A Thinking Man

The Kindle has arrived.  Some have claimed that it has generated as much interest as the new Apple iPhone.  I doubt that.  The former certainly missed my radar while the latter is definitely on the fantasy Christmas list that I secretly mentally send to Santa every year.  I am always disappointed.

For those of you, like me, still struggling to register the Kindle on your radar - it is an electronic book (e-book) reader.  It’s an electronic gadget, about the size of a book, to enable you to read electronic texts (word documents, newspapers, and books).  It has been described as an invented solution in search of a problem.

Having said that, it does seem to be a fairly robust piece of equipment that does do more than the existing e-book readers.  It is lightweight (about the same weight as an average paperback) and has a rubberized back making it pleasant to hold.  All the reviews I have read speak of the text as being exceptionally sharp.  And it is not backlit, so you can’t read it in the dark (as you can, say, an iPhone).  But unlike an iPhone, a laptop, or any computer screen, you can read a Kindle in very bright light (as you can a book).

Although there are other e-book readers on the market, what makes the Kindle different is that it is the first to build in a bookstore. The device comes wired up with a free wireless service called Whispernet, which allows portable access to every one of the 90,000 titles available for the device. (You can browse the Web version of the store here.)  The inclusion of a bookstore is either a stroke of genius or a brave decision on the part of Amazon in that challenges the established religion of the digital age: that while we may spend hundreds or even thousands of pounds on our toys, we nevertheless have a God-given right to fill them with content for which we have not paid a penny.

Although having a newspaper delivered direct to your Kindle at a price cheaper than you could have a physical one delivered to your door may be appealing, most online newspapers are free, and at present, there is an understandable bias towards US media.  And the initial device cost of $400 puts the price of that convenience up considerably.

Apart from the instant availability of media to read, I could think of one advantage to having a Kindle.  At present I am about a third of the way through David Yallop’s, ‘The Power and the Glory’ - a 700 odd page exposé of alleged failure and corruption in the Vatican - and I am really struggling.  My struggle has nothing to do with the content.  The book makes compelling and disturbing reading, but it is so thick and heavy, I fear breaking the spine as I force it open to read the left hand side of the pages, and the whole thing feels as if it is constantly trying to close or fall out of my weary hands.  A Kindle would be much easier to handle last thing at night.

Apart from the price and the present lack of availability in the UK, there are other reasons that would prevent me rushing out to buy one.  First, I would be in a constant state of paranoia about having another expensive piece of electronic equipment that could so easily be stolen, or damaged if I dropped it.  It is bad enough having to worry about mobile phone and bluetooth headset, satelite navigation device, and laptop, let alone adding to that burden.  I have found that even though I frequently drop books, they always seem to work perfectly afterwards.  And I certainly wouldn’t want to take a Kindle to a beach.

Secondly, I have peculiar reading habits.  My education has left me with a propensity to seek out unpopular academic books.  Although I do read Dan Brown, I have been known to delve into linguistics, philosophy, sociology, psychology, psychotherapy, theology, and history.  I suspect it will be a long time before all publications are routinely available in electronic form.  With a Kindle, I suspect I would search in vain to find Frank Palmer’s “The English Verb” (a truly wonderful book).  Kindle’s reach is restricted, despite the impressive and growing list of titles available.

Thirdly, there is the issue of reference.  I like to look back at books, occasionally re-reading parts, checking details, looking up half-remembered facts.  A physical library makes that relatively easy.  Although e-books undoubtedly save on paper, I am not sure how easy that library function would be with a Kindle.  One would have to store one’s old e-books somewhere, and finding and searching through titles may not be so easy - though I concede that searching through electronic text, once found and loaded, would be very simple and superior to physical searching.

Fourthly, I just like browsing in bookshops.  Kindle will allow you to download a chapter from a book for free to see if you like it before purchasing, which is generous and helpful.  However, I like to see what other books are available and often go looking for, say a history book, and come out with a novel, and vice-versa.  I do regularly purchase books online, but only if they are ones that I know about and particularly want.  Even then, I sometimes think, if only I had been able to browse through this first in a shop, I wouldn’t have bought it. For impulse buying, I always use bookshops because at least you can see what you are getting.  There is less danger of you ending up with something that you didn’t really suit your needs.

I can remember hearing how mobile phones would never catch on.  I also remember vividly how I was ridiculed when I bought my first computer (What do you want one of those for?).  We are not necessarily good at gauging the future impact of new technology.  The initial coolness towards e-book readers may disappear, and in fifty years time, printed books may be sold at Christmas as nostalgic novelty items.  Perhaps in the medium term, especially as Kindle prices drop, their popularity may increase and they may exist happily side-by-side with printed media, serving a slightly different need, just as online and physical bookstores co-exist at present.

Tags: book, bookshop, e-book, Kindle, Whispernet