An Ode to My Kindle

This past Christmas, my wonderful husband got me a second generation Kindle. Not since I was a little kid, praying to God on Christmas Eve that He would tell His buddy, Santa, to pretty-please-with-sugar-on-top bring me a "Nightmare Before Christmas" Sally doll, have I wanted something so badly for Christmas. (Yes, I wanted a creepy doll with velco-removable limbs and head, which by the way I did get and cherish!) I was so happy when I opened the Kindle and removed it from it's simple packaging. You know you are holding an awesome piece of technology when it doesn't even include an instruction booklet.

I love my Kindle, and I don't understand why people could possibly think that it will compete with the Apple iPad. It makes me sad that people are even comparing the two. Let me start off by saying this, I think that the iPad is being overhyped. In my mind, it seems like it is just a giant iPhone that can't make calls. Don't get me wrong, I love my iPhone. A lot. But in no way does it take place of my need for a computer. Sure, you can download apps on the iPad, but those are fun for about 5 minutes. The games are a far cry from say, those of a Nintendo DS. You tilt to navigate, shake to jump...yeah, that's about it. It gets old really fast. The really useful apps, (shopping list, Google Maps, YellowPages, Fandango,) are really useful because you can have them on your phone, which is always with you when you need them in a pinch. I just don't feel the need to have apps on a bigger screen. Apple is known for their great computers that work flawlessly, but you pay a high enough price for them that it is no surprise that they are so great. For the iPad's low price point, I don't think you are going to get the expected flawlessness of a typical Apple computer. Like I said, I love my iPhone, but there are times I want to throw it out of the window. The battery life is just sad. I have to bring a charger with me to work, because it won't even make it through the day. When using 3G, the battery drains even faster. The iPhone freezes all the time, which gets really annoying, really fast. Applications tend to terminate unexpectedly. It's not perfect technology. Sure, Apple is going to show you snazzy video clips of some techy dude playing with the iPad, maneuvering flawlessly through the Internet and applications. They showed those same videos for the iPhone, and quite frankly, it just doesn't work like that. The Internet pages are not as quick to load as they will have you believe, and I expect the iPad to be the same way. (Remember, the low price point leads me to believe the two devices will be similar in expectations.) Will you be able to see Flash websites in action, or watch a video that isn't streamed through YouTube? Can't on the iPhone. I just don't see the iPad becoming a replacement computer-I see it being a fun boredom-buster, and not much else. I could be wrong, maybe the iPad will be the miracle wonder gadget that people think it will be, but that doesn't change the fact that I'm not going to abandon my Kindle for one.

I don't want to play games on my Kindle, I don't want a bright, colorful screen. I don't want to send e-mails with it, or watch movies on it, or upload a playlist to it. I want to read on it. The simplicity of the Kindle is genius. Everything you want to do with a book, you can do with the Kindle: take notes, place bookmarks, highlight sections. (The one thing you can't do is share books. This, in my opinion, is a big improvement Amazon could make to the Kindle.) Kindle has 3G wireless, so I can download a book instantly, without having to pay a monthly subscription fee, something I don't think Apple will ever consider doing. The battery life on the Kindle is amazing! I can read 4 books before having to charge it! And if you turn off the wireless connection, it lasts even longer. And I don't think the "lag" that some folks complain about on the Kindle is even worth mentioning; the brief recreation of a page is no longer than the amount of time it would take to turn a page. Which brings me to the E-Ink technology. This is a must see to believe. Instead of the bright, computer like screen of an iPad, the Kindle creates each page using ink, which is a real head stracher to me. I don't know how they do it, but I don't care; it looks like a real page. I have the Kindle app on my iPhone, which is great, because I'm never without my entire library. I can read my book on my lunch break on my iPhone, and when I get home and turn on my Kindle, it will take to me the last page I read on my phone. This is really cool, but I couldn't read on my phone for much longer than my 30 minute break. After a while, the brightly lit contrast of black and white starts to hurt my eyes. The Kindle is soothing in comparison. Who really wants to look at yet another bright computer screen during their downtime? Not to mention the fact that I can barely make out shapes and colors on my iPhone screen in the sunlight. To me, this is the most important distinction that sets the Kindle apart. Of course, it would be cool if the iPad leads people to reading who normally wouldn't pick up a book or purchase an e-reader. Probably not though. These people will probably spend most of their time on the iPad popping digital bubble wrap or creating a Twitter account for their dog. The only real threat I see to the Kindle is an actual book. There is something romantic about the physical presence of a book. But I think the Kindle is way cooler.

I will not be buying an iPad. Maybe in a few generations if they work out the inevitable kinks. But even if that day comes, I will still remain loyal to my Kindle.