Kindle Update

I've had my Kindle for ahwile now, and I'm ready to add a few more comments to my earlier review.

Here's what I think after using the Kindle for about two weeks.

I'm Hooked

Reading in this format is enjoyable and convenient. I've been reading more lately because good reading material is more available to me. I like having the newspaper with me all the time. I don't sit idly in the dentist's office browsing People magazine. I read the New York Times or spend a few minutes in my current novel.

I'll be an e-reader from now on.

I'm Taking Wesleyan Publishing House with Me

Electronic delivery will be a significant part of the future of publishing. Print will exist, but e-delivery will gain market share. Remember the old business adage: Whoever gets there first with the most wins. Watch for our products in electronic form very soon.

Periodicals Fare Better Than Books

Just as in hardcopy life, newspapers and magazines are more often read because they are more current than books and require less time to consume. Same with e-reading.

The drawback is that, for now, e-ink is one color. That's not bad for newspapers, but magazines tend to be a little flat with only grayscale illustrations--and very few of those.

Navigation Is a Real Problem

This is my only realy gripe about the Kindle thus far. It's hard to get around within a long document. This problem could easily be solved by placing more internal links within long books, such as the Bible. Perhaps that's a problem on the publishing side (vs. the Amazon/delivery side). Either way, it's cumbersome to get from Psalm 23 to Philippians 2:11.

I'll put up with this because of the overall convenience of having all my books in one spot.

I'll Always Own Books

I can't imagine not owning a printed copy of the Bible, for example, or the Works of John Wesley, or a few of my favorite novels. Electronic delivery will not replace print in every setting. For my generation at least, and probably for others, publishing will be both/and--both print and electronic media, depending on the intended use.

My advice? If you feel the urge, go out and get yoruself a Kindle. The technology, experience, and price have all reached the 80 percent mark. Sure, there will be a next generation of better, cheaper product. But what we've got now isn't bad.