How about being able to read anything on the go—book, newspaper, blog! You’re standing in a long grocery store line during rush hour, twiddling your thumbs. You’re stuck in a boring lecture and the guy beside you is snoring. You’re traveling with only a carry-on bag. You”re going on an ice fishing trip in Minnesota!
Amazon’s Kindle has so many advantages, as we previously discussed in Should I Invest In A Kindle? As with all technology, they are constantly updating what’s available. Here are a few of the new features:
- Over 400,000 books available online (they have added 38,864 in the past two months)
- Global Wireless coverage
- Native PDF Support
- Text-to-Speech
- Blogs
- Rotating Display
Of all these advances, the one that’s captivating me is the ability to download blogs. Because this is at the cutting edge of technology, each blog must be subscribed to individually. They range from $.99 to $1.99 a month. As blogs become the norm the price will decrease.
I just ordered The Kindle Reader’s Blog on a 14-day free trial, after which I’ll pay $.99 a month to continue the subscription. The blogger, Jan Zlendich, recommended The Year of No Money in Tokyo by Wayne Lionel Aponte. It’s the travel memoir of a black man who is jobless in a foreign country in the midst of our economic crisis. And here’s the super cool part—it is Text-to-Speech enabled, which means that if I’m tired of reading, it will read to ME. I’ll keep you posted on that experience (I’d rather read than listen to an audio book).
After taking half an hour to scroll through Jan’s Blog (I had originally set aside 15 minutes), a whole world of possibilities opened. Looks like I’ll be following The Kindle Reader on a daily basis.
And what’s the advantage over just reading it on your laptop? The Kindle fits in my purse. It’s a constant companion, and whenever there’s a wait, I read! Yesterday during a downpour I was in a l-o-n-g line at the grocery store. It was late in the day and shoppers were antsy to get home. I pulled out the Kindle and had 13 minutes of good reading time.
Kindle lovers have expressed the desire to delve into areas they’ve never thought of reading before—different hobbies, sci-fi, sports, personal development—an endless list.
If this article has inspired you just a tad to read more and perhaps push beyond the margins of your current library preferences, please share your comments and ideas below. If you’ve thought of doing more research on a Kindle and have some questions give me a shout out! I’ll be happy to help you.
To Our Reading Enjoyment,
Dar
P.S. If this review has sparked your interest in purchasing a Kindle, my link is Dar’s Kindle Store where you can check out the new, the used (at bargain prices), and grab one that fits your needs.
January 29th, 2010 at 7:57 pm
Hi Kindle Junkie!
Wow I have never heard of this before, it sounds really amazing. Thanks for doing a review on it, Darlene!
Sally
Sally Bath´s last blog ..How To Use Social Bookmarking To Increase Your Exposure
January 30th, 2010 at 8:15 am
Sally, If you ever add this to your “must have” list let me know. I’d love to share all the tricks with you for maximizing the use of a Kindle.
January 29th, 2010 at 8:05 pm
HI Darlene
I read something about the kindle a while ago and totally forgot about it. What a great concept. Time is our most precious resource and my pet hate is wasting time. I always carry a book or a cd to listen to just in case i am held up somewhere because there is always something new to learn. I will definitely have to start looking at this new technology. I wonder how the new Ipad will go against it. Thanks for the update Darlene
January 30th, 2010 at 8:16 am
Matt, I think the Ipad is a lot larger than the Kindle, but you brought up a great point. I’ll do further research on it and get back to you. Thanks for bringing up that issue.
February 4th, 2010 at 7:46 am
Hey I had my very first “wish I had a Kindle” moment this morning
Wanted to read Seth Godin’s latest and could have gotten it NOW and cheaper if I’d had a Kindle by my side.
Made me go check out the details … and thought this would be interesting re. comparing it to ipad or google’s (similar?) tool … the wireless service for Kindle is included with its purchase right?
Here’s the map for coverage –
http://client0.cellmaps.com/tabs.html#cellmaps_intl_tab
Kinda interesting to see how much 3G coverage there is other places, eh?
Thanks Dar!
Andrea
Andrea Goodsaid´s last blog ..Hands on Coaching w/ Andrea (details)
January 29th, 2010 at 9:01 pm
I want, I want, I want!
Technology has come so far, arent these devices wonderful? Ebook technology is changing the way we read. There are a lot of hot ebook readers coming to market this year and I love the competition between them.
Thanks for sharing your great review!
Kimberly Castleberry´s last blog ..The FTC Changes & You: Protecting Your Business (Part 1)
January 30th, 2010 at 8:18 am
Hey Kim, Guess this requires further research juxtaposing all the up and coming ebook devices. I’ll keep you posted on the pros and cons of each one of them.
January 31st, 2010 at 9:37 pm
Very interesting piece of technology Darlene. It sounds to me, like the way of the future. In time no doubt, the Kindle will be in every household. Thanks for sharing. Cheers Toni
February 1st, 2010 at 9:06 am
Thanks Darlene!
I had never heard of this device, sounds like a great item to add to the wish list.
I love that you can set it to read to you when you don’t want to read. Makes it very functional for times when you’re driving, doing errands, etc. I appreciate your review of this…
Kathy Jodrey´s last blog ..Santa Claus Vacation, or Timing and Tools
February 2nd, 2010 at 8:34 pm
I love these things Darlene. The Kindle is amazing. While I don’t see it completely replacing the real “book in hand” any time soon(mainly because nothing replaces the feeling of curling up in bed on a rainy day with a good paperback in hand)…I definitely enjoy the convenience of being able to carry a lot of books in the palm of my hand (they aren’t nearly as heavy this way)
February 6th, 2010 at 9:51 am
Darlene~ I LOVE IT! I sent this to my mom as soon as I read and watched! She is exactly like you!! She reads almost a book a day and is always struggling with packing the books!! A perfect solution!
Linda G Cox´s last blog ..Create a wonderful life: let go of your pain
March 5th, 2010 at 7:44 pm
Hi Darlene,
My wife won a Kindle a couple weeks ago. She’s been thrilled with it, and the extras we didn’t know about, like adding music and the text-to-speech function. Great post – I’ll share with her and friends online who may not realize what a wonderful device the Kindle can be.
Take care,
Larry
Larry Akers´s last blog ..Does Hypnosis Work?
March 5th, 2010 at 7:52 pm
Larry,
Let me know if she has any other questions. I’d love to give her more tips!
April 7th, 2010 at 5:07 pm
I’m looking into a kindle or Ipad, we’ll see how much moneys is my piggy bank
Bill Cowan´s last blog ..Training Wheels of Life
May 18th, 2010 at 4:22 am
I’m so excited that we will soon be able to update Facebook and Twitter from our Kindle!
Heard the software update would be released this May!
Debbie Lattuga´s last blog ..Ebook Reader | My Mother’s Day Kindle