Peace of Mind Organizing

My love for my Kindle Paperwhite stands the test of time

8 October 2015

At the end of 2012, I bought myself a little gift: A Kindle Paperwhite e-reader. After less than two weeks with it, I was in love and wrote a blog post about why I love my Kindle Paperwhite.

We’re closing in on the 3rd anniversary of that purchase and my love has not wavered. Three years is an eon for a mobile device. I’ve not once been tempted to upgrade this piece of technology that I literally use daily. (I love my iPhone 5S, too, but can’t wait to upgrade when my contract is up in March.)

Here’s why I love my Kindle Paperwhite so much:

• It holds thousands of books (though I only have hundreds).
• It doesn’t slow down as I fill it with books (occasionally, page turning is slow and I then reboot and it’s fine again).
• It’s lightweight.
• I can hold it in one hand.
• When I open its leather case with magnetic closure, the Paperwhite turns on and take me to my place in the book, so it’s a bit like opening a paper book. (Closing the case turns off the Paperwhite.)
• It has an adjustable light that’s not harsh.
• There’s no screen glare, so I can read in bright sunlight.
• A single battery charge lasts weeks.
• I can use it as a flashlight in our dark bedroom when I get up in the middle of the night.
• It allows me to have the book I’m reading with me at all times—because even if I’m don’t have my Kindle device with me, I can read the book on my iPhone’s Kindle app and pick up where I left off.
• If I come across a word I don’t understand, I can just touch it and, if I have a wifi connection, the definition will be revealed. (How great is that?)

When I first bought the Kindle, I was worried that I’d spend a lot of money on books. Before that, I was using the library and accustomed to satisfying my reading habit without spending money. The fact is, I’m spending no more money on books than I was back then. I occasionally purchase Kindle (or even paper) books that are important for my work, just as I did when I was primarily a library user. But most of the books I read are free, through these services:

• The St. Louis Public Library’s Get It Now ebook program
• The St. Louis County Library’s eMedia program
• The Kindle Owner’s Lending Library, which is available to people with Amazon Prime
• BookBub, which sends me a daily email with low- or no-cost Kindle books offered in the genres I select. (I blogged about BookBub in 2013.)

I’m on track to read 52 books this year. (Nerd that I am, I keep track of them in Evernote.) I could count the number of those books I paid for on one hand. The Kindle makes it easy for me to devour books because I can take them with me and I can easily read them in bed. When I travel, I never have to worry about finishing the book I’m working on and getting my hands on another for the trip home.

Hats off to Amazon for creating a device that has stood the test of time. I see that the newer generation Kindle has a higher resolution, but I remain loyal to my 2012 version, because it meets all my needs.

Tagged with: amazon, bookbub, e-reader, kindle, technology

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