Would you want one?

[bookish_dragon]

A Kindle, that is. An e-book reader, from the guy who also gave us Amazon.

(Link is to a message-board-discussion on the device.)

I have to admit, I am a bit torn. I like snuggling down with a book and feeling it in my hands, and being able to judge how much I have left to read from the amount of pages left. And smell as well. I like the smell of them. (If it worked for Proust, it can work for me.) So I do have to wonder what the added value of the Kindle, or a like device, is.

At the very least, I wouldn't buy one now. I'd wait for innovations, since I have little desire to end up with the Betamax of the e-book-industry.

Comments

[mellinore.livejournal.com]

PontificationMode=On

Waiting is better for several reasons.

It might never catch on - anyone remember quadraphonic sound? One of the problems there was technical limitations of the vinyl medium (although the war between the competing formats didn't help).

Secondly, as you've said, you might back the wrong horse.

The other reason to wait is that innovation and developing experience tend to make electronic gizmos cheaper as the years pass; that is, if it's $500 now it might be $300 in a year's time and $200 the year after that.

And the bonus reason is that it'll be faster and more reliable.

PontificationMode=Off