Amazon Kindle

In October 2009 I was so excited because Amazon USA finally sold their Kindle E-book reader to customers worldwide. I had been wanting a Kindle for soooooooo long but it was not available in Japan. Luckily, I look at the Amazon page so often that I could find the news just one day after it appeared. I immediately pre-ordered a Kindle and it was in the first shipment that arrived in Japan.

Many people don't like the idea of an electronic book reader because they say paper books are best. Well, I have been an avid reader since I was a very small child and Kindle is WONDERFUL! Of course I still love paper books and I collect hardcover books by some authors, and also paperbacks of some series. But that is also a problem because I honestly have no more room to store books at my house or my office. I am the type of person who keeps their books and doesn't re-sell them or pass them onto other people :)

If I won the lottery, I would build a house with one room as a private library. That has been a dream of mine since I was a child. Actually, I used to think being a librarian would be a good job, but you have to WORK which means I couldn't read all day! Unfortunately I haven't won the lottery yet, so I shouldn't buy more and more "real" books.

So that's why I was interested in the Kindle. Not only is is great for storing many books, it also has many useful features such as "search". But would it be good for reading? The only answer was to buy one and find out for myself!

The answer is a resounding YES!!! It is much better than I could have ever expected. I love the Kindle just as much as I love books. Often it is much better than books! How do I know? Well, I've bought 70 books for the Kindle in the past 14 months and read them all. And in that time I've read about 40 paperback or hardcover books as well. In almost all cases, the Kindle is much easier and more convenient. (I only bought most of the books in paper because they weren't available on the Kindle - rare, textbooks, unpublished in e-format, etc.)

Now 5 people I know have bought a Kindle since I recommended it, and they all like it too :)

You should watch the official Kindle video on the bottom of the Kindle page at Amazon.com. Look for the picture of a woman reading while sitting in a beach-chair. That is the video that introduces the Kindle.

The most recent Kindle is third generation. That means it is the 3rd model. I have a second generation model, but it is fine. If you do buy a Kindle to use in Japan. You must buy the one that costs $189. The cheaper one cannot access the mobile phone network in Japan. Right now you cannot read Japanese books, but I think if you wait another 6 months or a year, it will be possible - maybe 4th generation?

One of the best things about Kindle is that it is NOT a computer and doesn't have a back-light. The Amazon website shows a woman reading in bright sunlight on a beach. I tried it on Miyako Island and it's true - bright sunlight is perfectly OK :)