Serious Book Readers: Will Amazon Kindle Your Interest ?
I’m very intrigued by Amazon’s new Kindle device:
Dave Davison, IT venture capitalist and visualization maven, is very high on the potential of Kindle:
“Amazon “kindles” a new fire in electronic book reading. This 6 minute video shows how you will use this new portable, 10.3ounce, paperback size device. Download your reading library via a wireless connection just like calling on your cell phone. This device and the kindle service will revolutionize the book, magazine,newspaper and blog publishing media space.”
Count me as an avid reader and collector of books but if Amazon has truly solved the ” reading online” problem that causes me to print out anything longer than a handful of pages, with a vision-friendly, virtual-paper screen, then I’d be keen to own a Kindle. Just putting all of my magazines on it to reduce clutter or using it to read on the treadmill instead of lugging books in my gym bag, would be worth it. I would also speculate that, if you buy an absurdly large number of books annually, as I do, a kindl could allow you to purchase strategically; some in dead-tree version and some virtual form, and accumulate a considerable cost savings.
I would also expect that, as a platform, the uses for Kindle are only going to grow.
Cross-posted at Chicago Boyz
November 23rd, 2007 at 4:20 pm
I’ve never been one to read online books (although I have strained my eyes reading think-tank reports because I’m too lazy to print them out). This does sound like a very good idea—I too would use it more for magazines than books. I have a ton of magazines (many of them electronic) that I read, and it would be nice to have, say the latest edition of Parameters, in my palm when I’m not near my computer. Perhaps the proper analogy is the iPod here?
November 23rd, 2007 at 5:27 pm
I think that is sound – I wonder what novel uses the hackeristocracy out there will discover or mash-up with this system. It took them all of a couple of days to crack the iPhone.
I can see myself downloading more fiction & periodicals; with non-fiction, I like to mark up the pages & write marginalia which isn’t practical with kindle even if they have a note taking function.
November 24th, 2007 at 11:53 pm
I would like to congratulate you on your brand new site that is so gorgeous, though certainly not with beautiful women to decorate. I got to your site via CHICAGO BOYZ. Alas, I had begun posting comments there and my stuff got dumped, censored, deleted because I took a position not in line with their view of the world. I never used invective, no ranting nor name calling, and certainly no trolling. But for reasons best known to those folks, they could not bear to have my comments since they often challenged the group biew they posted at their site. I was naive enough to believe that scholars wanted the tenure system to ensure that freedom of contrarian views might be allowed but now I have discovered that, well, not at the site you cross post to. Who was the guy who said (yes: I know) You won’t have me to kick around? Even my ex wives accept my letters, read them, and love getting them, especially if they include alimony or child support payments. Perhaps I should enclose a check with each comment, good if my comment gets posted? Please advise. Lots of luck and keep up the good work…you are off to a grand start!
be of good cheer
November 25th, 2007 at 4:13 am
Hi Joseph,
Much thanks! It was a long time coming to get this thing set up. :O)
I tend to frequently link to a wider spectrum of views ( well….wider than most blogs) including many I disagree with if there is a point therein that will cause new thinking. The tone of discussion here is generally civil and I’ve had very few problems with commenters flaming each other or posting spam. You are very welcome to participate any time you like here, I respond as I am able, time permitting.
As for CB, I am not the site administrator there, just an invited co-blogger and when in other ppl’s houses, I play by their rules. My advice would be to email in and politely ask what the expectations are so that your comments will not be deleted in the future and see what they say.
My assumption is that the CB site administor deleted your comments but that may not be correct; possibly, he leaves policing the thread up to the individual blogger in question but I’ve never had occasion to ask.