Health and the Kindle

geoffthomas · 04-23-2009, 10:08 AM

I originally posted this over at KindleBoards and am repeating it here because I think the issue is worth thinking about:
I wanted to open this thread because I believe that this is an important subject.
In order to keep your attention, I will get to the point - Kindles are good for people with Asthma.
I don't have it and had no clue.
I was riding on the WashDC Metrorail commuting home last night and had a discussion with a family of tourists. Now I know that some of you are going to say that this sounds like it belongs on the thread about demo'ing our K2s to others. But it just starts there.
My seat mate was a young woman with her perhaps 7 year-old daughter on her lap (the train was crowded) and Dad and son were standing. They noticed the K2 and asked about it, so of course I was off to the races and told them about its many features and how much I liked it. The little girl said in a very happy voice something like "Oh how nice, it would be perfect for me". Well I felt the immediate need to explain that it was not a toy (I did NOT say that). But I did say that it was expensive - $350.00. And that it was really only justified for heavy readers.
Well, they explained that the little girl has Asthma. Like many children with it she limits her physical and outside activities, so she reads a lot. AND......wait for it.......when she opens a book she almost immediately starts to cough. Especially library books. Wow. You could have knocked me over with a feather. It never occured to me.
So here is a little girl for whom this device would not be too expensive at all. In fact when you think about it, it is cheap. And it has the chance to change/enhance her life.
Again I say WOW.
I just had to share this with you here at KB and to suggest that we might even get on a mission to make sure that people that have Asthma are told about this. I am going to look into demoing mine at any official gatherings of such people/families.
What are your experiences/thoughts??

DixieGal · 04-23-2009, 10:13 AM

Wow, that's a humbling experience, huh? A little child like that, instantly grasping the possibilities.

zelda_pinwheel · 04-23-2009, 10:20 AM

yep, it's true and a really important point. i don't have asthma but i do have allergies (to acariens) and old dusty books are not good for me to have around.

and don't forget the obvious benefit to people with poor vision, who can enlarge the font size easily to read comfortably !

i agree dg, that little girl is really insightful to see that so quickly.

beledi · 04-23-2009, 10:31 AM

I have asthma and I love books. I can hardly stand to go to the paperback book aisle in our local library. Newer books do not bother me too often. It is usualy the older paperback. I have some beautiful, old leather bound books that do not bother me. May be mold and smoke in some of the old paperbacks.

zelda_pinwheel · 04-23-2009, 10:34 AM

beledi, i love your signature quote.

Alisa · 04-23-2009, 03:36 PM

This was one of the major reasons I wanted an ebook reader. I don't have asthma, but like others who've posted, I have severe dust and mold allergies. I often cannot read old books without sneezing and having my eyes water like crazy. It's a good deal of work keeping the dust down on bookshelves crammed with books, too. I tend not to hang on to many possessions because more clutter means more dusting. Books, though the worst offender in this regard, have always been my exception to this rule. Now that I have a reader, I can lighten the load there.

stoogeswoman · 04-23-2009, 03:50 PM

Ever since I got my eBookwise, I've thought it would be fun to load one up with all the Beverly Cleary books and give it to a kid. Unfortunately, I don't know any kids right now, so I just had to get them all for myself. ;-)

Patricia · 04-23-2009, 04:07 PM

This is an interesting point. But it's not just the Kindle that benefits allergy sufferers.
All the electronic readers have that advantage.

But thanks for pointing it out, geoffthomas. This hadn't occurre to me.

emellaich · 04-24-2009, 01:59 PM

I can add my voice to the chorus. I had well over a thousand books in my paper library, but I couldn't reread them anymore. I went electronic because reading older books caused me to cough too much.

catsittingstill · 04-25-2009, 12:17 AM

Hmm. I hadn't thought about that. But yes, an e-book reader would eliminate a lot of the allergens in old, musty books. Clever kid. :-)

sirbruce · 04-25-2009, 12:57 AM

Reading a hardback or even a thick paperback while I'm walking every day on the treadmill would be a hassle for me, but holding my Kindle 2 makes it a breeze!

BinaryTB · 04-25-2009, 03:46 AM

I probably couldn't do that, I'm way too anal, wouldn't want any sweat while on the treadmill hitting my Kindle.

sirbruce · 04-25-2009, 11:07 AM

I don't sweat *that* much. It's just brisk walking; if I were running the screen would probably bounce around too much anyway.

Alisa · 04-25-2009, 11:28 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

Reading a hardback or even a thick paperback while I'm walking every day on the treadmill would be a hassle for me, but holding my Kindle 2 makes it a breeze!

Yep. And for people with some conditions, just holding a book sitting still is hard. I got a Kindle for my sister because her fibromyalgia makes it hard to hold books some days. I would imagine it would be good for people with arthritis, too.

04-23-2009, 10:08 AM	#1
geoffthomas geoffthomas Posts: 8 Karma: 36 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Maryland Device: Kindle2	Health and the Kindle I originally posted this over at KindleBoards and am repeating it here because I think the issue is worth thinking about: I wanted to open this thread because I believe that this is an important subject. In order to keep your attention, I will get to the point - Kindles are good for people with Asthma. I don't have it and had no clue. I was riding on the WashDC Metrorail commuting home last night and had a discussion with a family of tourists. Now I know that some of you are going to say that this sounds like it belongs on the thread about demo'ing our K2s to others. But it just starts there. My seat mate was a young woman with her perhaps 7 year-old daughter on her lap (the train was crowded) and Dad and son were standing. They noticed the K2 and asked about it, so of course I was off to the races and told them about its many features and how much I liked it. The little girl said in a very happy voice something like "Oh how nice, it would be perfect for me". Well I felt the immediate need to explain that it was not a toy (I did NOT say that). But I did say that it was expensive - $350.00. And that it was really only justified for heavy readers. Well, they explained that the little girl has Asthma. Like many children with it she limits her physical and outside activities, so she reads a lot. AND......wait for it.......when she opens a book she almost immediately starts to cough. Especially library books. Wow. You could have knocked me over with a feather. It never occured to me. So here is a little girl for whom this device would not be too expensive at all. In fact when you think about it, it is cheap. And it has the chance to change/enhance her life. Again I say WOW. I just had to share this with you here at KB and to suggest that we might even get on a mission to make sure that people that have Asthma are told about this. I am going to look into demoing mine at any official gatherings of such people/families. What are your experiences/thoughts??

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04-23-2009, 10:13 AM	#2
DixieGal Hi There! Posts: 7,473 Karma: 2930523 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Ft Lauderdale Device: iPad	Wow, that's a humbling experience, huh? A little child like that, instantly grasping the possibilities.

04-23-2009, 10:20 AM	#3
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	yep, it's true and a really important point. i don't have asthma but i do have allergies (to acariens) and old dusty books are not good for me to have around. and don't forget the obvious benefit to people with poor vision, who can enlarge the font size easily to read comfortably ! i agree dg, that little girl is really insightful to see that so quickly.

04-23-2009, 10:31 AM	#4
beledi Member Posts: 16 Karma: 50 Join Date: Apr 2009 Location: Co Device: sony 505	I have asthma and I love books. I can hardly stand to go to the paperback book aisle in our local library. Newer books do not bother me too often. It is usualy the older paperback. I have some beautiful, old leather bound books that do not bother me. May be mold and smoke in some of the old paperbacks.

04-23-2009, 10:34 AM	#5
zelda_pinwheel zeldinha zippy zeldissima Posts: 27,827 Karma: 921169 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Paris, France Device: eb1150 & is that a nook in her pocket, or she just happy to see you?	beledi, i love your signature quote.

04-23-2009, 03:36 PM	#6
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	This was one of the major reasons I wanted an ebook reader. I don't have asthma, but like others who've posted, I have severe dust and mold allergies. I often cannot read old books without sneezing and having my eyes water like crazy. It's a good deal of work keeping the dust down on bookshelves crammed with books, too. I tend not to hang on to many possessions because more clutter means more dusting. Books, though the worst offender in this regard, have always been my exception to this rule. Now that I have a reader, I can lighten the load there.

04-23-2009, 03:50 PM	#7
stoogeswoman Zealot Posts: 149 Karma: 492 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reseda, CA Device: eBookwise 1150 and Kindle 1	Ever since I got my eBookwise, I've thought it would be fun to load one up with all the Beverly Cleary books and give it to a kid. Unfortunately, I don't know any kids right now, so I just had to get them all for myself. ;-)

04-23-2009, 04:07 PM	#8
Patricia Reader Posts: 11,504 Karma: 8720163 Join Date: May 2007 Location: South Wales, UK Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505, Asus EEEpc 4G	This is an interesting point. But it's not just the Kindle that benefits allergy sufferers. All the electronic readers have that advantage. But thanks for pointing it out, geoffthomas. This hadn't occurre to me.

04-24-2009, 01:59 PM	#9
emellaich Wizard Posts: 1,101 Karma: 4388403 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: Palm>Ebookman>IPaq>Axim>Cybook>Kndl2>IPAD>Kndl3SO>Voyager>Oasis	I can add my voice to the chorus. I had well over a thousand books in my paper library, but I couldn't reread them anymore. I went electronic because reading older books caused me to cough too much.

04-25-2009, 12:17 AM	#10
catsittingstill Guru Posts: 643 Karma: 551634 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle 1.0.8, iPod Touch, Kindle Keyboard	Hmm. I hadn't thought about that. But yes, an e-book reader would eliminate a lot of the allergens in old, musty books. Clever kid. :-)

04-25-2009, 12:57 AM	#11
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	Reading a hardback or even a thick paperback while I'm walking every day on the treadmill would be a hassle for me, but holding my Kindle 2 makes it a breeze!

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04-25-2009, 03:46 AM	#12
BinaryTB Connoisseur Posts: 73 Karma: 74 Join Date: Mar 2009 Location: Boston, MA Device: Kindle 3	I probably couldn't do that, I'm way too anal, wouldn't want any sweat while on the treadmill hitting my Kindle.

04-25-2009, 11:07 AM	#13
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	I don't sweat that much. It's just brisk walking; if I were running the screen would probably bounce around too much anyway.