Monday, February 25, 2008

No Verdict on the Kindle Yet

The jury's still out at my house on the Kindle. So far, I've read only one book on it: Blood Memory, by Greg Iles. This was my book club's choice for last month (which, by the way, was a very different type of book than those we usually choose), and one thing I didn't like was that I couldn't just flip through the pages at our meeting to find a passage being discussed. I recognize there is probably a way to search for terms, but that's part of my issue: I hate the learning curve that accompanies new technology. I don't want to spend the time figuring out all the intricacies. Picking up a real book is just so much easier! (This is why I never upgrade my cell phone, too.)
Having said that, I loved the way I'm able to adjust the size of the font. My eyesight just isn't what it used to be. (What am I saying? I've never had good eyesight . . . the only difference now is that I'm nearsighted and farsighted!) I also love that I can have the book instantly with just a click on the Amazon site.
I asked my fifteen-year-old daughter, who's also been using it, how she likes it so far. She loves it. Like me, she likes the ability to change the font size, she likes the size of the whole unit (it's small and light, she says), she likes how it stays charged for so long, she likes how, when you turn it on, it automatically goes back to the last page you were reading . . .
Next up, I'll be reading our book club's March pick, The Birth House, by Ami McKay. Maybe I'll take the time to learn some more features before I begin the book. . .
What do you think? Have you tried the Kindle?