My Love/Hate Relationship With My Kindle

About a month ago, my husband presented me with the new Kindle. It was not a gift, exactly. If there has ever been an issue in our marriage that might conceivably lead to divorce, it's my treatment of books. Or rather, it's his view of my treatment of books.

He accuses me of harboring a suppressed hatred for them, one that results in my bending their covers, dog-earing their pages, scribbling in the margins, leaving them outside, etc. I in turn argue that my abuse of books is in fact a sign of my love for them: to me, a well-worn book resembles a favorite, comfy chair.

The Kindle seemed the solution to this now 21-year conflict between us (one that began early on in our courtship, when I marked up a volume of his de Tocqueville; given what I know now, it's a miracle we made it to the altar after that).

And it has been, to some degree. I'm not sentimental about the book form: Some people comment, when they see me reading my Kindle, "Oh, I could never give up the look and feel of a book." Those are probably the same people who don't mind ink stains on their fingers from reading the morning newspaper (another habit we were warned the Internet could never replace).

I'm more than happy to swap an electronic page for a paper one, especially as the Kindle-makers have so splendidly reproduced the look, if not the feel, of a standard book page (and better: one in which you can adjust the size of type). And as Kindle owners know, you can make notes in the margins, automatically get the definition of a word, and, most amazingly, download a book or newspaper anywhere--including the middle of nowhere--in just a few seconds. I appreciated this last feature when a flight I was on had to make an unexpected stop enroute to unload a sick passenger. We sat on the tarmac for an hour, just beyond the reach of Boingo. I'd been cursing myself that I'd forgotten to get a newspaper before boarding, and I hadn't been enjoying the book on my Kindle. No problem. The Kindle could be operated from the cabin. I quickly downloaded that day's Washington Post and New York Times; then several more books, just in case. The delay passed quickly.

But here's my issue with the Kindle: It reminds me a little bit of those early automobiles you see on exhibit at the Smithsonian, the ones that are basically horse carriages with engines in them (the original hybrid). It's designed exactly for the people who don't wish to give up reading from paper, but who also aren't fully comfortable in the online world.

Thus it's neither fish nor fowl. It's too large to carry in a pocket, like a Blackberry or an iPhone, but nor does it offer the benefits of a laptop. It's graphics are quaintly black and white (and when it sleeps, a very beautiful etching of a famous writer appears as its screensaver). Even the downloaded newspapers appear in a rather old-fashioned form: yes, you are spared the dancing mortgage man in the corner and all the pop-ups, but you don't get photographs with the stories or the home page you are used to. There's of course no video. Instead you scroll through the articles of the different sections as if turning an actual newspaper page ("next article") rather than simply clicking on the stories you want to read. And oddly, despite being an electronic device, it has no backlight, which means you can't read in the dark (i.e. sleeplessly, in the middle of the night). Why, if you have a Kindle, should you also have to own a booklight?!

So in that sense the Kindle is just another piece of electronic equipment you have to carry around in your purse or briefcase, along with the phone, the laptop, etc. until the geniuses at Apple come up with the all-in-one we dream about. Kindle makers will argue, fairly, that it's job is to replace books, not computers--and indeed, it's a miracle you can walk about with a full library contained in a single, slender device. (For this reason I'm going to urge it on my husband, who lives in terror of finding himself stranded somewhere without something to read--and will pack eighty pounds of books for a two-day vacation).

But I can see that as an invention, the Kindle's shelf-life is limited. I can't imagine my children wanting one--and that's not because they don't read or dislike books. They have grown up in the online world, which means they are completely comfortable getting most of their information in an online format. Certainly they would have no issue with reading a book on their laptops. They would appreciate not having to lug ridiculously heavy textbooks back and forth to school. But they would not want a device solely dedicated to books. The very nature of the way we read--and the way the next generation is already reading--is changing by the second. And just as the early car makers couldn't envision a vehicle that didn't resemble a buggy, we can't yet see where the virtual literary world is going. The authors of the future will want to make use of the creative capacities of the computer and Internet; and certainly, their readers will expect it, not having grown up with "the look and feel"--and limitations--of printed books.

We might bemoan this. But you don't hear many people today saying, "I miss the look and feel of papyrus."

Comments

[kwnewton]

I can't believe you would write a column about the Kindle and not do any research on the screen! If Kindle were backlit, it would be just as awful to read from, long term, as a laptop. Plus the battery would last a few hours instead of days and days. Kindle is the first eReader to catch on because it combined the e-ink static display (easy on the eyes and no power required to maintain the display once it's set) and wireless delivery of books. I spent an hour today showing an 89-year-old how to use her new Kindle 2. She loved it. And she has never owned a computer.

The shelf life of the Kindle in your hand may be limited but you can bet the device will evolve just as cell phones have, Yes, it replicates the experience of reading a paper book, but it does add the ability to look the meaning of words up, to read the books aloud, and search through the text. It's made for reading books because people people want to read books.

[hoham]

I have already ordered hard-cover versions of two book I first read on Kindle. I will probably re-read them at some point and certainly want to lend them to friends. The other books I read were one-time reads -- as most books are. My bookshelves are already full, so Kindle is perfect for me.

And, please, no backlight! It is tiring to the eyes and makes the battery run out too quickly.

[Anie]

It's not at all just dedicated to reading books. What else? See - http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/2009/03/is-kindle-only-e-reader-why-360.html
- "Is the Kindle only an E-Reader? Why $360?"

Can Danielle's young ones access the Net with their laptops when on the bus or in a cafe without WIFI ,and for FREE, 24/7 from almost anywhere in the U.S. ? I google info wherever I am. My Kindle accesses online forums and lets me post to them. We can twitter, if bored enough.

Most cell phone web-access starts at $30/mo. for Limited Access. Kindle access is $0/mo., saving $360/yr.

Highlighting and annotations are backed up with the books (if wanted) at Amazon and re-downloadable as wanted. You can search word/phrases in the book that's open or in the entire library.

Links: I get free full feeds offered by the HuffPost News fed to my Kindle daily although without the special formatting I'd get with Amazon's. I subscribe to New Yorker and NYTimes Latest News (delivered 3 times or so a day) and Slate. Periodicals: Click on Sections, 5-way to the right on numbers of articles in a section to get a LIST of articles you can click on. No one's limited to next and previous articles! That's in the manual.

Some of my feeds lead me to the Net to Kindle the full stories with the wireless.

[prichard]

I hope the next version of Kindle will give one the option of using internet features, e.g. links, videos, etc. The replication of the look of paper sounds like it would appeal to those who want to duplicate the aesthetic of books, but I want to be able to click on links.

[KillTheMessenger]

I have been a reader since I was seven and I have, not once, written anything into a book. Why would I? Paper has been invented a long time ago, so I take a piece, cut it to size, write my thing on it and put it between the pages of the book. There it stays for years or decades with no problems whatsoever. And if future readers prefer to read the original without my poorly thought out scribblings, they can take the paper out and the book will be like new.

If you want to see your own writing between two covers... simply write your own book.

[traveling1]

Dear lord - no pictures or video? What WILL we do.... oh, yeah, READ.

[Deborah]

The Kindle is a great idea for students. Download the books into one small device. This will make the bookbag obsolete, and stop thousand of children from painful neck and back problems.

Think of all of the trees saved by having those expensive college books downloaded onto a Kindle instead of buying at the bookstore!

The book industry needs to realize that talking books(CD's) and reading books are becoming a one purchase deal with the new technologies.

[jsinclair]

"But they would not want a device solely dedicated to books"

Like....a book?

I can enjoy the Kindle (well, actually in my case, the Sony Reader). But it definitely changes the WAY I process what I read--and, imo, for the worse.

And I still see a glimmer of hope since in my online classes, the young "techno generations" always prefers to get the written material in print, hardcopy--not online.

[thinkingwomanmillstone]

As a nearly homebound person, I read roughly 10 to 15 books a week. I am on my second kindle and I love both of them. I can synchronize the book I am reading on the two devices. My daughter can a different book on the old kindle, while I am reading my new one. I have 300 books archived so far. Best of all, I won't have to add onto the house to store my books. I also don't have to pack a separate suitcase of books when I travel. Also, since the kindle isn't backlit, I can read on the beach. I don't want all of the devices the author mentions. If I want to be on my laptop, I go on it. Blackberries, etc are too small for me to use. The kindle fits in my purse easily and goes everywhere.

[kendraro]

My husband and I have discussed this and come to the conclusion that when new tech comes out it is usually not intended to be the the best product designers can produce. They plan to give us that a few years down the road. Improvements are dribbled out and interspersed with lovely new color options. They are totally gaming us.

[tljenson1970]

Danielle Crittenden completely misses the point. The reason the Kindle isn't backlit is a new technology called e-ink. I think it's nuts if her kids can read from a lap top it's just too big and bulky and not the same at all. I can't read from a screen for more then a few hours without eye strain. Not to mention that there have been numerous studies suggesting the way we read on the internet is vastly different then a book. That we tend to jump around more, and that the internet isn't conducive to a linear stories that actually require an attention span longer then 10 min's. The whole point of the Kindle is electronic ink. She says it's too big, sorry I don't enjoy reading on a small screen, it gives me a headache. Danielle shows a level of ignorance about the Kindle I find annoying, and misses the point of why the Kindle is such an improvement from previous e-book reading devices. If the size bothers her why did she even bother to get one? She could have got an iPhone and read them that way. No video who gives a flying ****, the whole idea of reading is filling in the details of the story with your mind. In fact it's one of the joy's of reading over watching a movie. I find this article annoying on many levels the biggest is Danielle complete ignorance of what the Kindle is about.

[QuasiEgalitarian]

I read two books a week and my book cases are starting to look like the library of congress. I thought about buying a kindle, but I'll wait until they introduce the new improved kindle. Thanks for the info...

[RodgzK]

They already have; It's called the Kindle 2 and has a number of new features. Check amazon.com.

[Trey Brown]

Reading a backlit screen for hours at a time will tire your eyes and give you a terrible headache. That's why no backlight.

[LeftRight]

I'm hoping that my wife will get me one for xmas! It's a GREAT idea, even with any downsides that you have created. The only real problem that I would have with it would be the lack of a backlight!

[Pavane]

She has not created the problems, only listed them. But, Merry Christmas. I hope you get one.

[RodgzK]

I've owned a Kindle for almost a year and have yet to find the lack of back lighting to be a problem. If you really need to read when ambient light is too low Amazon offers a small, inexpensive clip-on light.

[LeftRight]

I prolly won't need one, I've got about a half dozen (since they tend to disappear right before a flight or camping trip....)

[susie1776]

I'm sure that successive generations of Kindle will make modifications as technology changes but, for now, I'm a BIG fan! I pre-ordered 2 new releases and a few minutes after midnight on the publication day, my copies appeared on my kindle. no muss, no fuss, no bother. I find I am reading more and I can simply archive a book once I've read it instead of trying to find space on my already overflowing shelves. I'm also reading a pdf version of an ebook on my computer but prefer the kindle because it's more like actually holding and reading a book. different from the computer experience. But.....to each his/her own.

[bunnylogic]

I'm pleased for you, really I am. But I find it a bit sad that you wouldn't have anything physical to show for all the great 'books' you've read. You can't hand one to a friend. You can't swap it in a thrift store or sell it on Ebay. I just find Kindle a sad technology that kills the nostalgia of books.

[Anie]

Nothing sad about it, except in the mind of anyone who laments it without knowing what it's like.

The key:

It's the Words. Not the paper.

Words can be powerful, and sometimes more powerful through that screen for some reason. It's almost like a world of its own, not just one book but a library of words.

However, I still enjoy hardcopy books that have special layouts and illustrations of interest. Still love the bookstores.

But it's not an either/or thing. Nor was films / tv. Though some thought so.