Every year at the end of the summer, I have the habit of buying myself a little treat before the school year starts. Normally I set a spending limit and get myself a few new pieces of clothing or a few new pairs of shoes, but this year I don’t really need any substantial amount of clothing and I certainly don’t need any shoes. So I was thinking of investing some money in one of my favorite hobbies – reading – by purchasing the Amazon Kindle.
I’ve actually been thinking about buying a Kindle for a few years now, but so far I didn’t think I’d be able to give up the tactile feel of paper books. Also, up until now, the Kindle has been pretty pricey. At $189 it’s still not cheap, but it’s definitely come down quite a bit in price. Mostly I’ve come around to the idea of purchasing the Kindle because of the many pros that come with reading on the Kindle, such as:
– Many of the classics are free. According to Amazon, many pre-1923 publications can be downloaded for at no cost.
– Most new releases can be downloaded for $9.99. While I do frequently get books from the library, I’m still in the habit of buying some new books – especially those written by my favorite authors – and $9.99 is pretty cheap when most new books go for around $25.
– Kindle can hold up to 1500 books. That means I could carry 1500 books with me – anywhere! I’m starting to see a lot of traveling in my future, so this is a huge plus.
– I can also read magazines and newspapers on the Kindle, and subscription prices are slightly below paper subscription prices.
But I do also see some cons, including:
– I think I’m going to be much more tempted to buy books I would otherwise get from the library for free. Kindle books download in only 60 seconds, so the impulse to just spend $9.99 and get the book instantly rather than waiting for it at the library will be hard to overcome. I see this as the most serious negative to purchasing the Kindle.
– I love collecting books. I like the way paper books feel in my hands and the way they look in my apartment.
So what do you think? Does anybody have a Kindle? What would you do if you were me?
Also, these probably won’t help with a Kindle, but here are some other Amazon deals!
