My Kindle Has Arrived!

My Kindle 3 has arrived!

Yes, I finally buckled down and decided on a Kindle 3, after countless hours swinging between the Kindle vs. Nook pendulum. After placing the order on Amazon for the graphite, latest-generation 3G + WiFi Kindle I was on tenterhooks waiting for its arrival, tracking the package status via DHL. And it did arrive relatively quickly -- after only 4 days of waiting (seemed longer than that to me though) it was delivered to our house.

The Kindle can be charged in either of two ways: via a USB cable attached to a computer, or via the same USB cable attached to a power adapter. I've tried charging it via the computer; I'll try the power adapter option next, when the battery drains out.

Since I didn't want the Kindle to be scratched or dented (I'll probably hyperventilate when that happens), I chose a casing to protect it. It's in purple, of course -- what other color would I have chosen, hmm?

Once I had it in my hands I wasted no time in transferring my e-books and starting to read through one. When I showed it to my father, he was amazed that such a slim unit could hold upwards of 3000 books. Times have indeed changed, thanks to the exponential, year-on-year advances in technology.

The screen is so easy on the eyes, and looks like ink on paper. No glare, no squinting. Of course I can't read with it in the dark as it is not backlit, but the trusty bedside lamp is there to help.

I'm also amused by the screensavers -- the sketches of some of the world's literary giants (including Virginia Woolf, John Steinbeck, Alexandre Dumas, among others), as well as what appear to be random black-and-white images. Some Kindle users hate these images, preferring to have the flexibility to customise their own screensavers. That would be great indeed, but as far as I'm concerned, the literary stalwarts work just fine for now.

Here are the unboxing photos:

I'm extremely happy with my Kindle. It's such a handy gadget to have, esp. when travelling or on the road, one that lets me indulge in my love of reading without me having to lug around those extra volumes.

Will it totally replace my old-fashioned, printed books? Probably not, esp. for those books I would want a real, physical copy of. I'm just thankful for both options.

I've just found a new format that supports a more mobile lifestyle, but nothing still beats the feel of holding a printed book, the smell of paper, the crackling of the pages.

Now excuse me while I go read.