Last week I updated my family's coefficient of technology by buying my first wife an iPad 2.
And just the other day I finally ordered a Kindle
for us. Well that's mostly for me and the kids since my wife has the iPad and I won't let my clumsy kids near it.It just hit my price point - $114 to buy the ad-riddled Wi-Fi model
.Essentially they give you $25 off the price if you agree to suffer ads ("promotions"!) on the screensaver.
I have no intention of *buying* any ebooks; I hope to take advantage of the old no-longer-copyrighted ones that can be accessed for free. See - Project Gutenberg. Here on Long Island we enjoy, and capitalize on, an enormous well-funded library network. Any book I need I simply order online and the deliver it promptly to my local branch.
Few humans collectively read more books than my son and I. So if anyone can use a *reader* it's the homeschooling Nut family.
The device should be here any day - I'll let y'all know how it goes.
And if any of y'all are going to buy one....please use my links to do so. The Prince jumps very high whenever he gets Amazon commissions. Thanks again to those of you who've been doing so.
6 comments:
Love the Kindle! I got one for my 2nd husband. I wondered if I would be a book snob (one of those "digital could never compare to actual print" types), but I love it. I have practically stolen it and I get all my books from Project Gutenberg.
My 6 year old is not as big a fan of the kindle. He can read books on his DS and prefers that because he can use the touch screen to turn pages and navigate. The resolution on the DS is crap though....
Saw your comment on PW about libraries being the place for books only. However, you also just referred to your well-funded library. Not true here -- or in many places. Our library provides the only books, the only computers, the only educational software, the only movies that our patrons can afford, because they're free -- and our TOTAL annual budget is $27,000. Around here, a job at WalMart or Dollar General is a goal -- and unless you can operate a computer, you're out of luck. We teach computer skills with volunteers. Please don't make the mistake of believing your wealthy lifestyle is the rule for the nation.
Heather,
Oh no! He has a DS? I'm not a fan of those things. Your son might be the only kid who owns one AND can read at a high level. They are brain-mushers.
Anon,
My *well-funded lifestyle*? Actually I'm rather monastic in my expenses. I think you meant to reference my well-funded municipality.
I stand by my generality. Until I see *poor* people who are thin, cell phone-less, and color TV-less I am not buying the notion that they can't afford books, computers, or internet access.
I spend considerable time at multiple libraries and the amount of actual reading and book searching that goes on is unimpressive. Tutors run businesses there; there are drop-off *art* classes; nannies kill time there with their charges; and kids sit on the computers playing dumb games and surfing YouTube.
If there aren't any jobs in your area....then people should move, no?
All these people that you *teach* computer skills can most certainly learn on the job.
It's happening right before our eyes, first an iPad2 and now a Kindle. Dreading the day when i hear you go long WFC.
bcris,
My wife was stuck on the Long Island Railroad for nearly 3 hours yesterday. That's what the iPad was bought for - for her and for her commute. I could really just say that *she bought it for herself*. I haven't touched it since day one now.
I made a lot of money on the long side of the market in 2008-9 - or at least on buying steep dips. Although I don't remember any good buys of WFC.
Though I was thinking about opening a bank account at WFC...
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