Kindle

As most of you know, Amazon is one of my all-time favorite inventions/websites. I used it as often as possible, and if I got frequent-flyer miles for shopping there, my ass would be vacationing in Hawaii every winter. Sometimes when I'm bored, I do a lot of virtual window-shopping there. (Hey, how else do you explain a six-page wishlist?)

I'm fascinated by their 'recommendations'--some are spot on, but some are ridiculously out of my range of interest. Anyhow, the thing that keeps coming up is this Kindle device, the electronic reader where you can download books, magazines, and even newspaper columns to, and read them at your leisure.

It sounds like a good idea, and definitely a cool device for all the early-adopters out there, but I'm not so sure it's for me. Maybe I'm just old school, but I like the aesthetics of having a book in my hands. Granted, I read news articles online all the time, and I have my favorite columnists that I have bookmarked in areas of cooking, sports, politics, and other general interest topics, so yeah, I can see the utility of such a device.

But I don't spend a lot of time 'on the go'--I'm not commuting using public transportation, and my job doesn't require me to travel, so I don't really have downtime that needs to be filled away from the house, nor do I need things like a Blackberry, or even a 'smart phone'. And my iPod already holds movies, music, and pictures, and my cellphone allows me to call, text, and take pictures, so I don't see the need to carry an electronic book cover, where the contents change all the time.

I don't know--I guess it just doesn't make sense for me, I think. Besides, who ever thought of curling up on a rainy day with a cup of coffee and a Kindle device? Doesn't seem quite right. Also, if I saw somebody sitting in public reading a book on a Kindle, I'd put them in the same category of asshats who just want to be seen with the newest and trendiest device, kind of like those losers who wear their Bluetooth headsets on their ear all the damn time.

I guess my point is, does anyone out there have a Kindle already? Do you like it? I'm pretty sure of the pros, but I'd like to hear about the cons, too. Is it something you think Oh my god, how did I ever survive before I got this? Or is it more of a case of Yeah, it was a cool gift, but I'd never buy one myself...

Anyone?

Mikey