Well, basically, the Kindle is an e-book, or in simpler terms, a flat electronic panel which allows you to read books through a screen, just like how you read this article through your monitor. The Kindle is supported by a platform, or operating system called Amazon Kindle, developed by Amazon.com. Neat eh? Looks like we're going to say goodbye to the old paper books.
The latest Kindle features a 6 inch screen, 16 level gray scale display and a thickness of 9.1mm, or 0.36 inches. It has a memory of 2GB, where more than 1 GB is accessible by the user, and is estimated to be able to hold 1,500 books, or text files, minus illustration. It's memory is not expandable, but this feature is hoped to be enabled in the feature. And, the price really costs a bomb. Amazon, which is the sole producer of Kindle, started selling it for $359, which costs RM 1200 roughly, which is now deducted to $259, which still costs a grand sum of roughly RM 850. That's a high price for a reader, which is the same as a book, you might say. But don't forget, it's 1,500 books.
Reasons why people choose Kindle
To start with, no more books to carry. You can go to school carrying only a Kindle. No more thick textbooks and exercise books, no more heavy schoolbags, no more heavy loads, especially for those in the university, who have a big area to cover. All books necessary for learning can be just loaded into your Kindle and you're done.
The style. Imagine yourself using a Kindle while others are busy flipping pages. Your friends will be crowding beside you, asking you to borrow them your Kindle just for a while. You'll get popular in no time at school.
Easy to travel. Sometimes, its nice to take some books while traveling for long distance, which will help you pass your time more easily. But books can weight down your luggage bag considerably. A Kindle solves everything for you.
The series of books. Its easy to get any book you want, anywhere, anytime. Just visit Kindle Store, buy and download books you want. You'll find everything you can expect to be found in a bookstore and more. And the series of books available will continue to expand as more and more publishers go Kindle.
I guess its the technology. People just like to try out the newest things, good or bad. The Kindle was out of stock for 5 months since its first release.
My Personal Opinions
Well, if you ask me, i don't support Kindle. That's plain and i won't use it, even if i get it free! Why? Here are the reasons.
There's just something about a paper book that gets me. I don't know how to describe it, maybe it's the smell, the feel or what, but I'm sure you feel the same as me, right? The Kindle just isn't as nice or enjoyable than a paper book. It's nice to flip through yellow pages, rather then clicking on buttons. Imagine reading Harry Potter on Kindle. That sucks and I'm never going to try it.
The Kindle is flimsy. The Kindle was never designed for rough use. You can throw a book onto your bed, but dare you throw a Kindle? Sure, you dare, but you'll get a broken Kindle in the end. And it's going to be a hell of time repairing it, if you find someone who knows how.
The price costs a bomb. Imagine $259 for a book. That's enough to make my mum go purple in the face. Sure, it can carry 1,500 books , but will you read that much? Even so, you still have to pay to buy text files over the web.
Oh no, not a screen again! Don't you get bored looking at a screen? I've had enough of it, having sitting down in front of my pc for around 4 hours a day. I'd rather kill myself then read a Kindle. The Kindle is really an eye-sore. The paper pages of a paper book would be much eye-suitable and also, healthier, agree?
No illustration and colors. Well, I'm not exactly a 6 year old kid who goes for books because of its colors and drawings, but a story would be unbearable without a single picture and colour. Of course, Amazon has promised to release a better version of Kindle, with colors, but undoubtedly, the price will also be extensive.
Well, despite these, the Kindle is getting more and more popular, if you look at its sales number. Looks like Kindle will be dominating the market of books in less than 5 years. However, it will have a hard time competing against paper books, which have survived in the market, for so many years.
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