Is the Kindle Better than Real Books?

When I first wrote this article I wasn't sure that Kindle, and other eBook readers would rule the world and destroy the traditional print and publishing industry.

A year on and I am convinced of that.

The delivery method for reading material is so convenient - to buy and consume - that the idea of physical books will, in my opinion, seem so old fashioned in another few years.

Not only that, but the model for publishing can, will, and has changed as a result of no print run required publishing.

No costly investments in new authors - put their text into a digital form, minimal marketing and crossed fingers. No risk, no danger to those ever shrinking margins.

But why would you want one?

I'll tell you in the rest of this article...

So what does the Kindle do?

The Kindle is a lightweight electronic book reader.

Now that doesn't sound too exciting until you consider the possiblities. That is kindle the point of this article.

How about storing a few thousand books in a single slim (and classy) container?

This is not a laptop screen, bit tiring on the eyes, alright for browsing but not for reading a book. It's a different type of technology. That's why the battery lasts for weeks, not hours without getting hot.

It's why it is lighter than a paperback and you can read it in direct sunlight.

Travel to work? Go on holiday? Ever get stuck anywhere - airport, motel? Want something to read on holiday, in office breaks, on the subway?

Your Kindle can store 3,500 books. Ok, if they are all War and Peace then maybe less, but let's not get bogged down. It's a LOT of books OK!

That means you can always have a selection of reading material with you, anywhere you go. You can take stuff you might read but don't expect to. It doesn't weigh any more, but it gives you options.

On vacation take the childrens favourites too. It might keep the little darlings occupied for a while. That's if you let them anywhere near your Kindle! Joking apart, it might also help their reading - it's tech, it's cool.

You can buy the Kindle portable e-book reader from Amazon - there are a couple of links further down this page.

I don't think it is available from elsewhere, because this is very much an Amazon product. No doubt someone will correct me if I'm wrong.

Update: The Kindle is certainly now available from UK stores like Tesco. It is mainstream.

Normally, you might be a bit worried about being ripped off from a single supplier - I don't think this is the case with the Amazon Kindle.

I think, but obviously don't know for sure - that Amazon sell the Kindle - not looking to make huge money out of the initial sale - but from the subsequent tie in to their electronic Kindle book sales.

The 3G means you can download new titles from anywhere a mobile phone works.

I'm not going to get into the countries where this doesn't work - North Korea, whatever, that's small terms stuff.

For the average Joe you can just download new titles whenever, wherever you want.

There's NO contract fees like a mobile phone - Amazon pick up the tab. Well, they are selling you the book after all!

Another rubbish title - hey I am not a copywriter!

This is the same as the 3G product except it will only work within Wifi networks.

That's probably your home and office sorted anyway.

All the same features - 3,500 titles - same screen, same weight - but a bit cheaper.

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If you are worried this is the end of books, think back to the vinyl record and tape collections. Lovely records, where are they now? In the attic?

But we still listen to music - on MP3 players. Music just got more convenient.

It's the same with books. There are great collections packed away to save space, it's a pity we are never going to read them again.

The Kindle opens up books again, in a far more convenient format. This is the future for publishing and reading.

Not enough book readers are into leather I think.

And this isn't very ecological.

But hey, you just helped the world by leaving the trees alone! And it does look nice.

I like leather.

When you convert to Kindle reading you can do something for the planet with absolutely no effort. No trees cut down. No transportation.

You can get your daily paper delivered, anywhere, straight to your Kindle.

It's cheaper, more reliable, more eco friendly than physical print.

You can change font sizes, there's a dictionary and a Wiki and it remembers where you left off reading. In my case, that's about twenty years ago.

I think I'll start dropping hints for my birthday...

Now I'm not going to try to put all the free Amazon Kindle books on here, and I'm not going to tell you that these are optimised for the Kindle.

I think they have probably just downloaded out of copyright titles in order to bump up the size of their offering - to make the Kindle more desirable to potential buyers.

And I expect they have done this, not out of the goodness of their hearts, but to hook more people in to the world of Kindle.

Whatever the reason, from the moment you get a Kindle, you can download FREE, yes that's FREE books onto your reader.

There's a sample alongside - this is quality, classic reading material - I just chose my favourite one to give you an idea.

Well my birthday came and went, and left me with a nice new Kindle. I'd been dropping enough hints I guess!

First thoughts on it are it's very thin, light, and feels just right. Had a little difficulty getting the wif-fi to work, but the problem was I'd forgotten the wireless password! Now solved.

Registered with Amazon and went onto web site looking for Free Kindle Books (I'm a cheapskate). Click on book - Gullivers Travels - less than one minute later... it's on my Kindle!

I have to say, the experience so far is very cool.

Oh yeah - it reads well. The screen is eye friendly, and is clear - really clear. I'll come back with a proper update when I've stopped playing with it.

So now I've owned one for a couple of days. It's now on my bedside table for that night time read.

I was reading last night and realised for the first time I had completely forgotten it was an e-reader rather than a 'proper' book I was reading.

It is easy to hold, thinner than a paperback and probably the same weight - and it feels completely natural as a reader. I pick it up, flick the on switch and the page returns to where I put it down the previous day.

So I just carry on reading. It's easier than bending over page corners, or finding your bookmark when you restart a paperback.

Now, I know you're thinking I'm just trying to sell this. Well my impression is that Amazon have done everything they can to make the Kindle unobtrusive and intuitive - the reader just wants to read - not get involved in some technological gadget.

And I think they have succeeded. I pick it up, read it, put it down. Absolutely no different to a book. Except I have a choice of thousands (well I will have...) all in one slim container. Instead of an untidy pile of physical books waiting for my attention.

It's not just technophobes who dislike the Kindle and "all it stands for".

It's perfectly reasonable and rational book readers who swear they will never use a technological gadget to read something as precious as a book. They say you cannot replace the feel and smell of the paper, and the memories associated with treasured books read in younger days.

All true of course, and I have many treasured books myself.

Where are they?

Well, there's no room for a library in most homes, and certainly not ours - so they are stored in boxes in the attics - along with my record collection.

The Kindle IS a book, it's any book that you want to read and own. It's all the books you could imagine reading. It is the least intrusive technical device I have encountered and I say that as a first class Luddite.

As the traditional book industry faces competition from a whole series of competing technologies, and independent booksellers and publishers become less able to compete with the media giants - the Kindle may actually be the saviour of the book.

It may not be in printed form, but it's still words you're reading.

With the introduction of the Kindle Fire, Amazon have really upped the stakes.

This is cheap compared to an iPad and has the backing of the Amazon service behind - for downloading films, music - oh and books of course.

I haven't got one, so I can't tell you anything about it.

I'll make a rough guess though.

It will probably do the job it claims to.