Kindle - Does it Light Your Fire?

Did you know that the word 'kindle' not only means to light a fire, or to arouse but also means a brood or litter, especially of kittens? (Thanks to the Free Dictionary for the information). Nowadays, when someone mentions a Kindle, it only means one thing. An electronic reader. I still jar when I hear the term. But as you know from a previous post, I did download the Kindle App to my PC to try it out. And I'm going to share my love - hate relationship with this piece of technology which many have embraced like a long lost friend.

Three Negatives about Kindle

1. Most importantly for me because of its 'feel'. I know I only have the app which just means reading it on my computer screen, but I have held and read on the real thing and it still feels like a computer, just a tiny one. I can't get the feeling I do when I flick through a real book, or the smell of the paper, or the patterns of the words, it's just not the same. Even with sound effects.
2. The books I've downloaded - which in the main have been reference books - have lost some of the printed benefits in the formatting. I know this is probably a publishing issue, but even so, tables and quotes and references are often lost. I've paid for a product which is corrupt.
3. Finally, the price of many reference books in their Kindle edition is just not competitive with their hard copy cousin. And with the issues of formatting, I feel as though I get a shoddy deal.

Three Positives about Kindle

1. One of the main reasons I downloaded the app was the speed at which I could access the publication. With a click of the button, the book was magically 'there' in front of me, and for an expat who has to rely on postage through two countries, then this is a big advantage.
2. Space. I'm running out of it in my bookshelf, which are bulging with how to and reference books on writing. Do I need anymore, my other half asks? Well, is the Pope a catholic is my usual response. This way I can squirrel away as many 'book's as a like without taking up any space - well not space that can be seen anyway.
3. I'm struggling with a third reason, but I want to be fair and I suppose I have to mention the environment. A Kindle owner must be added to the list of those who are 'saving the planet' in terms of paper production and the disappearance of trees and woodlands.

But I'm afraid, once a Luddite, always a Luddite and the book in printed format for me is the only way. But I'm up for a litter of kittens, if that helps....

Until Later...