Kindle - Is It Worth It?

So you've been seeing the commercials, peeking over people's shoulders, and surfing the web to decide if getting a Kindle is worth it. Let me tell you why I got one, and why I think you should, too!

Convenience

Do you ever go on vacation or a long trip and wish you could bring those three books you are reading, but you can't lug them all with you? Well, this is certainly a solution to this problem! A Kindle has store thousands of books, not to mention magazines, blogs, newspapers, documents, etc.

Cost

Now, you may be waiting to buy a Kindle because you are concerned about the cost of the device, which is understandable. However, Amazon requires every book in the Kindle store to be at least 20% less than the paperback version, so if you buy books regularly, you will not have a problem making your money back.

Battery Life

Obviously, regular books do not have a battery life that you have to worry about, and I know some of you might hesitate because you are afraid your Kindle will die after reading a few pages. Not to worry! The Kindle has an amazing battery life - about two weeks for some of the newer models, and one week for older ones.

One caveat here - if you use a Kindle that has 3G capability, this can run down your battery more quickly, so make sure you use the 3G only when you are downloading a book or other document or when you are using the built-in web browser. Otherwise, you can just turn it off in the menu. Seriously, though, these devices run for so long, it's incredible! Just another reason that a Kindle is worth it!

The Screen

Some people don't want to read on an electronic device because of the eye strain from a computer or LCD screen, which I totally understand. You have probably experienced this after sitting in front of a computer for a long time. However, not so with the Kindle, because it has what is called an "e-ink" screen.

This screen doesn't use any kind of LCD technology and is not backlit; therefore, there is no more eye strain when using a Kindle than when reading a regular book! Think of the screen sort of like the old Etch-a-Sketch (do they still make those?). The ink sort of sticks to the screen in the same way you used to draw those lines on the screen by turning the knobs.

Now that you know more about why to buy a Kindle, you may be asking which Kindle you should get! Check out Casey's post called Which Kindle Should I Buy at his Kindle blog.