First, let me start by saying that trying to compare e Readers (like the Kindle) to laptops and iPad's is silly. It's now common knowledge that back-lit, high resolution monitors cause eye strain. We've all stared at that ol' laptop screen waaaay to long and felt like our eyes were bleeding...but I regress. We are merely comparing superior electronic books to traditional, spined paper ones, you know, like grandma read in 1886...
To be fair, my love for reading was spurned and incited by a myriad of brightly colored, highly graphic and large typed children's books that literally overfilled me with joy! I love the feel, the smell, the look and idea of a bound collection of words that I can flesh out into an entirely new universe. But wait, not only can I still do that on my wonderful Kindle, but I can also store whole series of books, newspapers, and receive my magazine subscriptions as well (all on a free 3G wireless network that comes standard with all Kindles!). However...
I don't really imagine lending someone my Kindle so they can read this amazing book I just discovered. That's one thing you just can't replace in an actual book that has been passed down and preserved though the year. You can however highlight, annotate, and bookmark articles, paragraphs or one liners in your Kindle and bring them up at whim to share and show your friends.
At this point you can see I'm pretty much on even ground considering electronic vs traditional books. I love them both and will always have and appreciate both, but it really comes down to one thing: features!
Paper Books vs Electronic Books (Kindle 2)
Well made construction, durable Well made construction, durable
Clear, readable type Clear, readable type
Ability to bookmark pages Ability to bookmark pages
Easy to hold (unless hardback!) Easy to hold
Can carry it with you Can carry it with you
Can loan it out Probably only loan to immediate family, if then
Can store up to 1,500 books in one device
Receive monthly magazine subscriptions, auto
Receive a large number of national newspapers
Look up any word with built in Dictionary
Go online to Wikipedia (Kindle 2)
Listen to audio books
Change the font size and background color
Download books anytime, anywhere, in 60 sec.
Access to upwards of 500,000 free boooks
Need I go on?!...............
I don't mean to sound like a Kindle add here, Amazon is doing well enough for itself as it is. But I definitely appreciate the features of the eBooks making their way into our lives.
---->Despite my earlier comment deriding people for comparing Kindle to iPad, I must say I would not part easily from my Kindle for iPhone, it's just way to freaking convenient! I have it everywhere I go and it syncs with my Kindle at home.....what more could you ask for!?!
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