A few weeks ago I jumped off of a cliff — possibly a mountain, if all the books, magazines and newspapers I’ve ever owned or borrowed from the library were stacked one on top of the other.
Just 5 x 8 inches and 1/3 of an inch thick, the Kindle holds up to 1,500 books; downloads take less than 60 seconds. It comes already loaded with a dictionary and allows instant access to Google and Wikipedia. More than 250,000 book titles are now available through Amazon, some of them, including the Bible, are free. Magazines, newspapers and blogs are also available.
My first Kindle book purchase was Drood, by Dan Simmons, a 900-page best-seller for which I paid $9.99 – a $17.00 savings over the hardcover price. I had been reading a three-pound library copy that was a challenge, especially for my dog, who sleeps next to my bed and got hammered by the tome more than once, as I nodded off to sleep.
Being trapped inside Will Rogers Coliseum during a three-week cutting horse event with nothing to read during cattle changes but the Daily Chatter and the Quarter Horse News is a re-occurring nightmare of mine. Now, with my Kindle in my camera bag, I’ll never have to worry about that possibility. I might even discreetly read while contestants walk in and out of the herd during the go-rounds.
I can also switch back and forth between Drood and any other book or document on my menu because Kindle opens each one where I previously stopped reading. If I want to insert comments and notes, I can do so with the keyboard. Kindle will save and archive my notes and I can download them to my computer, as well. Conversely, I can download documents that I have created on my computer to my Kindle.
Kindle is easier on the eyes than a computer screen, even better than a lot of print. The size of the font can also be adjusted and it is easy to view photos and graphics by zooming in and out.
I could go on, but you get the idea. If you love to read, you will love the Kindle.