Kindle?!

Long story short, I got a Kindle last weekend, so I've had it about a week. It's the cheapest Special Offers version, by the way. So far the ads are unobtrusive (only small at the bottom on the home screen and then big on the screensaver) and in fact can be money-saving! They recently had one that let you get 20% off a Mac laptop! that saves more than a Kindle costs! And more recently I got $5 in Amazon MP3s, which I think I will put toward The Glorious Unseen's album "The Hope that Lies in You". The title track is so beautiful!

Anyway. I downloaded a mess of free books from Amazon and haven't bought any yet. (Bad author!) Also two free Bibles, so that's cool. I've read more since I got the Kindle, though it remains to be seen if it's the novelty of the device or the fact that it is a bit easier to read using the Kindle than using a book. (Fairly easy to read one-handed.)

The "e-ink" is about as cool as I'd heard, although if you get VERY close you can see slight pixelation.

The wi-fi isn't terribly receptive (there's a free network where I am but it doesn't come in strong). Do you know the very best spot for reception in my entire domicile? Right behind where I use my laptop. Crazy! Maybe that's why I used to think the reception was adequate...

At any rate, the Kindle is a fun little device. I like the light weight and the "bookish" quality of it more than I'd like a tablet. (Not that I have a tablet, but the last thing I really need in my life is something that makes it EASIER for me to goof off online!) I don't have a case (I don't want the extra weight) but might make (!) something hard-shelled to transport it in without the delicate screen getting smashed inadvertently.

I wouldn't be at all surprised if my Kindle is under $100 for Christmas, especially since new ones are coming out. Technically you could argue I've already recouped the cost of the device in the free books I've downloaded, but realistically I haven't downloaded anything I'd pay for anyway. Still, it's a fun device for readers.

(And it will be so neat to be able to read myself on Kindle someday. :) )

Do you have an eReader? If so, which one?