The next time I re-read The Fountainhead and Atlas Shrugged, I suspect it will be on the new Amazon Kindle, which looks pretty fantastic.
It appears to solve several of the problems I have experienced, over the years, with reading on my Treo and my iPhone:
- The Kindle is more like looking at paper than looking at a CRT or LCD screen
- No glare when you’re reading outdoors or in front of a window
- Larger screen, which means more readable fonts as well as less time spent scrolling and waiting for the screen to load
And it solves several problems associated with books, as well:
- Easier to hold in your hand. I’m guessing here from the videos, since I haven’t actually held one yet. But I’ve always been annoyed by the awkward way you have to use your fingers to hold open a new paperback. The Kindle looks easier.
- No more accumulating hundreds of books on bookshelves that you read once, at most, and then have to lug from one home to the next, in heavy boxes, when you move.
- Less money spent on books that you may or may not actually read.
- Less eye strain. At night, when my eyes are tired, I could have the Kindle “read” to me. Ditto when I’m driving and want to listen to a book.
I like it.