Kindle2

I finally got a Kindle2. I have been looking at the Kindles since they first came out, but I kept putting off getting one for a variety of reasons. The first generation ones were a little bulky and new technology, which is always scary, and I am always broke, which was another powerful inducement to wait. When the K2s came out, though, I had a much harder time waiting. They are sleek and many of the complaints early users had were gone. I went so far as to place one in my amazon cart several times, but I didn't get one until Saturday of last week.

It came Wednesday. It's already one of my favorite pieces of technology. I have read two books on it and am about halfway through a third. I have about 25 books downloaded onto it including some of my very favorite rereads. Almost all of the books I've found so far have been free, too, since they are old enough to be out of copyright protection. It's amazing.

There are so many people and sites out there putting out literature for free. I find that to be a wonderful thing. It's like having a huge free bookstore with thousands of titles for the asking. Granted, the latest best-sellers are not free, but that's not a big deal to me. I pay less to download the ones of those I'm interested in that I would pay to buy them from my local bookstore. Plus, I can get them when I want them, something I can't always say about my local book store.

I've also noticed that with my Kindle I read much faster. I don't know why that should be true, but it is. It may be because of the adjustable print size or the ease of use, but even though I've always been a fast reader, I'm really flying now. The day I got my Kindle, I read the 8th Sookie Stackhouse novel and half of a Lauren Willig book, too. I'm now working on rereading Beloved.

Are there things they could do better? Absolutely. Sure. It's a device in development. I know that future models will just get better and better. I love the one I have now, though, for what it is: the integration of literacy and technology. It's time the two met and were friendly.