Tuesday, September 28, 2010

Strike a Light! Cat Politics has a Kindle

My brand new Kindle arrived today from Amazon and I’ve been exploring its capabilities.

It’s a pretty object and looks even more handsome in its leather cover.

This is what it looks like before you switch on the power…

kindle_filtered

The picture changes every time you turn the Kindle on and off.

This version of Kindle has free Global wireless, so I could instantly log onto the Amazon Kindle store and browse the Kindle books on offer.

I selected a childhood favourite, Treasure Island and it downloaded instantly.

kindle2_filtered

You may wonder at me, a dedicated book worm, and devotee of the physical book, succumbing to an ebook reader, but I figured it was about time I got with the trend. I do not have a mobile phone nor an ipod, let alone an ipad, so as gadgetry goes the ebook struck me as my sort of thing. Think of the shelf space and forests it will save!

I have been exploring the Project Gutenberg site and have discovered a veritable treasure trove of old, out of print and hard to get novels. For instance, all Josephine Tey’s detective novels are available for free in ebook format on the Australian Project Gutenberg site. I can send the text files to my Amazon Kindle account and have them converted to Kindle format for free.

I look forward to exploring the world of ebooks and testing my Kindle further.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Oh, I missed this ... I don't check my Google Reader so much these days as I subscribe to a lot of blogs by email these days (but I don't think your site has that option?). Anyhow, I succumbed too, and got mine at the beginning of September. I've just downloaded 2 classics, and then this week a free collection of new stories by a group that emailed me due to my blog. You can go to their site by searching Chamber Four.

I got the 3G version too. How are you liking it? I'm only reading it when I'm out and about - it's the book I carry with me - but I like it. Like you I figured it was about time and I will have to downsize one day so why not ease myself into it now?

Have you had any freezing problems?

Isn't it just gorgeous to hold?

I do have a mobile (but frustrate my husband by not having in on me at all times - it's a convenience to me not another appendage!) and an iPod but again it's not an appendage that I wear. It's either in my iPod dock (on my Aktimate speakers which I reviewed early in my blog) or in the car when we go on trips. I do not buy many CDs anymore but music from iTunes. Downsizing!!

BTW I don't get notifications of any responses you make - something to do with using OpenId I think -so will try to check back sometime but forgive me if I miss anything.

Anne S said...

As I'm currently in the middle of a couple of real books at the moment, I haven't had much time to use my Kindle as yet, though I have been transferring ebooks to it. I even bought a new ebook today.

Next week I'll take it with me on my daily commute.

As I'm experiencing a bit of deafness in my right ear, I can't stand ear phones any more, so an ipod would be useless to me. We have an excellent stereo system and I have close to 750 CDs and receive 2 free ones each month as payment for maintaining Basement Discs website, so I'm never lacking for good music.

Ditto regarding deafness with mobile phones, coupled with my dislike of speaking on phones anyway I am unlikly to acquire one.

As regards notifications, I'll check out my blog settings and see if it's possible to allow commenters to be advised of updates.

Looked at this comment in preview mode and the option for follow-up comments is there, but perhaps only for Blogspotters