Last year, I posted a diary about my brand new Nook e-reader. Those posts are still some of our most popular. Since then, I have acquired another e-reader–a Kindle. So, at the risk of seeming like I’m obsessed with e-readers, I now give you a chronicle of my experiences with the Kindle 2.

Week 1

My favorite Christmas present this year: my Kindle 2. Actually, my favorite present might be my chocolate Clue game, but the Kindle is a very close second.

My Kindle is the wi-fi version, which means that I can only access the online store when I’m connected to a local wi-fi network, as opposed to whenever it should please me. But that knocks about $45 off the price of the unit. And let’s face it–I should be able to find a wi-fi connection anywhere I want to buy a book. It’s not like I’m going to want to browse for reading material while I’m at the grocery store juggling cereal boxes and a toddler.

I have to admit that the first items I buy for my Kindle are cheap games: Monopoly, Maze A Thon, Minesweeper, and Sudoku. They’re discounted at the perfect time–right when people like me are opening up their Christmas-wrapped Kindles and wondering what to download first. Monopoly is not only under $2, it’s pretty dang fun.

Next I download a bunch of free classics–all of my favorites (like Pride and Prejudice) plus a few I’ve always sworn I would read (like The Count of Monte Cristo). And I splurge on an e-book from one of my favorite new authors, David Mitchell. My Christmas vacation is set.

Week 2

I don’t really want to carry my Kindle around in a sock, like I did with my Nook for a while. This time, I’ve got a great cover for it, one that opens like the cover of a note pad. I don’t like the covers that open like a book. Two reasons: (1) I find them rather awkward and cumbersome, and (2) I want to feel like I’m reading from my super-cool gadget, not like I’m reading from a book (otherwise I’d read from… a book). I’ve also got a cool little light that slips into a slot in my cover. It runs on its own battery, as opposed to draining my Kindle’s battery, which is what would happen if I had the popular case that Amazon sells (although I admit that case is pretty neat–the light slides into place in a very nifty way).

One disappointment about the Kindle is that it doesn’t have a manual switch for turning off the wireless (like the Nook has). You have to press a few buttons to accomplish that task, which is slightly annoying. However, the Kindle’s battery lasts for ages! I hardly ever recharge it, whereas the Nook’s little color screen at the bottom of the device tends to eat up more battery power.

Week 4 3 Comments on Diary of a Kindle User: Part 1, last added: 5/6/2011