AMAZON IS CLAMORING TO BRING US THE FUTURE OF BOOK READING 

But is it worth it in spite of their recent price reduction?

If you're like me, you absolutely hate staring at a computer monitor, and other devices like WiFi and cell phones aren't much more appealing.  So I was more than a little skeptical about Amazon's new Kindle reader and its $ 359.00 price tag.  But after only an hour with it, I was beginning to like it, but still skeptical as to its real worth.  So if you're skeptical  about it at the current three hundred buck price, and if you're not an avid techie,  don't buy it!

This revolutionary reader has an electronic display that actually looks like real paper.  The high resolution text is sharp and clear, even in full sunlight.  And if you forget your glasses you can easily change font size. That's one of the positives.

Reading from the screen gives you no more eye strain than reading pages in a book, and at 10.3 ounces the Kindle is lighter, and thinner, than the typical paperback.

The Amazon Kindle is easy to use, completely wireless, and allows you to carry over 200 books around with you at any given time.  There are no monthly fees, commitments or service plans to buy.  The only thing you pay is for the books you download ($9.95 for most titles), and Wikipedia Encyclopedia is included with Kindle.

And yes, Amazon Kindle allows you to surf the web without a computer.  Website graphics are rendered in gray.  You can also e-mail your documents and pictures to Kindle for viewing when you're on the run.

Unlike WiFi, Amazon Kindle uses the same high speed data network as advanced cell phones, so you won't have any problems with fading or no service, as long as you're in the U.S.

You'll have access to about 110,000 books, New York Times best sellers and new releases included and you can get delivery of top U.S. newspapers.  All you need do is simply click, buy, and read.

So is it worth the price in spite of the recent reduction to $299.00?   Well, as we use the unit we're beginning to see signs of wear around the screen edges and elsewhere.  We don't  think this should be occurring on a unit priced this high.  That's a negative.

But the big factor that has proven to be a really really big turnoff for us is the fact that Amazon can reach out at will and without notice, and snatch away a book you've already downloaded and paid for.  The recently did this with George Orwell's 1984, grabbing back hundreds of copies without so much as a by your leave.  Their lame excuse was that they weren't supposed to have sold the books in the first place.   That's disturbing.

SONY THREATENS COMPETITION 
Anyone considering entry into the market for an electronic reader may want to wait for a bit.  Sony is coming out with a pocket sized reader thaat promises to be a much better value than Kindle. It's priced a hundred bucks lower, appears better designed at this stage, and has a 5 inch screen, which makes it really easy to carry around.  Readability is good and the same downloads will be available as are with Kindle.

We'd say that this is something to look at very carefully if you're still willing to be tied to the umbilical cord of a big corporation.  But then, we're all tied to Microsoft, aren't we?  Betty...

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