Enjoying My Amazon Kindle

Believe it or not, when contemplating the Amazon Kindle, I wasn't sure whether or not I should get it. After all, I had never seen one and I had a few concerns - not from any ratings I read but from my expectations and how it might impact me owning one while living in Arctic Canada.

I knew that books could only be downloaded to the Amazon Kindle over the Internet and, because my Internet speed is not as fast as those speeds in southern locations, I was debating. After all, if it took a southerner about a minute to download an e-book, it would likely take me 5 minutes or more up here.

Another concern was that I didn't want to feel like I was looking at another computer screen; I enjoy working on the computer but my life does not revolve around electronic gadgets every minute of the day. Essentially, I wanted to be sure that, if I bought the Amazon Kindle, that I would feel like I was reading a book.

All in all, by the title, you can tell that I did get one and below you will read my review of this amazing product called the Amazon Kindle.

Yes, I ordered it and, yes, I eagerly anticipated its arrival. This was interesting technology, indeed, and my curiosity won over my fears. I had to give this gadget a chance; after all, it could start a revolution, of sorts, in my own life - saving space on bookshelves to name only one change.

Within three weeks, I held it in my hands and thought, "This is so cool." The design is very sleek and measures approximately 4 by 6 inches and is not even 1 centimeter in diameter. I thought it absolutely amazing that the Amazon Kindle could hold up to 3,000 books. I don't imagine I would ever require another one but, who can say?

My questions have been answered and I'm proud to present the pleasing results.

I was browsing the Amazon Kindle store and noticed some Kindle books were available for free. What better way could there be to test the speed of the download? I downloaded The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I had heard about him throughout the years but never read anything written about him. It appeared on my Kindle in less than a minute. My eyes flew wide open in astonishment and then the smile grew wider and wider. Of course, I downloaded a few other books, too.

Also, I do need a light to be able to read my Amazon Kindle at night; I was so pleased that I could have gotten from bed and danced. As it was, I just got up, retrieved a flashlight and snuggled into the covers once again.

Owning the Amazon Kindle has enhanced my life in many ways. Allow me to share them with you here:

1. Gone are the days of having to drag heavy books back and forth - and trying to protect them from damage, whether from transporting them or from the weather. Now the books I carry are contained in a sleek gadget which is protected by a leather case.

2. When going on lunch break, I take my Kindle with me. I eat and then spend the next 45 minutes reading. It's generally the same book I was reading when I last put my Amazon Kindle to sleep and, all I do it, flick a button, enter my password and resume reading. It remembers my last page automatically.

3. When reading in bed, I don't need to shift positions all the time to make my neck comfortable or relieve my back and sides. Because turning pages happens with the click of a button, my head can rest in one position and my eyes are focused on only what is directly in front of me.

4. I can't mark pages in the book. However, I can make notes about things with the built-in keyboard and can highlight phrases or ideas I really like. These highlights are updated each time I connect to my wireless network and appear underlined next time I look back at that page. I also see when other people highlight the same phrase/sentence.

5. When I'm finished reading a book, I file it away for easy retrieval later. I don't need to keep looking at the read title in my list and can focus on those titles I have not read.

6. Organizing books is easy. By typing only a few characters, I can sort my books any way that pleases me and I don't have to worry about anyone messing up their order as would be the case if the books were aligning my bookshelf.

7. I don't need to wait for books to arrive in the mail anymore, unless they are not offered as Kindle books. It takes less than a minute, in most cases, for a title to appear on my Amazon Kindle and I can begin reading immediately after ordering it.

8. Every book I purchase is cheaper than the books I used to buy. The book itself is cheaper and there are no shipping charges. Also, because the book sizes are small, it doesn't cost extra for Internet usage during the month. (Yes, I have to pay for additional bandwidth when I run out of my monthly allotment, which is 3 GB per month for $60.)

9. When it comes time to travel, all I need to do is put my Amazon Kindle in my carry-on or I can take it in my hand. I don't need to worry about weight restrictions.

10. With my Kindle, I can change the font size to suit the comfort level for my eyes. Because there are no page numbers to speak of, the status bar at the bottom of the screen gives, in percentage form, how much of the book has been read.

11. I don't use my Kindle to go on the Internet much but, with the click of a button, the screen can be rotated so that pages can be viewed more easily. Albeit, the keyboard remains in the same position so you'll want to return to the original setting for typing unless you are efficient at typing sideways.

12. I charge my Kindle with the USB cable which comes with it. Since Christmas, 2010, I have charged my Kindle three times and I read, on average, at least an hour a day.

I'm sure there are other perks which I enjoy about my Amazon Kindle but these are the ones which immediately come to mind. I would truly encourage every avid reader to purchase one.