There are a lot of great things about living abroad. One thing though that sucks is the difficulty in finding books in English. In the past I’ve lugged 30 lbs of books down with me to BA every time I go back to the states.
This changed this week when my friend brought be down an Amazon Kindle. Since then I’ve already devoured one book and am making progress on another. It simply is a must-have for expats that like to read.
I tried the iPad before, but reading on the iPad has some serious disadvantages:
1 – Glare – the iPad has a glossy screen, making it hard to read in sunlight.
2 – Price – the iPad is more expensive. One cool thing about the Kindle (now $139) is that if I break it, lose it, or have it stolen it is easily replaced.
3 – Size – the Kindle is a lot smaller than an iPad. It comfortably fits in some of my pockets and can be easily held, and read, with one hand.
4 – NOT Backlit – reading a book on a screen for me is just not pleasant on my eyes. The Kindle’s electronic ink is very easy on my eyes.
In closing I will make a prediction: The Kindle will be ‘free’ by 2013 (see chart).
As production costs decrease it only makes smart business sense for Amazon to give them away like they are candy. Buying a book electronically has basically zero marginal cost and is better for the environment. Amazon will also be able to solidify its hold on the book sector, while publishers should be able to sell more books.
Kindle rocks. Get one.
