Tuesday, December 20, 2011

You Ask, I Answer, Take 25

Today's question comes from Lois, who asked:

I was wondering if you have a kindle or what your thoughts are on them??

Well, this will probably be a shorter winded answer than some installments in this weekly series!

The answer is no, I don't have a Kindle.

As for my thoughts on the whole field of ebook readers, they're terribly conflicted.  I'm not a huge fan of reading from a screen, and I've been known to use the paper to print out an article that I will refer to only once as a source for a paper, simply because I can't stand the thought of reading a lengthy document on screen.

I'm also one of those purists who just really likes having a book in one hand, and a pen in the other, to mark in my book and highlight.

A few friends of mine have ebook readers, and love them, citing the weight, and accessibility of all sorts of titles and genres with great ease.  One friend actually had a kindle, and I was pleasantly surprised that the screen was somewhat matte, without the glare that I'd expected and dreaded.

I think the answer is this - if I end up pursuing a life overseas, or if I end up traveling more extensively (something not in the cards particularly as I head into school for the next two years), I would seriously consider and investigate the possibility of purchasing a kindle, or something comparable for the sheer ability to carry a whole library with me wherever I go.  However, since I'm not doing those sorts of things that make weight and portability a necessity at the moment, it's not something I've currently investigated greatly, or that I'll likely purchase in the near future.