Kindle and you can go back and read a book again any time you want.

I know in the long run it will be a savings for me too since the cost to download is a lot less than the cost of the printed version of the book. Usually I buy a trade paperback at $14.99, read it once, and then either keep it on a bookshelf or pass it on to a friend. When I have tried to resell books, the most I have ever gotten is about one-quarter of what I paid for the book originally.

It’s definitely been an adjustment since I’m so used to the printed word and I love to peruse bookstores and purchase books. I think I will still occasionally purchase a “real” book but I love the convenience of the Kindle.