Quote:
Originally Posted by J. Strnad
Downloading a book from my computer is a non-issue for me. I do it with iTunes and I'm comfortable with the process. For one thing, it's easier to surf the iTunes store from my desktop computer with a real keyboard and a big monitor than from any portable device. Also, I am mature enough not to need need need some tune instantly or I'll just die, you know?
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The reason the wireless connection on the Kindle is so useful to me is not because I want to shop from the device. I almost always shop from my computer but I don't buy the book at that time. I send samples to the Kindle. That way I can read them at my leisure and be certain that I can get the rest of the book when I'm ready for it without particularly interrupting my reading. This way, I have a good idea if I will like the book when I buy it. When I bought paper books, I bought many I didn't like enough to finish. I also would frequently buy a book thinking I'd want to read it next week and then my attention would turn to something else. The wireless allows just-in-time book buying. I read more books while buying fewer than I did before. I won't
die if I don't get to move on to the rest of the book after finishing the sample but it is a convenience I find worth the price.
Like you, I didn't see the worth in this when I bought my reader. I bought the Kindle because it was the only reader at the time that offered search, annotation, and dictionary look-up. I thought of the wireless as a novelty I likely wouldn't use all that often. When I started to use the sampling capability I realized just how brilliant it was. I'm perfectly capable of buying books and sideloading them onto a device. I'm on my computer often enough that this isn't particularly inconvenient. However, I can't deny that this has been a much better way for me to buy books.