Kindle 2 won’t replace ‘a good, bound book’
>>Print ViewPublication Date: 07/13/2009
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So Amazon’s Kindle 2 is $60 cheaper now than it was before last Wednesday; who cares? For at $299, books – actual, good ol’ fashioned books – are still the better deal.
Especially when you can check out as many as you want from the downtown Tippecanoe County Public Library for free, without even the worry of late fees. And especially when the selection isn’t limited to 300,000 because, although I can’t even guess how many books a single branch of the TCPL system houses, I’m willing to bet, with the interlibrary loan request, its selection is nearly unlimited.
Besides, there’s no denying the smell of a new book, or even an old book, is almost heavenly.
Now, I don’t wish Kindles had never been made. After all, they’ve got their definite perks.
They save paper. They allow you to carry up to 1,500 books at any one time in a device that weighs less than a single Harry Potter book. They let you look up the definitions of unknown words while you’re reading. They take up less space than the numerous books you’d otherwise need to pack for traveling entertainment. And yes, as the (current) best piece of technology in its field, they’re just plain cool, and this cool factor alone has probably attracted a few anti-readers to give reading another go.
Great ... for them. But for me, it comes down to this: The e-reading experience will never beat, or for that matter match, the traditional reading experience.
How can readers get their favorite author’s autograph on the inside front cover of a new bestseller? How can intriguing conversations and even friendships be started by individuals who happen to glance over on a bus and realize, I read that too? How can anyone treasure a flimsy, cold piece of plastic more than a reliable hardback novel?
The answer is that they can’t.
Don’t get me wrong. I’m not a technophobe, nor do I avoid embracing new technology. I own an iPod, rely upon my cell phone, love video game consoles and can’t imagine not owning a laptop. Still, some things just shouldn’t be, and don’t need to be, messed with.
Consider Kindle 2’s technological “improvements” to the traditional reading experience:
Sixteen shades of gray; so what? I expect vibrant, colorful illustrations in my books, newspapers and magazines.
And what about researching? If you’ve completed the book and now need to find a certain chapter or reference, it’s not like you can just open the book up to about halfway and skim from there.
Normal wear and tear hurts your wallet a lot more than a few bent pages would. Even the sturdiest of technology breaks, especially if “normal wear and tear” includes tossing it into a crowded backpack and bouncing it across campus, or falling asleep and knocking it onto the floor.
Finally, and most importantly – batteries. Sure, the Kindle can go for days without charging, but there will come a time when, just like with a cell phone, you forget to charge the thing and it dies, probably at the least convenient moment.
All in all, Amazon, I think you’re going to have to do better to capture your own version of the magic that comes from losing oneself in a good, bound book. And I’m sure you’ll try again soon.
Regardless, bibliophiles like myself will take solace in knowing no new media platform has ever annihilated the previous, allowing us to ignore the announcement. We will continue to pleasantly experience the real world via chit-chat at the library while selecting our next tale. We will continue to enjoy the feel of paper pages turning between our fingers. And we will always be able to tell, as you probably appreciated in this read, just how much farther we have until the end.