iPad

I haven't bought an Amazon Kindle, even after months and months of longing, but I did get an iPad!

I've always been anti Apple products (I have a Microsoft Zune), but I finally caved and got myself one of these beauties:

$50 off Amazon Kindle

If you're thinking of buying an Amazon Kindle, you've got just a few more days to purchase it with a $50 discount (using the promotional code OPRAHWINFREY). Offer expires November 1, 2008.

I have wanted an Amazon Kindle for months now and have held back from buying one so far. I'm reconsidering since the price is about $300 with the OPRAHWINFREY coupon, but since I'm also considering buying a new computer I should probably hold off . . .

Fast Company - More People Are Listening to Books

Just came across this interview with Audible founder and CEO Donald Katz on Fast Company's website.

I'm surprised that audio book sales grew by 20 percent last year -- just seems like a lot.

I also hadn't heard that Amazon Kindle plays Audible audio books, but I suppose I should have known since I had heard that Amazon acquired Audible.

And the idea that one day you'll be able to use the Kindle to read a book from the same point that you left off listening to to the audio book excites me!

How do y'all feel about audio books?

Listening to Barack Obama's Dreams from My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance sold me on audio books.

NYTimes.com - Amazon Kindle

Just read yesterday's New York Times article "Electronic Device Stirs Unease at Book Fair" by Edward Wyatt about BookExpo America, the publishing and bookselling industry’s annual trade show, which took place at the Los Angeles convention center over the weekend and specifically the excitement and concerns about the Amazon Kindle.

I think publishers are rightfully concerned that Amazon, currently selling most books in Kindle format at at 25% loss, will eventually push publishers to lower their prices.

The article also says that Jeff Bezos believes that after buying a Kindle, Amazon customers purchase just as many physical books and two and a half times as many books overall, or three electronic books for every two physical copies. While publishers dispute that claim, I believe it to be accurate.

I have wanted an Amazon Kindle for months now and have so far restrained myself from buying one. But if I had one, I don't think I would stop buying paper books. But the lower price and convenience of a Kindle would surely mean that I would spend much more money on books, both in Kindle format and normal paper books. If they had some kind of package deal where you could buy a book in both Kindle format and paperback or hardback at an overall discount, I'm sure I would opt for that choice in many situations.

But as I mentioned last month, I think what will really get me over the edge is if Kindle was compatible with borrowing books from the library.

Amazon Kindle - $359

I have wanted an Amazon Kindle for months now.

I still haven't purchased one, but every now and then I go to the Amazon Kindle product page and debate the splurge.

I looked at it during lunch today and was rewarded with a new price for the Amazon Kindle. Just $359!

I think it's still too much for me to buy one just yet, but enough of a drop to make me consider it. :)

If you own one, I'd love to hear about how you like it so far!

Amazon Kindle

I want an Amazon Kindle.

I want one even more than I want a Lightwedge Book light. And that's saying a lot.

Lust may be the most appropriate word to describe my desire for a Kindle.

When Amazon first introduced the Kindle last fall, I immediately turned to the New York Times to find out more. I found "An E-Book Reader That Just May Catch On" by David Pogue who got me even more excited about it. Sure it costs $400 but man it's so cool!

It can hold up to 200 books and with a SD memory card hold thousands more! And it weighs just 10 ounces. It's thin as a No. 2 pencil!

To get a new book all you do is log-in to Amazon's WhisperNet and buy a book in Kindle format. And you get to read the whole first chapter of books before you decide to buy!

While there are no service fees for using Amazon's WhisperNet, you can't add the books you already own to your Kindle, but books for Kindle are so much cheaper than normal books (unless of course you shop at used book stores).

And you can email yourself Microsoft Word or Adobe PDF documents and files in other formats for viewing on Kindle.

Unbelievably Kindle sold out in the first five and a half hours and only now have they gotten ahead of the manufacturing game.

Which is why I've been thinking about the Kindle again. I went to Amazon.com today to purchase a few books and was greeted by this letter from Jeff Bezos, Founder & CEO:

Dear Customers,

Ever since we launched our wireless reading device Kindle last November, we've been unable to keep it in stock, and we've had to work hard to increase manufacturing capacity. Today, we're excited to announce that Kindle is in stock and ready for immediate shipment.

We've also been adding selection. Since launch, we've added 25,000 additional books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers that you can download wirelessly to your Kindle, bringing the total to more than 115,000. To learn more about the device and what you can read on it, visit Kindle's product page. You'll see that more than 2,000 customers have reviewed Kindle - I encourage you to take a look at what customers have to say.

For those of you who are interested, I invite you to read Amazon's just-released annual letter to shareholders. I don't normally link to a shareholder letter from the Amazon home page, but this letter is all about Kindle. If you're curious, it will give you some insight into how we think about the business and our long-term vision for Kindle. It's a short letter, and I hope you find it worthwhile.

Happy reading,

Jeff Bezos

Founder & CEO

The letter to shareholders is particularly inspiring.

Now, I'm not a big technology person. I like some toys, like my Palm pilots (which I am loyally devoted to), but generally I don't spend my money on them. I usually spend my money on books. When all my friends went out to purchase iPhones, I stuck it out with my old phone purchased in 2003.

But somehow Kindle is different. I can't decide whether to buy soon or to buy it when the second generation (perhaps with color monitor??) Kindle comes out.

Of course, if Kindle was compatible with borrowing books from the library then I would absolutely go out and buy one today -- I've cut back on my book buying by borrowing books from the library before purchasing.

A Better Book Light: LightWedge

I had a book light in elementary school. And an electronic pocket dictionary. I remember begging my parents for both items and winning them over with the practical nature of these purchases. I could read even more; I would work harder in school and I'd get smarter.

These days, we all have access to an electronic dictionary online (aka google.com) and several years ago I added a dictionary to my Palm Pilot (okay they're no longer called Palm Pilots but I got my first one so long ago I don't know if I'll ever stop calling them that). Now days, you can just go to google.com on your cell phone so really it's no big deal to have an "electronic pocket dictionary" anymore.

As for book lights, I no longer own one. Not because I don't want one but because eventually the bulb in my "itty bitty" book light died and it just seemed like too much effort to find a replacement bulb.

So when I heard about the LightWedge a few years ago I got really excited. As their website states, "LightWedge products use energy-efficient LEDs and patented LightWedge technology that directs all of the light down onto the page and not into the room." They sell one that's large enough for hardbacks (the original) and a smaller one for paperbacks and a Harry Potter one (very savvy marketing)! They also sell a mini one for travel purposes and a night vision safe one that uses red LEDs. All are reasonably priced (less than $40) and since they use LEDs (light emitting diodes) you shouldn't have to buy replacement LEDs very often!

And they also sell cases for both the original and paperback!

I haven't gotten around to buying one but I will have to remember to ask for one for Christmas this year!