Kindle Syndrome

Confession time. I have Kindle Syndrome (or at least that is what I am calling it). Symptoms include:

• reluctance to read an physical book, even a paperback, when it is available in ebook format
• reluctance to purchase a physical book, even when it is not available in ebook format

This was a huge realization and it was time I finally acknowledged the uneasy truth.

As a child my Grandmother would tell me to stop reading and go outside to play. I just took the book with me outside. 

At school I would skip lunch or reduce my lunch purchase so I could save money to buy paperbacks.

When purchasing my first car it was critically reviewed to assess how many boxes of books it could hold since the bulk of the things I moved were books. 

To this day I am not sure whether my bouts of insomnia, which started in childhood, were triggered by reading books in bed that I had trouble putting down. So I carefully consider which books I read at night.

The bookcases in my house are overflowing but... recent additions have slowed significantly. The reason is the Amazon Kindle.

Those overflowing bookcases (there are currently 8 bookcases, each 72 inches tall) were the incentive for me to consider an ebook reader. Another factor was that my aging eyes found larger print items easier to read. That discovery was made when the library book desired had a long wait list, except in large print format.  The large print format books were more restful on my eyes, especially after an intense day viewing a computer screen at work.

So 2 years ago a Kindle purchase was made when they had the Kindle 2 on sale. I later discovered the reason for the sale -- more on that later.

At first it felt odd reading  an ebook, but the ability to choose my own font size and the soft gray background was easy on my eyes even when reading outdoors. Since I frequently misplace bookmarks in physical books I quickly grew fond of the automatic bookmark feature.

Then I discovered the reason for the Kindle 2 sale. Amazon announced the upcoming release of a new model. Since the announcement was made during my 30-day return period there was an internal debate about returning the Kindle 2 and ordering the Kindle 3. Would it be a significant difference? However the decision made was to take a chance so the Kindle 2 was returned after I finally decided to order the gray (previously models were only available in white) 3G model. There was a month-long gap between returning older model and receiving the soon to be released model. Surprise! I missed my Kindle. That truly was an amazing discovery because it has not yet been used much. 

It should be noted that at the time Kindle ebooks could then only be read on Kindle devices. The Kindle smartphone apps and Kindle for PC did not yet exist so I could not read my ebooks purchased while I was waiting for the new model to ship. So I waited...and waited...and waited impatiently.

Delivery Day! This was exciting because I had already experienced the basic features of a Kindle but was intrigued to discover the enhancements. 

• Gray cover - nice and allows one to focus on the text. 
• Large button in place of the mini-joystick - big improvement in my opinion 
• Absence of number keys -- not significant
• Page turn buttons on each side - very good
• Lighter weight, faster and quieter page turns - fantastic!

The Kindle 3 was a winner! [Note: In late 2011 it was re-named by Amazon as Kindle Keyboard so I refer to it as either K3/Keyboard or just K3.] It became a constant companion and I began carrying a purse again for that reason. Now I was exploring features and adding my own content. I'm not sure but I suspect my K3/Keyboard's constant use allowed a couple friends who had previously stated absolutely no interest in an ereader to reconsider and ordering their own. [They love it.]

Now I own both the K3 and a 1st-generation Kindle Fire. The Kindle Fire (KF) is now the one that goes in my purse and the K3 is for long reading sessions and bedtime reading. When travelling I may take both because the K3 has longer battery life and 3G capability (for email and maps without data charges). The Kindle smartphone app is also excellent and syncs wirelessly to the last page read on any other Kindle device I own. Really nice for those rare times when I only have my phone with me and unexpectantly stuck waiting. I am much more patient waiting if I can read or knit (and more pleasant too).

There are several very good ebook readers available. I generally recommend that people consider either the Amazon Kindle, B&N Nook, or the Sony ereaders. I  tried an earlier version of the Kobo and it was okay but wasn't impressed by their customer service.  Amazon Kindle Customer Service is EXCELLENT! Not alone in that assessment because there are many posts on http:\\Ravelry.com from many other Kindle users.

It has been a slow and steady progression to prefer ebooks over physical books. New additions to my bookcase are either gifts, completing an author collection already in progress, and used books purchased for significantly less than Kindle price (publishers are still "struggling" with setting ebook prices and I confess to still being irritated with SJ for the agency pricing model). Knitting books still are purchased but now I check (via library ebook loan) how they look on my Kindle Fire. As they say, "the jury is still out on that decision." 

Publishers are still struggling with the concept of ebooks both pricing and for library loan use. In my opinion they are only hurting themselves. I read a lot of posts by users in many forums and consistently users refuse to pay the same or more for an ebook than a physical copy and will frequently not purchase at all. Library loans of ebooks has only introduced more readers to ebook reading. Most library items are read once but for those of us who love to re-read or have a book we like available to us again we will purchase an ebook version after borrowing a library book copy. So the group of people who only borrow library books (physical and ebook versions) are not a lost sale but those who have been a mix of purchasers and borrowers are purchasing less due to publisher pricing. Therefore the publishers are only hurting their own market.  For example, I have a LONG list of ebooks waiting to be purchased WHEN THE PRICE DROPS but not before the price drops. My ebook purchase price range is $1.99-$4.99 with rare exceptions. I would pay considerably more for ebook/audiobook combination which oddly has not really been offered as an option.

Am I reading more due to ebooks - yes.

Am I reading differently due to ebooks - yes. I am reading more fiction because I am being introduced to a wider range of writers due to ebook price promotions (usually older books in a series when a new release is imminent).

Am I purchasing more books - physical books, no and ebooks only when they are in my price range or meet case-by-case for the rare exception.

Recommended Links

http://ebookfriendly.com/ - nice clean-looking site which also has information for international, non-English Kindle users

http://www.pixelofink.com/ - also has a daily email option

http://dailycheapreads.com/ - good overall site and also highlights Christian fiction

http://blog.booksontheknob.org/ - in addition to books it notes the free App of the day, MP3 of the day, notes the Kindle Special Offers (KSO) deals and offers for other ebook readers (Nook, Kobo, etc.)

http://www.ereaderiq.com/ - good site to look for free or to available for purchase Kindle ebooks that you can filter for specifc choices and you can create a list of ebooks or import from an Amazon Wish List to receive an email alert when the price goes down  

Also, you may not know this, but… reading from Windows with Kindle for PC - You can read Kindle ebooks without owning a Kindle by using the PC or phone apps for Kindle. The added advantage of the PC app is that you can add PDF files, add highlighting and notes, then view it on your other Kindle devices/apps.