Kindle Reader

The King of Digital Readers

If you're a traveler and a reader you'll want to take one of these babies on every vacation.

woman at edge of pool wearing a bikini and reading a kindle

The Kindle Reader, also known as an e-book reader or collectively as digital readers, is smokin' hot.

Will they take over the book industry?

Having loved books for as long as I can remember, I never thought I'd be interested in an electronic reading tablet like the Kindle e-reader...you grow accustomed to the heft of a book in your hand and the telltale bookmark that marks your progress through the pages - I thought I'd miss that.

And then I got the Kindle Keyboard with the 3G chip for Christmas... and I Love It! Most of it anyway.

Once I held that little electronic device - that weighed less than a book - in my hand and discovered that it could store 3,500 books, well...I was won over.

There are still some things I miss, like the front and back covers and - I'm a flipper - I frequently fan back through the pages to verify points and characters - It's not as easy to do that with the Kindle.

However I traded those things for the ability to carry thousands of books in my own language no matter where I travel.

The top-of-the-line full color Kindle Fire with HDX display and an astounding pixel density has all the bells and whistles. If you want more than books, this is your kindle!

Watch movies and TV shows, page through magazines, even surf the web using the touch screen.

Add to that a front facing camera and storage for tens of thousands of books and movies with unlimited cloud storage for your Amazon products and you're good to go...anywhere.

Get a closer look at the Kindle Fire here

They're so Packable

The first time we went to Mexico (in 2004) was for a 2 month stay and I was very concerned about being able to find enough books - in English - for my husband and me.

We packed 10 books to make sure we wouldn't run out and carefully chose titles that interested both of us. You can imagine how much room that took in our luggage, not to mention the weight.

The slender Kindle takes up practically no space in my carry-on when I'm traveling and I don't have to drag any other books along.

Here's what I LIKE about the Kindle Reader

Grey on White - Grey type on a white background is one of the absolute easiest to read. There are color models too.

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Adjustable Print Size - I LOVE this feature. Sometimes I take a book off the shelf that I really want to read and groan at the tiny type size. If there's a single feature on the Kindle reader that's my favorite, it's the abilty to increase font size.

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Lightweight - For traveling and simply carrying the e-reader in my bag, weight makes a difference. I appreciated the barely noticeable heft even when I was re-reading Les Miserables' (for free!).

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Hold With One Hand - These are lightweight and can be held comfortably with one hand in a number of positions reducing muscle fatigue in my hands, arms and shoulders.

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I Don't Even Have to Hold It - One thing I've noticed is that, unlike a book which pretty much always needs to be held open, I can lay the kindle down and continue reading because it doesn't close.

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Bright Sunlight - Unlike a computer screen, the non-glare screen on the Kindle is easy on the eyes and the text pops against the background even in bright sunlight.

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Magazines & Newspapers Too - All of your favorite magazines are available for download as well as books and music.

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Free Classics - The Classics are FREE! Books written prior to 1923 - Books like "Moby Dick", "The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes" and my personal favorite "Les Miserables", are free for the downloading. If you've always wanted to read "Treasure Island" you can download it free and read it whenever you choose.

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Book Cover - My books go everywhere with me and I expect a lot from my reader. The leather cover not only makes it look really classy but provides a bit of protection for the times when it gets hastily stowed in my handbag on the way out the door. I chose the cover that opens like a book (rather than a pad) with an attached light so that I could read while standing watch on our night passages (fits Kindle Keyboard only).

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Never Gets Hot - Even after hours of reading the Kindle doesn't heat up like the laptop does.

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Read While Charging - You don't have to stop reading when your unit is charging, Kindle e-readers function while they're being charged.

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Solar Charger Compatible - The Suntactics 5Watt Super Portable Solar Charger is the perfect accompaniment to keep a kindle charged (and other small electronic devices) wherever your travels take you.

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Here's what I DON'T LIKE about the Kindle Reader

Flipping Back - There is a feature for bookmarking relevant pages that you can easily go back to, however you have to know in advance that you want to go back there.

I frequently flip back through the pages to check out characters and relationships between them or landmarks that I know were mentioned earlier. I don't bookmark them because I don't know at the time that the name, place or phrase will become significant.

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Cost of Some Books - OK, there are some really good deals on books, especially new authors and old classics and that's a good thing - but then I come across novels from popular authors with hefty price tags - often charging more for a download than for an actual copy of the book!

Are you kidding me? There are no ink, paper or shipping costs associated with the download and I don't even get a real book...sheesh.

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What About Sharing? - I pass my books around to my friends and they pass theirs to me (especially when I'm in other countries). It's one of the social benefits of reading which can be a rather solitary activity. With a download I'm only allowed to share it with 1 other person.

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Not a Conversation Starter - When I see anyone - friend or stranger - reading a book in public I usually ask them what they're reading. Sometimes I even recognize the book by the cover and we'll talk a bit about the book or Author.

I find I rarely ask people what they're reading on their Kindle. It just doesn't spark the same interest.

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Tips for getting the most out of the reader.

Bag It - When you're reading in the tub (you know who you are) or poolside, protect your e-reader by tightly zipping it into a zip-lock bag. Otherwise the reader can be irreparably damaged if it falls into the bathtub or hot tub.

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Sponsored Kindle Reader - Sponsored readers show ads on the home pages but never while you're actually reading. The ads are unobtrusive and relevant to kindle users. Book discounts and specials are offered and the savings can pay for your kindle over time. You can opt for an ad-free model but it'll cost you extra.

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Adapter - The Kindle reader can be charged through your computer but if you want to charge with a wall plug you'll need to order the Kindle US Power Adapter which is not included with the Basic Kindle Reader or Kindle Touch.

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Here is my Favorite Kindle and Why I Like It.

For my needs, the most basic (and inexpensive) model offers up everything I want a reader to do and so much more than I can get in a paper book.

If I was a magazine buff, intended to read Children's books or watch video or TV on my Kindle, I'd buy the Kindle Fire but I only use mine for reading and for that purpose this fills the bill perfectly.

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Kindle Paperwhite, 6" High-Resolution Display

For $119.00 this little reader gives you everything you really need. If you just want it to function as a book you'll love this design. It doesn't have speakers and it doesn't do dishes, but what it DOES do...it does very well.

If you are not planning to watch TV or movies and don't care if your unit has speakers this is definitely the choice for you

The $119.00 price tag is for the sponsored model that includes ads. The ads never show while you're reading the device and only show on the lower portion of the home page. This same model is available with NO ads at a slightly higher price point ($139.00 at time of publishing)

Built in WiFi allows you to download books in 60 seconds and you can even borrow kindle books from your library or from each other.

Here's What You Get With the Kindle Reader

Built-in WiFi
6 inch, comfortable-to-read-even-in-bright-sunshine, non-glare screen.
Measures a diminutive 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34" (166 mm x 114 mm x 8.7 mm)
Stores thousands of books.
Built-in Dictionary.
Weighs just a smidge over 7oz. (206g).
Read books, magazines and newspapers.
USB 2.0 cable is included for charging from a computer.
Up to a full month of life from a 3 hour charge.
Choose from 8 different text sizes and 3 fonts.
Use of Amazon's Cloud Storage - No worries about losing access to your books.

I can't think of a thing I would change about this e- book reader. Oh wait - I would like a really functional and attractive cover.

Typical Amazon customer comments.

"...I give this device 100%. I LOVE IT! If you are looking for a device to read on and at a good price, BUY THIS KINDLE!"

"All in all, this device is fantastic."

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So ... do I think E-Readers Will Make Books Obsolete?

Not a Chance. Don't get me wrong, I love my Kindle and it serves a very useful purpose, but honestly, If I didn't travel I wouldn't be interested in one.

Remember earlier, when I wrote how I thought I'd miss a real book? Well, I do miss it. There are just some things that an e-book can't replicate.

The tangibility, the weight, the paper, the graphics on the cover, even the smell of a well read book will always have a special tug - In my book.