Kindle Or Real Books?

Well, after a lot of persuasion from one friend in particular, I have purchased a Kindle.  I am assured that this will open up a whole vista of new possibilities, and enhance my life immeasurably.

As something of a Luddite on matters technological, I always need to be dragged kicking and screaming to embrace the latest "must-have" gadget or innovation.  The process was the same with games consoles, mobile phones and PCs.

In fairness, I am impressed by what I have so far seen from the Kindle. The device itself seems user-friendly, neat and efficient, and the mechanism for downloading Kindle books is much swifter and more seamless than I had envisaged. The reading experience itself also appears pleasing and straightforward.

Having said all this, I still find it difficult to imagine totally forsaking the world of "real", tangible paper books any time soon.  I know that it sounds trite, but there is something inherently comforting and reassuring in holding a book in one's hands, as if the space between the covers symbolizes a whole secret and mysterious world waiting to be uncovered, discovered and explored.

I am not a particularly strong advocate of technology for technology's sake, and there is a tendency these days to view the medium as more important than the content or the message.  However, I can see how the Kindle and its ilk will continue to take hold, although it will take a long time for such devices to truly supplant the paper book in our affections.

From what I have heard and seen, the Kindle is very much causing a buzz, partly through pure word of mouth, and there is an element of peer pressure at work, as with other such items in the past, in persuading people to buy them. Some people will probably get one in order to "keep up with the Joneses" on a micro-scale, for fear of feeling left out of chatter, or becoming a social pariah.

I can say, hand on heart, that I bought mine in order to complement and augment my existing reading habits, and to take advantage of the sheer variety of literature available on the Kindle format.  The move may also save me a bit of shelf space at home!

Some future posts on this blog may well be inspired and prompted by my Kindle reading....