When I first heard about the Kindle, I thought it was one of these chocolate eggs with the toys inside. I couldn’t fathom out what all the fuss was about.
And then I started seeing people in buses and trains reading from what looked like a grey roof tile that had a sheet of glass on the front. This, I discovered was a Kindle – an e-book reader.
Now, I like reading, but I could never understand what I would want with 40,000 books on one little electronic device. After all, I can only read one book at a time.
However, all my friends started getting them and telling me how wonderful they were. You can download samples of books and try-before-you-buy. You can change the font size (handy if, like me, your eyes are not as good as they once were.) It even has a built-in dictionary.
Okay, I was tempted to get one, but I love the smell and feel of a book. In fact, I used to tell my friends that I had a 3D Kindle, then wait to see how long it was before they realised that I was talking about a real paper-and-ink book. (Well, it made me laugh.)
Turning my back on books and going down the path of electronics seemed like a betrayal of everything I held dear. However, I succumbed. I bought the e-reader device and downloaded a couple of eBooks. And I love it! If I happen across a book that appeals to me, I can download it and 20-seconds later I’m reading it. Some of the classics, those books I’ve always wanted to read but never got around to, are free. So, I have finally moved into the digital age, and have been singing the praises of the little electronic gizmo.
In fact, a collection of my columns from over the past couple of years is being published soon, but the Kindle version is already online (If you’ve got a Kindle you can get it from Amazon.co.uk. Just go to the website and put in a search for “Drews Views”.) I can proudly tell you that the e-book version of Drew’s Views is presently sitting in the Amazon’s Bestsellers Rank at No. 101,181. (Which is probably about 3rd from the bottom.) So, yes, I am a convert. It’s the perfect device…
And then I discovered a drawback I hadn’t considered until that point; I went to take a bath. I love to read while I’m soaking in the bubbles, but lectronics and water don’t mix too well.
Now, I know the voltage is not enough to light me up and kill me if the electronic gizmo tumbles into the bubbles, but I wouldn’t imagine it would do the Kindle much good. At worst, a paperback just curls up around the edges.
Back to reading a real book, I think.
Drew McAdam
Drew's Views 