I noticed that, in a recent survey, four out of five e-book reader owners in the USA actually prefer using an e-book reader to reading a “proper” book. I must say, that doesn’t surprise me at all. I treated myself to an amazon kindle a few weeks ago and it has very definitely proven to be one of my more inspired purchases.
I actually got it shipped from the USA to the UK – a process which was surprisingly fast and efficient, It took less than a week to arrive and, if anyone is concerned about the robustness of these devices, all I can say is that it made it across the Atlantic safe and sound. Since then it has been bumping around in my briefcase along with my notebook, protected by a very nice leather cover of course, and I haven’t had any problem with mechanical damage.
Buying books is easy as well. They download very quickly. Amazon say less than a minute. My experience has been that they download in way less than a minute.
The screen is an absolute joy to read on. It really is just like reading on paper – much better than reading on a computer screen. It’s also very energy efficient. If you only turn the wireless on when you’re buying books and keep it off otherwise, you will be able to go for weeks between charges.
Actually using the reader is also great.Whether you’re lying propped up in bed, sitting on a crowded train or bus or lounging on the beach, the well laid out controls are simple to use (with one hand) and I personally find it much better than a “real” book.
