To Kindle Or Not to Kindle?

At some point we all knew or, at least, we all hoped that our entire curriculum will be replaced by a single, slim device that will include all those heavy books. The reading devices available now on the market provide us with the possibility of enjoying a book regardless where we are. To re-create the "holding-a-book-in-your-hands" feeling, the modern reading device is similar in design with a book page, and thanks to the E Ink the resemblance between it and a real book page is quite astonishing.

The Amazon Kindle is one such wireless reading device which can hold up to 3500 (non illustrated) e-books and which can work off line for almost a fortnight, like in the case of the DX model. The Kindle is by now present on the market with three models: Kindle, Kindle 2 and Kindle DX. In fact, the original Kindle is no longer available being replaced by its bigger brother Kindle 2. But, by far, the one with the best performances remains the Kindle DX.

Released this May, the newest Kindle model has a 9.7 inch display, an improved resolution and a 4GB memory. It is still under vivid discussion if its performances match its $489 price tag. Nevertheless, the Kindle DX is a great gadget for active readers.

If the benefits of such a device are clear, what do the skeptics have to say? Some argue that the contrast between the backlight and text is poor and can damage one's eyes, others like the traditional readers stand up for the traditional paper book, while most of the skeptics criticize the big difference between the manufacture and retail price and the lack of the SD slot. Most of these arguments are very true and articulate but, at the end of the day, bad publicity is still publicity.

It's true that Kindle is not a perfect reading device and that in the near future it's neither going to save the forests nor replace schoolbooks but, as technology advances and prices go down, devices like the Kindle will take a more active part of our lives. In the end, supporting the action of reading it's always a good thing.

Wendy Brighton is a freelancer writer that activates on http://www.tuvabox.com and is passionate about traveling, music and gadgets.