Back Up Your Kindle

It seems silly to say, but in the world of digital property, you always want to have an independent backup. Otherwise, you are liable to become a victim of a crashed computer, a virus, or Amazon.com acting in a silent and ethically questionable way.

As you can read in the referenced article, Amazon recently deleted content that had been purchased by its customers via the Kindle whispernet. Yes, the whispernet goes both ways. It's a good article that explains why Amazon reversed its customers' purchases, what it claims it will do in future such circumstances, and why it's so ironic that the recalled book was 1984.

Ahh, the digital age. It's a tricky one. Back up your digital documents, people.

Get Your Cheaper Kindle Here

For the first time, Amazon has reduced the price on it's Kindle (the classic size, not the DX) to $299.00. You can buy it here.

Uncertain about the Kindle? Read my thoughts about the device, both before and after purchasing.

Unfortunately, I've also heard buzzing that Amazon is pursuing patents that will allow them to insert ads into ebooks. Slashdot has some commentary, as does Fast Company.

Personally, this could be a deal breaker for me. It's certainly possible that I could learn to ignore embedded ads, but with the smaller-than-ideal screen size to begin with on the Kindle, I imagine that embedded ads would be distracting to the point of unreadability. I read books to immerse myself in the adventure, the journey, the lesson; not to be abruptly reminded that there's a special promotion at Red Lobster.

The Fast Company article articulates a few instances where this could be a good thing - lower-cost books for people who choose to tolerate the ads, or the ability to risk more publication of new writers with the helpful boost of advertising revenue. I understand both of these perspectives, but like FC, fear the blowback of higher prices or standardization and unavoidable advertisements.

I'll certainly stay tuned to this topic and hope that Amazon finds a way to utilize the patents that is not disruptive of the reading experience.

What about you? Would you read ebooks with embedded, contextual advertisements?

Super-Size My Kindle

Amazon announced today the new, large-screen Kindle DX. It will be released this summer, and will cost $489 (vs. the $359 6-inch 2.0). As you can see below, it boasts a larger body and a 9.7 inch diagonal screen.

This is a perfect example of Amazon giving me what I asked for, in a way that I dislike. I've always maintained that the one thing I would change about my Kindle (I have verson 1.0) is the screen size. It's smaller than ideal, and this is something that was not changed in version 2.0. 

However - I would not purchase the DX because, to me, the larger screen size is not enough of a positive to outweigh the major negative of a larger device.  The other new features - native PDF and a rotating screen - are nice, but again, not significant enough to outweigh the disadvantages of the larger size. I'd prefer to keep my lightweight laptop for dealing with full-page display documents. And the final promotional feature, of larger memory, is a non-issue for 1st generation Kindlers like me, because ours support a removable memory card (v. 2.0 does not).

Of the things I like about my Kindle, the size and portability is probably either #1 or #2 on the list. With its current shape and size, I can slip my Kindle into a small bag or even the (large) pocket of a jacket.  

If Amazon would create a v. 3.0 6 inch Kindle with a larger vertical screen (likely compensated by a smaller or digital keyboard), I would be all for it. This attempt, though, is not for me.

(image pulled from theKindle DX page on Amazon.com)

Kindle 2.0

I came across these photos of the (apparent) second-generation Kindle. It looks nice - slightly more ipod-esque in shape and feel - although I still feel that the screen is too small and the keyboard takes up too much space.

Check them out here:

I'll keep my lovely first generation for awhile yet. I definitely recommend the Kindle, though, for all voracious readers and especially for travelers!

Bookish Things

Well, I am feeling a bit low for writing inspiration today, so I figure that instead i will share some of my favorite resources for reading that can be found on the internet. As you may know, I'm an avid reader. My husband may argue that "avid" is much too tame of an adjective to use.

I recently purchased a Kindle, and have found it to be a fantastic platform. While I have some minor complaints, mostly about the user interface (UI), I really enjoy the portability, the fact that your eyes feel that they are reading paper, the ability to have multiple books at your fingertips and the lightweight device - I recently finished reading Book 3 in the Inheritance Cycle, Brisingr, which weighs in 784 pages and probably about 2 pounds - and reflected how nice it was to hold the Kindle in one hand without the strain that would usually result from such a tome. I've become something of a product evangelist, and should probably contact Amazon about my commission, as I've directly influenced at least two friends to purchase one. If you are at all interested in the device, I'd be more than happy to share additional thoughts with you. I think it's a winner!

Another site that I've come to really enjoy is Goodreads, a central database to store your reading lists, books that you'd like to read in the future, and share your reviews and recommendations with friends. You can see I've embedded my current list in the sidebar of the blog. If you read frequently and would like a convenient way to catalog and share your favorites, I highly recommend it. And it's free!

Finally, what should you do with the books you've read and no longer have a need for? Well, you can certainly donate them to a local school or library, or take them into a convenient used book store. However, there are some other fabulous resources available:

• BookMooch is a place where you can swap books you no longer need with others seeking to reduce their own inventory. The availability is a bit spotty, and it's difficult to find new releases and popular fiction, but I've found some great classics as well as travel guides and general non-fiction. You add books to your inventory that you are willing to swap, and gain points as they are mooched by other users. Then, you can use these points to mooch books that you want! You pay outgoing postage (media mail) on books that you send, and do not pay for books shipped to you, so there is some out of pocket cost, but it's significantly less than you'd pay for new books, and it promotes recycling!
• If swapping your books online doesn't excite you, then you can also benefit from the internet in selling your books online for cash. I like this as a first-stop: if I have books I'd like to dispose of, I'll first input them on BookScouter to see which buyback sites will offer me the best deal. So far, I've had great luck and prompt payment from Cash4Books and Textbooks.com.

That's it for today! I hope you've enjoyed and can make use of some of these resources!

Kindling

After much debate, I bought a Kindle prior to my trip to India and Thailand.

And, I love it.

I definitely don't see this replacing my collection of favorite books anytime soon. But, I do think that my frequent trips to Borders/Elliot Bay/Half Price Books/etc. will be lessened as I will do more "random" book shopping via the Kindle - and then purchase hard copies for my permanent collection of favorites.

It was a big expense - these things aren't cheap - but the future savings in book costs (usually significantly lower than prices for physical books) and back relief (much lighter than toting the 2-3 books I usually have with me) will likely make it pay for itself in a short period of time.

More to come, but I'm definitely a fan and would recommend this for big readers, heavy travelers, and all sorts of gear-heads.

Books

Reading is something else, an engagement of the imagination with life experience. It’s fad-resistant, precisely because human beings are hard-wired for story, and intrinsically curious. Reading is not about product...Yes, the act of reading takes some effort, unlike the passive act of using the products Jobs has created, which involves little more than directing eyeballs to a flat patch or putting a plug into the ear. -excerpted from "Book Lust" in Wednesday's NYT.

An interesting counterpoint to my last post, and in response to Steve Jobs' comment lamenting the death of reading as an American activity. The author presents much more positive statistics about the frequency and impact of the American reader.

Particularly intriguing for me as I debate the merits of purchasing a Kindle. Less time spent in the back corners of independent bookstores? Fewer bookshelves groaning under the weight of my collection? Lighter bag without 1-2 books inside at all times? the ability to take a vacation and not run out of reading material half-way through? all good things...

contrasted to the pure joy of cracking open a new book, smelling the pages, touching the paper, and sitting with a cup of tea on a weekend morning?

I'm not sold yet....