Hey bookworms! I have a Kindle, and I think it's the best thing since...well, books! But I know many people don't like Kindles, or are unsure if they should invest in one. So, I'm going to compile a little list of the things I love about my Kindle, as well as some things that might mean it's not as good as a traditional book.
I have the traditional Kindle - the one with the keyboard that you can't read in the dark. They've brought out a load of newer versions since I got mine. The Paperwhite, the Fire (which I really want) and a Fire HD (which I don't think is any different to the original Fire) and, I'm sure, quite a few more. I can only speak for the Kindle I use, and it is quite an old edition. So by this logic, all the things I talk about SHOULD (although I'm not certain) apply to the newer versions as well.
Pros
1) It's incredibly easy to use. Mine has a keyboard, and navigation arrow thingys (check out my awesome tech speak guys) which means it's quick and simple to scroll around, find books and read and buy them. You can buy off your Kindle (providing you have wifi) and then start reading about 20 seconds later. Any idiot (or genius *cough* moi *cough*) can use the Kindle. I believe the Fire has a touchscreen, which would presumably make it even simpler.
2) The books can be so cheap. A lot of books on Kindle are cheaper than buying the paper versions. I've bought books that would be £10.99, or even £19.99 (if hardback is the only version available), for £2.99 on my Kindle. It has offers on books for one day only, where you can buy for 99p or something. In fact, I think I bought J. K. Rowling's A Casual Vacancy for 99p when it was "book of the day" or some such thing. Now, I'm a student. I don't have a full time job and I don't have much money. I often can't afford to pay £7.99 or more for a book, especially when there's so many books I want to own. So why wouldn't I love buying my books for so cheap? I bought the entire The Hunger Games trilogy (separately, not the 'trilogy' edition they offer) on Kindle for the same price as The Hunger Games (just the first book) in paperback. (Also, The Fault in our Stars, one of the "hottest" books right now was only 99p. Bargain!)
3) It stores LOADS. I think mine can store 3000 (or somewhere in that region) books. 3000. I'm pretty sure the newer versions can store even more. Do you guys know how much space, how many bookshelves, would be needed to have 3000 books in my room? My room is full (like, stacked floor to ceiling type full) with books and I don't think I have anywhere near 3000 in there. It's bursting at the seams and I have hundreds more I want to buy and read. On the other hand, my Kindle is lighter and smaller than one book and has so much space left on it. I have around 150 books (not including hundreds of samples) on it so far so...plenty of space left!
4) Samples! You can request samples of books on a Kindle. Now I use this, not to see if I like the book, but to store all the books I want to buy in the future but maybe don't have enough money to get now. I put all my samples in a folder, and it keeps them all together and out of the way until I can buy them. I find this so useful - kind of like a book list but not using bits of paper or word documents that might end up getting lost. All of them are together, just waiting for me to choose them.
5) Folders! A really useful tool, like the samples. You can make folders on a Kindle, and then add books to each folder. For instance, I have a folder for samples, another folder for classics, and then folders for every separate series/author/genre/whatever. No more searching in vain for a particular book! This device makes it so easy to find a particular book, series or author.
These are just the main things that I think makes the Kindle an amazing invention. Of course, there are other brilliant points to make, and if anyone thinks of any other good points, please pop them in the comments below. Now, I'll put a few of the common cons/"complaints" I hear about the Kindle.
Cons
1) It's not the same. Even I agree, nothing can replace the thrill of turning pages, of holding a proper books in your hands, feeling the weight, holding it on your knees. I do love books and, if I'm being honest, I do prefer proper books to the Kindle. However, I think the story is far more important than the format - as long as I'm reading the words then I'm reading the story, and that's really all that matters, isn't it?
2) You have to charge it. The Kindle battery lasts for ages...IF you turn the wifi off when you're not downloading books. If you leave wifi on, the battery fades faster than the speed of light (well...maybe not quite, but you know what I mean). It only takes a couple of hours to charge but, if you're like me and forget to take the wifi off and then forget to charge the Kindle until it's practically dead, it can be a bit frustrating to have to leave it alone for hours, especially if you're in the middle of a really good book!
3) You can't really take notes. Although you can highlight and makes notes on sections, if you need to take notes (like for classes or something), it doesn't really work as well on the Kindle as in a proper book. There's no pretty colours or post-it note types things to find your highlighted sections quickly. Although that doesn't bother me (I've never taken notes for any of the books on my Kindle), if you're the sort that needs (or just likes to) make notes and stick them on your books, maybe the Kindle isn't as good as a proper book for you.
So there we go! I love my Kindle, and I know many people who do too. Don't get me wrong, I still love hunting for and buying physical books, but I do love the Kindle too. This is just my list, and I'm sure you guys can think of loads of other pros and cons to add. If anyone has a Kindle, or would never get one, please put your reasons in the comments and we can all discuss! Until next time bookworms...
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