Comments on: Off-grid high tech living http://www.sustainableinternet.org/2008/off-grid-high-tech-living/ Wed, 25 Apr 2012 06:28:04 +0000 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.9.2 hourly 1 By: C. Bailey http://www.sustainableinternet.org/2008/off-grid-high-tech-living/comment-page-1/#comment-8 C. Bailey Mon, 14 Dec 2009 02:21:26 +0000 http://itsagreenmobileworld.com/?p=6#comment-8 I have been looking at the Kindle online for about six months. I would come very close to making the purchase, but I'd realize it didn't make economic sense: I didn't read enough books to justify the upfront investment; I couldn't share books with friends; I would be giving up library borrowing; and I'm not even sure I own the books I purchase for the Kindle (much hoopla about this, I know). It didn't make good economic sense to buy a Kindle. Now that I own one, I still agree with that conclusion - but I give the Kindle five stars. Why? Because the Kindle isn't about saving money; it's about enjoyable reading. And the Kindle is a glorious success at this. I can't explain how nice it is to read without turning pages and fussing with bindings. If I want to hold a cup of coffee (or a glass of scotch) in one hand and the Kindle in the other, it's no problem at all. I can access the relevant control ("Next Page") without any fuss. If I want to lay the kindle flat on my desk and not touch it but to turn the pages, fine; no problem. For me, this is the main advantage of the Kindle. It sounds a bit ridiculous to complain of books being cumbersome, but you'll understand after finishing your first Kindle edition book. That said, being able to wirelessly download books is a wonderful, if sometimes unwittingly expensive, feature. I love waking to the New York Times every morning and having various magazines delivered throughout the week for mere dollars a month. Granted, I expect to spend more on actual reading material, but I also expect to read more, which more than compensates for a slight fiscal uptick. So, my recommendation is this; buy the Kindle, planning wholeheartedly to return it if you're not completely taken by it. It doesn't make a lot of economic sense, so you need to love it when it arrives. If you don't, it's not the device for you. I have been looking at the Kindle online for about six months. I would come very close to making the purchase, but I’d realize it didn’t make economic sense: I didn’t read enough books to justify the upfront investment; I couldn’t share books with friends; I would be giving up library borrowing; and I’m not even sure I own the books I purchase for the Kindle (much hoopla about this, I know). It didn’t make good economic sense to buy a Kindle. Now that I own one, I still agree with that conclusion – but I give the Kindle five stars. Why? Because the Kindle isn’t about saving money; it’s about enjoyable reading. And the Kindle is a glorious success at this. I can’t explain how nice it is to read without turning pages and fussing with bindings. If I want to hold a cup of coffee (or a glass of scotch) in one hand and the Kindle in the other, it’s no problem at all. I can access the relevant control (“Next Page”) without any fuss. If I want to lay the kindle flat on my desk and not touch it but to turn the pages, fine; no problem. For me, this is the main advantage of the Kindle. It sounds a bit ridiculous to complain of books being cumbersome, but you’ll understand after finishing your first Kindle edition book. That said, being able to wirelessly download books is a wonderful, if sometimes unwittingly expensive, feature. I love waking to the New York Times every morning and having various magazines delivered throughout the week for mere dollars a month. Granted, I expect to spend more on actual reading material, but I also expect to read more, which more than compensates for a slight fiscal uptick.

So, my recommendation is this; buy the Kindle, planning wholeheartedly to return it if you’re not completely taken by it. It doesn’t make a lot of economic sense, so you need to love it when it arrives. If you don’t, it’s not the device for you.

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