Kindle

Is Kindle replacing traditional books?

Personally, I still prefer the allure of having something solid to flip through when I read. But if Kindle is ever to become my main medium for reading, it won't be because I prefer to read text on the device rather than traditional books. It will instead be due solely to convenience's sake:

1. Capability to read even in the dark. This is useful, not only in the case of blackouts but especially when you are sharing room with other people who want to sleep.

2. Many books in one device. There always approaches a time when we are near-but-not-so-near to the ending of a book, and we are stuck in a dilemma on which book to bring for an extended trip. The almost-finished one, with the risk of finishing too soon and nothing to entertain for the rest of the trip, or the brand new one, forgoing the building excitement and anticipation in the other book? With Kindle, two books can be stored in one device, hence I can have my cake and eat it too.

3. Lightweight, easy to carry around. This is one major advantage over traditional books. Let's say this book is interesting, but it's bulky and heavy and not-so-nice to bring everywhere with you. The only time when you can read is back at home. Kindle will enable me to bring whatever reading material I desire with me, allowing me to read anything anywhere, anytime.

4. Search? I don't know whether Kindle has a search feature, but if it has, that is a plus point. There are times when I'm reading a book and it draws on previously-mentioned info which I had forgotten/neglected. When this happens, Kindle will trump the traditional book, as there is no longer any need for me to futilely flip through the stack of previous pages just to locate the elusive data. Ctrl-F will solve everything.

5. Buy books online? I also don't know whether Kindle has an Amazon shopping function, but if it has, it can save a whole lot of hassle. Instead of going to the local bookstore, or waiting for the ordered book to arrive through mail, I can achieve instantaneous gratification with the purchase of an eBook.