I found about e-ink on Amazon when they started advertising the Kindle. I knew there were electronic books, but I thought the only way to read them was via a computer or a PDA. I don't like reading on the computer. I thought of buying some books for my PDA just to have something to read when waiting. I didn't know about Gutenberg and the site I explored looking for electronic books didn't seem to have much of a selection and the books were way too expensive.
I read the advertising about the Kindle. I read all the customer reviews. I searched the books I like to read to see if they were available and the price. I had been telling my husband how great the Kindle sounded. I guess I must have talked about it a lot because when I told him that I thought I was going to buy it, he said he had already ordered it for my Christmas present. That was in November--since it was sold out--I didn't get it until Jan. 18. I haunted the blogs and found mobileread.com while I was waiting for it to come.
I love my Kindle. I'm not saying it's perfect. I'd love a touch screen. I would change the order of the prev. page button and the next page button on the left side. I would not make the buttons smaller. Folders and a choice of colors would be nice.
I haven't read a non electronic book since I got my Kindle. I will not be buying any paper books unless they are picture books, how to, or cook books. I buy about 10 electronic books a month. This is about the same amount as before I got the Kindle. What has changed is that I now buy them from Amazon. Before it was from the local Barnes & Noble.
My minimum requirements for any future electronic reader: e-ink, something like Whispernet, page turning buttons as convenient as the Kindle's, reasonable prices, the books I want to read, dictionary look up, and basic web.
|