Asking a Stranger About Their Amazon Kindle
On the train yesterday morning, the woman sitting in front of me was reading a book using an Amazon Kindle
I was peeking over her shoulder a bit, and finally decided to be rude and interrupt her reading. I apologized for the interruption, and proceeded to pepper her with a bunch of questions. Based on her demeanor, it seemed like this sort of thing happens to her all the time.
How do you like reading books on the Kindle: I absolutely love it.
How much did the Kindle cost: Around $350.
Did you buy it yourself, or was it a gift: It was a gift.
Looking back, would you buy one yourself: Definitely.
What are you reading: Weapons of Choice (Science Fiction).
I wanted to ask more, but felt like I already had disturbed the woman enough… and thanked her for her time. One of the biggest questions that I should have asked (but didn’t think to until it was too late) was whether or not she missed the sensation of books.
Did she miss the feel of the spine, the texture of the pages? Did she miss the actual satisfaction of turning a page? Or was that replaced by a different satisfaction in the clicking of the button, and the visual “flip” of the page?
While this entry isn’t an actual ad, I’m sorta breaking my own rules here by using an Amazon link for an item I don’t own. Still though, it seemed like an apprporpiate time to link to the Kindle, in the off chance that someone reading this decides to have a $350 impulse purchase.
I really love reading, and find myself going through phases: some droughts, and sometimes I’ve got more books than I know what to do with. I like the physical accrual of books, and I like the fact that I have bookshelves.
I like music too, and I can’t tell you the last time I handled a CD. I digitized my collection ages ago, and it felt like a right, a natural thing to do. My enjoyment of music hasn’t lessened, and the transition from CD to MP3 seemed organic. Who cares what the physical format is, so long as the thing itself is the same?
I’m definitely intrigued by the Kindle, but for now I’m someone who’s looking in from a distance. I would love to try one out, but $350 is a pretty big leap of faith. I can see loving how light and sleek the thing is… but I can also see missing the heft and weight of a real book. Tough call.
You and I are on the same page on this one! I contemplated getting Kindle a while back, as it seems rather convenient. But where can I underline favorite sentences or write notes in the margins? And will I miss dog-earing the corners? And how about the smell of a book? And even though it’s silly/vain, I take pride in my large book collection…I can’t imagine not adding to it anymore.
margaret (July 1, 2009 at 8:55 am)I was one of the early adopters of the Kindle and love it. I do not miss books at all. It’s fun to carry an entire library with me everywhere I go. I highly recommend it to any book lover.
Denise (July 1, 2009 at 9:50 am)I think true music lovers still buy/burn albums. I digitized my music collection, too. But I think it’s different with books. Books are more consumable than music…you can write in them, rip out pages, etc. I don’t often talk about my work on my own blog, in fact, I NEVER, but basically I work with books, and I just can’t see myself getting a Kindle. But I’m tempted to buy one for A.P. I think he would love it! One question I would have is whether or not you can take notes on what you read…like can you do margin notes? Or sort of “bookmark” a page you want to reference later? You need to find that lady on the train again, Felix! We all have so many Kindle questions!! : O )
Marty J. (July 1, 2009 at 2:19 pm)I’m pretty certain you can do notes. In the photo (it’s hard to see at this size), there’s a separate section for “Clippings” or something like that. Whether you can actually store notes in the margins, or flag an area/page… that’s another question entirely.I’d be curious to see what something by David Foster Wallace would look like on the Kindle. Or if the thing would just explode from all the footnotes…
avoision (July 1, 2009 at 5:46 pm)