Bruce: I too imagine that the Kindle would be too big. I read things on my iPod touch. It fits perfectly in my hand and works brilliantly for reading in bed. It also seems to have better battery life than my iPhone.

I’ve now read something on the order of fifty full length novels on my iPhone. I always have it with me, it fits in a pocket, and is easy to hold and use one-handed. Reading books is by far the thing I do most with the iPhone, by amount of time. The battery life isn’t as good as a Kindle, but I find I average 3 – 4 days on a charge, with about 9 – 10 hours of active use (mostly reading) in that time. That’s pretty easy to live with (I could charge it every day if necessary), and far better than any of the “netbook” computers.

As you correctly pointed out, the Kindle is yet to reach New Zealand. I too have been interested to see one. I would challenge the argument that the Kindle can save 6,500 MJ and 690 kg of carbon dioxide a year though. It appears to have the potential to save much more than that. But that’s data and statistics. There are ways of proving, to some believers, whatever you want to prove with that technique.

The fact is, even with the sabre rattling, paper, print and book hating, the Kindle and its ilk have to have buy in from the publishers before there is any chance that there will be a revolution in the use of books – by anyone, never mind those who read the NY Times.

Catchya later
from Middle-earth