I have been trending away from the digital book world of late. My biggest criticism is the lack of a second hand market. Many books I read, are a one-time hit, then I am done with them. I either want to give the book away to a friend, or resell it. I am disappointed at how much money I have spent on my Kindle library to have it locked away in a digital universe where they could all be taken away at the whine of a corporate license policy change.
The last book I read (a technical book on microservices), I bought second hand from Amazon, spent 2 weeks reading it, then resold it back on Amazon for the same price I paid. The whole thing only cost me a few dollars (the sellers fee that Amazon charges), effectively renting the book.
Though, I will confess to buying the Kindle version of Dan Brown’s latest book Origin. While it was only $3 cheaper than the hardback version, it was impatience that drove that purchase. I do regret it now though, as I would have liked to have gifted it to others after my reading of it.
Did you see that Amazon have launched a waterproof Kindle? Speaking as someone that has lost many a device to the aqua gods I should welcome this.
Their top end e-reader, Oasis, which is launching at the end of this month (31st Oct) comes with a number of goodies, including Bluetooth connectivity and a larger battery (which makes it weigh 30% heavier than previous models). But the main feature is that it is waterproof – you can submerge this bad boy for up to an hour.
This all comes at a very hefty price – $249! That is a lot coin. Too much coin for an e-reader in my opinion.
Given my newfound love of the printed page, my poor Kindle reader is getting further away from my device orbit. If I do find myself in the Kindle world, I use the app on my phone and tablet which are always with me.
So while I applaud this move, which should have been there from the start, I for one will not be investing any more in the Kindle hardware universe.
alan williamson 