E-readers: Love 'em or ignore 'em?

The Kindle Fire (AP Photo)

What's your take on e-readers?

I'm ashamed to admit this as a book blogger and avid reader, but I've been resisting them - just the idea of them. I stare at too-small copy on a not-big-enough computer monitor all day and peering at more text on screen when I get home just doesn't appeal to me (though I admit I often end up staring at the tiny screen of my iPhone all night anyway).

Also, the popular electronic devices seem to me to foreshadow the death of print journalism ... which is my bread and butter. On sheer principle I've been sticking to my beloved paper-and-ink filled diversions.

But it looks like I may be in the minority with this skeptical approach. Amazon reported Thursday that 2011 was the 'best holiday ever' for its Kindle-brand e-readers and tablet computers.

Amazon.com Inc. said Thursday that people bought more than 1 million Kindles each week in December. A million a week? That's impressive.

Since the launch of the first Kindle in 2007, this franchise has grown to include several e-readers and the Kindle Fire tablet.

Per AP, the Kindle Fire is expected to be one of the first true competitors to Apple's iPad, and has been the best-selling product on its site since it was introduced 13 weeks ago.

The lowest-cost version of the Kindle is an attractive and affordable (for most) $79.

Even so, the iPad is still expected outsell all other tablets, including the $199 Kindle Fire and Barnes & Noble Inc.'s new $249 Nook Tablet. The iPad starts at $499.

If you have an e-reader and love it (or just like it a lot) and could see clear to explain to me why it's a better alternative than curling up with a good book at night, I'd love to read your comment!

As if our eyes aren't bad enough already

I'm the first to admit that I'm not one of those people who's always right on top of their cell phones. In fact, if you've called or texted my cell in the recent past and I haven't gotten back to you, it's not that I'm ignoring you: I probably just haven't checked my messages lately.

So when I saw this news report that Amazon will be selling book downloads directly to your cell phone, I was a little incredulous. My Motorola Razr has about 5 lines' worth of space. Not exactly conducive for prolonged bouts of reading.

But I guess that's not the point. The point is that the technology is now available, in case you're looking for something to read during those moments in line at the grocery store or in the dentist's waiting room.

Rejoice.

And prepare to squint.

Date: 2/6/2009 2:11 PM

Amazon to offer Kindle e-books on cell phones

NEW YORK (AP) — Books that Amazon.com Inc. sells for its Kindle electronic reading device will also be available on cell phones, too.

Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener said Friday that the Seattle-based online retailer is working on making Kindle books available "on a range of mobile phones." The company is not yet saying when the books will be available, or on which phones.

Another e-book provider, Mobipocket, which is owned by Amazon, already sells titles that can be read on numerous smart phones. And on Thursday, Google Inc. announced that titles available from its Book Search service can now be read on Apple Inc.'s iPhone or a phone running its Android operating system. For now that would just be the G1, which is sold by T-Mobile.

Amazon is widely expected to unveil a new version of the Kindle device at a news conference Monday at the Morgan Library & Museum in New York.

The company has not released sales figures for the first version of the Kindle, which it rolled out in late 2007. Amazon said last fall it sold out of the $359 device after Oprah Winfrey endorsed it. The company has made 230,000 titles available on the Kindle, which can download books wirelessly.