I Swore I Never Would…
Long ago, I swore I would never make the jump to e-readers or any other form of electronic reading devices. After all, books are superior, right? The feel of a page between your fingers as you flip from chapter to chapter, the musty smell that wafts up as your curled up in your bed, reading your favourite novel, and the satisfaction of actually seeing the progress you’re making as your bookmark creeps closer and closer to the end of the book. Nothing can beat that, right?
Right?
That’s what I thought anyway, until something happened at work.
Something that has completely changed my opinion.
*sharp intake of breath*
We got a demo for the new Amazon Kindle and…. *holds breath*
…
I WANT ONE!!!!
Seriously, I have never wanted an electronic device this badly since I wanted my iPhone 4. It’s so elegant and light, the way its form fits and feels in your hand, and the beautifully crisp e-ink display is like looking at an actual piece of paper. I feel like a traitor to my fellow book lovers, but I am in love with the Amazon Kindle.
Specifically, I want the Kindle Touch, because it will be far easier to operate the device with a multi-touch screen instead of a 5-way button at the bottom of the device – and for $20 more, you really can’t argue against it (validly, anyway). ;P To clarify, though, we only received the standard Kindle at work – the Touch doesn’t hit shelves ‘til next month – but that doesn’t mean I’m any less excited for it.
Now, if I do get one, it doesn’t mean I’ll never buy a real book again. I still have every intention of building up my book collection. I just won’t carry them around with me to read while at work or school. Instead I’ll have my sexy little Kindle, with its one-month battery life and 8,000 book storage. ;)
*drools*
Furthermore, this will be great for me, because I am a book-snob; not in terms of what I read, but in terms of what I buy. I prefer to buy hard-copy books that are in mint-condition. It’s the perfectionist in me. I literally cringe with discomfort when I see a damaged book, because I hold them in such reverence. It’s silly, yes, and I know it sounds stupid, but such is the way I am, and I know I’m not going to change. But if I get a Kindle, I won’t have that problem! I can buy my hard-copy, put it on my shelf, and then read the Kindle version to my heart’s content. That may sound like a pointless double-dip, but to me it sounds like the perfect solution.
So, to conclude:
My name is Timothy. I’ve read books all my life. Swore I would never read anything but.
And I want a Kindle.
LOL. I applaud your honesty. I’m with you, though my desire for some form of e-book reader is the storage. I just don’t have enough room anymore. Its destroying me that the complete set of vintage Harvard Classics I inherited from my father have no proper place in my house and I may have to part with them to prevent them from being damaged.
As much I have struggled against it, the pros are starting to outweigh the cons.
Enjoy your new Kindle when you get it . . . guilt-free.
October 20, 2011 at 6:59 pm
Well thank you, Miss D. :)
Aww, that’s sad. :(
As far as storage goes, though, if you go through Amazon you have access to their cloud storage system. Everything you purchase is instantly backed up to their servers, so if you ever lose your Kindle, you will still retain your virtual library.
And speaking of libraries, apparently a lot of libraries have Kindle versions of their books for your to check out on their website. You just tap into the system with your Kindle, and *poof* the book is there on your devie (I greatly simplified that, but you get the idea). ;P
October 20, 2011 at 7:03 pm
You are REALLY excited about this. That’s a good thing.
October 20, 2011 at 8:42 pm
Haha! Indeed I am. And it is. I’m determined to get one. :)
October 20, 2011 at 8:46 pm
Everytime a person lusts after an electronic reading device, a sweet, little book dies somewhere.
October 21, 2011 at 12:54 am
Hahaha! Aww, poor books.
But don’t worry, Lara. Though their earthly bodies may pass away, their souls live on, Kindling the great flame of literature. ;)
October 21, 2011 at 12:58 am
That pun physically hurt me!!
October 21, 2011 at 12:46 pm
Muahahaha!
October 21, 2011 at 12:47 pm
That last bit is exactly what I said to my mother when I bought my own Kindle for my birthday. :P
I vow that as long as I have fingers to flip through pages, and paper exists to print books on, I will read paper books. But it’s simply not economical to print off pages and pages of books I have only available through PDF files, like fan fictions and my own work that I really want to take with me sometimes, and thanks to Kindle I now can. Also, because I want to make a habit of traveling, it’s going to be brilliant having thousands of books at my disposal when I’m in the middle of the English countryside trying to remember that one quote from a Jane Austen that’s on the tip of my tongue, and if I could just… but oh look! It’s the Kindle search tool allowing to me to find exactly that! ;)
You and I are very different in one way, though. I like a little wear on my books. NOT to the extent of tears and pages falling out (except in certain cases because they’re just *that* old) and I abhor markings of any kind like highlighters and penciled in comments. (Invest in a notebook, stupid.) But I will actually purposefully buy a used book over a new one because it has that worn-in look. Part of it is that Iiii don’t want to be the one to have bent it or crinkled pages or made the cover fade, but I just love used books. :) Anyway… just my thoughts. Books are beautiful.
October 22, 2011 at 9:09 pm
Haha, I read your first paragraph as if you were a “real customer” from an infomercial: “Thanks to Kindle I now can!” xD
But I do hear you, and agree. :P
lol! Invest in a notebook. Priceless. You should mention that to Lara sometime. She’s a librarian’s worst nightmare. ;P
But no. If I’m going to spend my hard-earned money on a hardback book, it’s going to be in the best condition that I can possibly find. People have witnessed me in the store looking a several different copies of the same book, trying to decide which one looks the best.
I’m hopeless, I know. :P
And yes, books are beautiful. :)
October 23, 2011 at 12:00 am
lol, you are soooo funny. I just love reading your blogs :)
October 23, 2011 at 12:37 pm
Haha, why thank you! I’m glad you find them amusing. ;P
October 23, 2011 at 12:39 pm
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