Kindle Update – Version 3?

I haven’t written about the Kindle lately, but I have noticed some news and I found it interesting.

First I saw recently that a new, large format screen might be coming out soon. This is interesting, and it definitely goes for a different market than the original. And it likely doesn’t include me.

I do like the idea of a flexible membrane, and it would be nice at times to not be concerned about the glass screen of my Kindle cracking. However the large screen I think gets in the way more often than not if you’re not in your house.

If it can do wireless delivery, and it has some protection from liquids (think early morning coffee), then I think it’s a good idea, and it might get more people interested in e-reading.

I have enjoyed my Kindle, and over the last few months I’ve read:

• The Count of Monte Cristo – Completed after about 4 months
• The Lost Fleet – Relentless
• Fleet of Worlds
• Ten Big Ones
• The Billionaire that Wasn’t
• To the Nines
• Atomic Lobster
• Permission Marketing
• The Clone Elite
• Hard Eight
• The Clone Alliance
• Along Came A Spider
• Rogue Clone
• Boys Will Be Boys
• Hot Six
• Founders at Work

There might be a few more, but these are the ones I’ve gone through this year for sure. I’ve purchased a few books, though I haven’t had much luck in getting publishers to send me Kindle versions of tech books. I also started War and Peace as my “classic” novel.

I still am working on 4 books at a time. I tend to read them as:

• A classic (War and Peace now, The Count previously)
• A non-fiction book (Team of Rivals now)
• 2 Fiction books (The Bodies Left Behind and The Da Vinci Code)

I try to read a chapter of each and then switch. It tends to keep me moving through dryer content. I will admit to sometimes reading 2 or 3 chapters of the fiction books at times.

I also saw a note that most Kindle users are old, which makes sense. Most people I know my age or younger tend to watch more interactive media instead of reading. Older people still lean towards reading, as a gross generalization. It’s also an expensive device, at $350, and while I think I save some $$, it’s more the convenience for me. to date I have purchased over 100 books in less than a year, and many of these for under $9.99. They were new books, typically in the $15-20 range for me, so I think I’ve saved money, plus I’ve carried along dozens of books as a travel. The convenience is great.

My kids enjoy it as well. I purchased Marley at karate one night for my 7 year old to read (along with The Jungle Book and a few others as samples), and my 10 year old will grab it to read some of the sci-fi that’s loaded on there. Things that wouldn’t be possible if I were carrying my current book or two around.

I also have found the battery life to be excellent. I read most days, but I plug it in only every 4th or 5th day with no issues.