Like a lot of people, I used to romanticize physical books. “I like the smell of paper”, I said to myself, as I kept saving money to order books online and never read them. Until one day I watched a video where an enthusiastic young man kept saying that getting a Kindle was one of the best things that had happened to him. After a quick online search, I knew that if I stopped buying physical books for a few months, I’d save enough money for a Kindle. Now a year after getting a Kindle (and selling dozens of books to a local book store), I can comfortably say that this is the time when I’ve read the most books in my entire life.
Before, I used to love the idea of reading books, but I never did. I convinced myself that I took care of my books, so I wouldn’t read them often. Also, I found some books heavy and uncomfortable to take with me. In other words, there were several reasons why I wasn’t reading. Now I read dozens of books a year on my Kindle and I honestly believe most people should get one. But why an e-reader? Why would you spend $100 on a dedicated device just for reading where you can read on a phone? Here are some thoughts about the Kindle.
The Kindle Screen Looks Great
E-readers use a special kind of technology called e-ink that simulates paper. E-ink technology is easy on the eyes and doesn’t cause as much strain as a television or computer monitor. With the Kindle, you can even read in direct sunlight if you prefer to stay outdoors. Additionally, the screen is not reflective, which is one of the problems when reading on an iPad, for example. For those who like to read in bed, the newer Kindle lineup has built-in front light which lets you adjust the brightness of your device without the need to turn on a lamp.
Portability and Convenience
One of the advantages of using a Kindle is how convenient it is. First, you can take hundreds of books on the go regardless of where you’re going. On top of that, you can read with one hand and put the device in your pocket when you’re done. Most digital books don’t take up a lot of space, so my Kindle basic can fit hundreds of books in its 8GB of built-in storage. This means that reading Game of Thrones on the bus is finally possible.
Battery Life
I’ve been trying to monitor the battery life on my Kindle ever since I got it. This has been incredibly hard because the Kindle can hold a charge for weeks. Of course, this depends on how often and for how long you use the device. As someone who uses a Kindle for around an hour every day, I’ve been getting three to four weeks of battery life. That’s exceptional! I’m used to charging my phone on a daily basis, but with the Kindle, I charge it and forget about it. for weeks
Reading without Distractions
One of the best parts about the Kindle is that there are no distractions. There are no apps, no alarms, no notifications, and no games. In other words, the Kindle does one thing and it does it exceptionally well: it lets you read books. Everything in the device is designed around the reading experience, so other than looking for books, buying books, reading books, and browsing certain websites, there’s nothing for you to do.
Reading without Friction
You turn on the kindle and in a matter of seconds, you’re reading. That’s it. Buying, getting, and reading new books is really that simple. In other words, no more waiting for books physical books to arrive. Now whenever someone recommends a book, you go to the Amazon store to get it and you download it right then and there. The process of reading on a Kindle is so easy and devoid of obstacles that you actually want to use the device often.
Built-in Dictionary
If you don’t know the definition of a word when reading, you can look it up in the dictionary. If you’re looking for a specific term, you can also look it up on Wikipedia. The entire process takes a few seconds so going back to your book is quick and easy. You can even translate the text into other languages if you want to.
Other Advantages
The Kindle can display the percentage and average time it’s going to take you to finish a chapter or book. This sounds simple enough, but I find myself looking at this feature quite often. This lets me see, at a glance, if I want to read one more chapter or if I should go to bed instead. Finally, highlighting on a Kindle is also quite simple, though using the virtual keyboard to expand on those highlights is not as good as you’d want. You can even export all those highlights to another app or service if you want.
I can confidently say that the Kindle has positively changed my life. I’m reading more than ever and really enjoying the experience of doing so. If I had to purchase a Kindle again, instead of going to the slightly cheaper Basic version, I’d definitely get a Paperwhite which has a better quality screen (300 PPI compared to the 167 PPI from the Basic), a flush design and it’s waterproof. Furthermore, I wouldn’t recommend an 8GB Kindle for people looking to read manga or comic books. Other than that, the Kindle is definitely one of the best (if not the best) tech-related purchases I’ve ever made in my entire life. To conclude, let me put it this way, anyone who can afford a Kindle should get one.