Are you a serious reader? Would you rather 'read the book' than 'see the movie'?
I know I am, and I suspect I'm not alone. Well for you 'serious' readers out there; listen up...
HomeRun Computers in Williamsburg has the new Amazon Kindle electronic reader.
No, we don't sell them, but we do have a couple available to use.
These can be purchased online at Amazon.com for $359, but if you'd like to 'test drive' one before making that big an investment, give us a call for details. (319) 668-9706
July 18th, 2008
A week ago I logged into
Amazon.com to order a book;
The Big Book of Small Business.
It had been loaned to me by Bob Jones of BJ's Towing and after reading the first two chapters and skimming through it I decided it was a manual I simply had to own.
While on Amazon website I ran into an ad for the
Amazon Kindle.
An electronic reading device about the size and weight of a paperback book. It stores up to 200 books in digital form, with the ability to add a memory card if you need more storage. Pricey at $359, but it gives one the ability to carry a whole library around with you in your shirt pocket. Unbelievably easy to read (unlike trying to read anything of substance and length on a laptop or LCD screen). I read all the reviews and watched several videos online of people who had them and decided to give one a try.
My Kindle arrived Monday morning, and it took an hour or two before I got to the point of forgetting that I had an electronic device in my hands, and was able to immerse myself in the book that I'd ordered (two as a matter of fact, and instead of paying almost twenty dollars this time for the hard bound copy, it was only $9.99 and downloaded wireless-ly in less than a minute from the cellphone system).
Below are some notes I've written about it to my son and others. I love this device and am convinced that eventually it, or some version of it, will reach critical mass and will take over the world of reading and publishing. This device or one of similar nature will be in more people's hands than laptops or PDAs ever dreamed of being. School kids will no longer have to lug around pounds of textbooks, libraries will become museums, bookstores will become Starbucks' reading rooms, and trees will be cut down only for furniture and building materials, not paper!
"Tony, As Cyndi probably told you, I got the Amazon Kindle. Tony, this thing (or at least perhaps a future version of it) has the potential of changing the reading world just like PCs have. Instead of the cost of cutting down trees, boiling down oil (or pigments or whatever ink is made of), presses, binding, trucking, storing, inventorying, discounting the price on books that didn't sell.... publishers could revamp and do their work electronically, paying only an author, editor, and proof-readers, Google for advertising, and their internet connection costs... Charge $1 for a Stephen King novel and be able to sell one at that price to dozen more readers, selling far more copies than ever before, the author makes more money, the publisher would make tons more (and not have the worry about a "non-seller" and the associated costs/losses involved).
Libraries will become museums, bookstores will close their doors forever (maybe turn into Starbucks' reading/sipping rooms). Students will pay far less (due to dramatically reduced costs), and won't have slumped shoulders from carrying fifty pounds of text books in their bags.
Now, how do we make money from the paradigm shift that is due to happen?
This is an amazing product, I simply love it, you really need to borrow one and try it out. Believe me, if you read one book, you'll never buy another "paper" one again."
"You are right about the Kindle, it is hard to imagine being able to forget you have an electronic toy in your hand, but after an hour or two you do, and there is simply no difference between it and having a book in your hand. In fact there are a couple things I don't like about it, the page forward/page back buttons take up the whole of both sides and as a result I found it hard at first to avoid continually jumping forward or back a page before I wanted to. But those problems will surely be worked out in a new version, and within a short period of time you get used to it and it doesn't happen as often. Also I think it would be great is it were "touch sensitive" and had a stylus to be able to "write" notes rather than having to type them. But given the less than perfectness of this device, it's still an electronic wonder to me, and I'm convinced when critical mass is achieved somehow, or perhaps a "killer-app" is incorporated into it (whatever that might be) it'll take the world by storm far more so than the iPhone ever did and change things forever. More people will become readers because the cost of reading (outrageous prices for books) will be a thing of the past. Authors and publishers will still make as much or more money than ever before due to the increase in electronic book orders. Trees (don't misinterpret, no liberal tree-hugger here) will be cut down only for furniture and home building instead of paper.
Time: I too thought I'd not be able to put it to use, other than the occasional trip to see you guys I haven't been able to find the time to read since checking out of my truck-driving career, but since I've had this not a night has gone by when I haven't spent the evening reading instead of watching the tube. And enjoying the time far more as a result.
Just thought about the criticisms I had about the button placement, then thought about how often when reading a real book how often I'd either forget to dog-ear where I'd left off, or the dog-ear would straighten out and I'd lose my place... Never happens with this machine, it always takes you back to where you left off. So I guess nothing is perfect, everything has it's pros and cons.
I'm so tempted to buy another just to have one to loan to people for a week at a time, to give them (like you) a chance to try one out. Wish I could afford to get my hands on a dozen or more and give them to the library board of directors here.
Still haven't figured out an angle whereby I can make any money with this, but nevertheless I am so overwhelmed with excitement at what I truly believe will change the world, money or not, I just want to be a part of spreading the word somehow.... Call me Johnny Kindle-seed :)"
