Have you seen Amazon’s New Kindle Fire? Wow, it’s a beauty, and it shows just how far we’ve come since the days of paper and hardback books.
The olden days
I have some wonderful childhood memories of eagerly anticipating my family’s weekly trip to town to buy necessities. My absolute favorite spot to stop was M. E. Moses, which had a wonderful variety of everything. But the only thing that really counted was that they had books!
My parents gave me a weekly allowance of 25 cents, though my dad frequently threatened to hide it under all the mess in my room , but long before I actually received my allowance, I had definite plans for it. I spent every penny on books at the dime store. I always knew
Amazon's sexy new Fire
in advance which book I wanted to get (Nancy Drew was a favorite, though I never quite got into the Hardy Boys….I think it mainly was because they were – ugh – boys.) And then I would buy the long-anticipated book and start reading as I walked out the door. Many’s the time my mother grabbed me to keep me from falling down a curb, or stepping on someone, because nothing – nothing – mattered as much as reading.
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It was that way then, and it’s that way almost as much, now, as far as how I feel about reading. But!
Times, they are a’changin‘
Now, it’s all different. I have my Android tablet with its version of the Kindle and Nook applications, and it contains all my other e-readers as well. But just recently, Amazon has started promoting its new Fire seven-inch reader to much acclaim. The Fire is in pre-order and will start shipping on November 15. After looking at the Kindles that use e-ink in monotone, this is a very exciting-looking product. And since it is actually a Kindle, rather than just a Kindle app on a computer or a tablet, its native operating system will be more intuitive than what I am working with now.
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In speaking with my friends about the Kindle and other e-readers, many of them have said that they really preferred to hold the book, and were unlikely to have any interest in an e-reader at this time. I can clearly remember feeling the same way, myself, and I have had some rather spirited arguments with my husband about the future utility of these new readers. But I have to admit, after having one myself, that while “real” books have their purpose, and yes, they are warm and cuddly, trying to retain one’s place while working on the elliptical machine isn’t so easy with a warm and cuddly book. It’s a snap, though, with the e-reader! Another great use of these readers – I love to cruise, and I spend lots of time sitting on my balcony reading. However, bringing “real” books onboard can be an exercise for a muscleman, and they take up loads of room that could better be used for souvenirs!
In short, I love my e-reader! I’d love to hear your opinions about these!
