I’ve never hidden the fact that I’m a huge fan of reading. My idea of a good time is burrowing in bed with a good book for an hour or two. When reading, you can venture to far away lands like the Orient or the wilds of Africa. You can learn how to manage your finances or how to be an effective speaker. You can even find out what it would be like to live in a completely different era. The point is, reading gives you access to the world that you might not get otherwise.
And all of that can be found in the pages of a book. It doesn’t get much better than that.
Or does it?
Enter the Kindle.
I know the Kindle has been around for a while now but I had never given it much thought. The idea of an electronic device to read from was intriguing, but I believe there is something special about the feel of an actual book. The turn of the crisp pages, the print of the bold text, the smell of the binding. That’s half the experience right there.
So I never gave Kindle a chance.
Not too long ago, however, I saw that another electronic reader had entered the market when Barnes and Noble introduced the Nook.
Shortly after that, the CPA brought home the new iPad and I was able to give the whole electronic reading experience a try.
Not bad, I’ll have to admit. I could see why someone would be interested. But I still wasn’t ready to sink a couple of hundred dollars into a device when I could just as easily pay $9.95 for the real thing.
That all changed a couple of months ago when we flew out to Utah. The CPA suggested I download a few books onto my iPhone so that I’d have something to read both on the plane and during our long hours on the road. The idea of not having to lug two or three books around was appealing. So I downloaded Kindle onto my iPhone (the software is free, btw) and started shopping.
I added a few free selections and one book that I had been eyeing. And then I began to read.
What I found amazing was just how easy it was to adapt to the small screen.
But what really sold me, was how I could carry around a book with me anywhere I was. I generally have my phone with me most time which means that now I always have a book to read too. Over the past few weeks I’ve whipped out my book while standing in line at the grocery store, while sitting in a doctor’s office, and while riding in the car (as a passenger, not while driving).
I can’t tell you how great it’s been to be able to read a book at any time, in any place, yet not have to bring along the actual book. I don’t see myself buying a Kindle reader or Nook anytime soon (I wouldn’t mind having an iPad for the web access, not just for reading) but then again, I don’t really need to since I have my phone. I don’t even miss my actual books, which I thought I would. In fact, I’ll save a ton of space at home by not having to store new books. The Kindle books are generally cheaper too so that’s a bonus. But mostly it’s the convenience of always having the book with me that I really like.
I’m just kicking myself for not having done this earlier.
Do you use Kindle, Nook or your phone to read books? Is it something that you’ve wanted to try?
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