Surely by now you’ve heard about the much-hyped Kindle 2 from Amazon.com. I was given one as a gift a couple of months ago. I have loved books my entire life. I either buy or check out books from the library weekly. Reading a new book is something that I truly treasure.
I have toyed with other electronic readers in the past and I did not like them so I had mixed emotions about the Kindle. I didn’t think it could possibly live up to all of the praise that I heard about the product. I was concerned that somehow it would take away from the actual experience of reading a book, feeling it in my hands, and turning the pages. This was, however, all before I actually owned a Kindle 2.
The Kindle 2 is light and sleek. The all-white device looks like something Apple might have created, but Amazon is the distributor and inventor of the Kindle.
You don’t need a computer connection or internet service to order books. Somewhat ironically, you have to order the Kindle device from the internet off of Amazon.com. As of right now, the Kindle 2 and all other versions of the Kindle are not available in any stores. There is no subscription service of any kind required. Most books are only $9.99 or less, including new and best-selling books. I have even found some classics that were free!
I am a person who likes to highlight and write notes while I read. I was pleasantly surprised to find that I could still do this with the Kindle and the functions are easy to perform. The keyboard is easy to type with; you can highlight a sentence or passage quickly and certainly with much less of a mess.
I am also left-handed. I was concerned that the buttons and functions might feel awkward to me, because almost everything under the sun is designed for the comfort of right-handed individuals. However, the Kindle 2’s “next page” button (the button that allows the reader to turn the eletronic page) is on both the left and right side of the device.
Another feature that I love about my Kindle 2 is the built-in dictionary. No more putting down my book and fetching a dictionary to look up the meaning of a word. The Kindle includes The New Oxford American Dictionary with over 250,000 entries and definitions. Just move the cursor to the word and the dictionary definition pops up at the bottom of the screen. This saves me time and energy and keeps me moving through what I am reading seamlessly.
If you like to read outside, fear not. You won’t get any glare on the Kindle’s screen because it reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlight. Feel free to take the Kindle to the beach or read outside on your porch.
The text size is adjustable. If your tired eyes prefer large text, the Kindle can easily accomodate you. You can even adjust the size of the text while you read.
All in all, I absolutely love my Kindle 2. I save space in my home because the device holds 1,500 books. I never worry about accidently deleting a book, because Amazon saves a copy of every book that I buy. I can re-download any of the books that I have already purchased for free. That gives me piece of mind! I love that I can download samples of books for free to make sure it is a book that I am interested in reading, allowing me to try before I buy. The Kindle 2 has become a must-have item in my life.
