In my last post on Amazon’s newest book reading device, Greg and Ellyn raised a good point: using the Kindle eliminates the “feel” of reading a book. The experience just isn’t the same, and you’re left with something else.

Appropriately (and somewhat ironically), Stephen King adds his two cents on this in his short novella UR (only available on the Kindle), which is the first thing I purchased through the device. In this scene, a professor of English (Wesley) discusses the medium with a student (Henderson):

“Mr. Henderson, he said, there will always be books. Which means there will always be paper and binding. Books are real objects. Books are friends.”

“Yeah, but!” Henderson had replied, his sweet smile now becoming slightly shy.

“But?”

“They’re also ideas and emotions. You said so in your first class.”

“Well,” Wesley had said, “you’ve got me there. But books aren’t solely ideas. Books have a smell, for instance. One that gets better – more nostalgic – as the years go by. Does this gadget of yours have a smell?”

“Nope,” Henderson replied. “Not really. But when you turn the pages…here, with this button…they kind of flutter, like in a real book, and I can go to any page I want, and when it sleeps, it shows pictures of famous writers, and it holds a charge, and -”

“It’s a computer,” Wesley had said. “You’re reading from a computer.”

The Henderson kid had taken his Kindle back. “You say that like it’s a bad thing. It’s still ‘Paul Case.’”

Of course, Wesley and Ellyn are right. Electronic media eliminates the character, the feel of holding a real book. Some of my favorites are the ones I’ve had for years, the pages turned yellow with time. Just seeing a book sometimes leads me to recall where I read it, and what was going on in my life at the time. No doubt about it: books have a romantic quality to them.

At the same time, however, “curling up with a good book” isn’t always as romantic as it sounds. I often despise holding books, especially paperbacks. Paperbacks are worthless on a flat surface, and I do a ton of reading in bed. They’re often printed and bound cheaply, and the reader has to contort his or vision (or his or her hands) to catch the final words on a line.

In the end, I side with Henderson. I read for the ideas and the joy of a good story; the romanticism of the act is secondary, and not necessary. Thus, I’ve had little problem adapting to the Kindle this week.

Cruising the Internet?

Yep. I even wrote a “testing” blogpost from the Kindle. Pretty cool, given that I don’t have a nextgen phone with all the mobile Internet bells and whistles. Neither easy nor aesthetically pleasing, it gets the job done. Still, I doubt I’ll ever use the feature unless I’m stranded somewhere without Internet access for a significant period of time.

The Lighting Situation

If I had to point out one big problem with the Kindle, it would be in the continual need for a strong light source. Amazon should have added an optional backlight, even if it means decreased battery life. As it stands, readers must hug a lamp to read comfortably. Here’s to hoping that they incorporate this feature into the Kindle 3.

The Screen Size

Too small. I would’ve appreciated it more if Amazon had decided to make the overall size of the device equivalent to the cover of a hardback. This wouldn’t change the overall depth of the Kindle, and more display area would help produce a more traditional reading experience.

Battery Life

Excellent. I’ve been using it a ton this week, and am still at about 33% in terms of battery life. Like a laptop, the key to extending a charge is in turning off the Whispernet service.

Closing Remarks

Again, I reiterate what I’ve said previously: it’s a great device, especially for those who read a lot of books and are not particularly attached to the old school. But it is not without its faults, and I can see why some remain leery.