Kindle, wireless reading device

Jennifer Presley of Cupertino, Calif., talks about why she loves her Kindle.

“I’m an avid reader and my Kindle delivers instant gratification. If I want to read something right now, I can download an entire book onto it in one minute. For me, getting the books is the addictive part. The Kindle is wireless and always connected. I can also take notes or bookmark pages that I want to come back to later -- just like a real book. And its dictionary is fabulous -- it’s probably one of its best features.

An electronic reader, no matter how neat it is, doesn’t give you more time to read. I’ve had it for about a month, and I’ve read only half of A New Earth on it. Next, I’ll probably subscribe to newspapers using the Kindle, although there is nothing like spreading out the paper on the table and finding articles you wouldn’t have found otherwise. Still, I like the weight and size of the Kindle (10.3 ounces and 7.5" x 5.3" x 0.7"). It’s easy to store in a backpack or large purse.

They could improve on its design. It’s menu-driven, which can be annoying because I keep looking for a mouse to make a selection. Instead, there’s a button above the keyboard that moves the cursor. And when you download a book, you have no idea how long it is. Because you can change the font size when you read, they don’t give you the number of pages.

Still, the Kindle would be perfect for traveling, but make sure you take the power cord. It has run out of power on me. It has also locked up, and I’ve had to call tech support. But a real person answered and helped me.

It would be neat if one day the Kindle could actually play back audio books, too. That way you could switch back and forth between reading a book and having it read to you.”