My conclusion: It definitely is. I love this device!

I love the lack of eyestrain. I’ve read steadily since I got it (four and a half long books thus far), and it doesn’t strain my eyes any more than print reading– less, really, since I need bifocals but haven’t quite gotten around to getting them yet, and the Kindle lets me adjust the font size. Reading novels on my computer made my eyeballs feel like they were going to pop out after a while. Reading on the Kindle, on the other hand, is a pleasant and easy experience. The lack of backlight is not a problem for me, as I read it just as I do any other book.

It’s just as lightweight and easy to handle as promised. I’ve read it lying down in bed, lounging on the couch, sitting in the carpool line at preschool… I find it awesomely convenient to be carrying around a library of twenty-five books (hey, I’m just getting started here!) on a device that’s smaller than a trade paperback. I’ve already gotten to the point where my Kindle goes everywhere I go. If I have to wait in line at a restaurant or a doctor’s office, it’s great to be able to grab my Kindle and start reading whatever I feel like reading at that moment. The buttons are self-explanatory and easy to handle, and yes, after a while the device really does seem to “disappear.”

I love the automatic bookmark feature. The fact that the Kindle remembers where I was reading, so I don’t have to, is nice. Also, the built-in dictionary is very useful and will probably improve my vocabulary, as it enables me to look up the word instantly, rather than trying to remember to look it up later (and usually forgetting). I also enjoy the ease of ordering books– I do tend to do my surfing of Amazon on the computer, because it’s faster, but if I’m in the bookstore and spot a book I want to read, it’s nice to be able to order it directly from my Kindle.

The selection of Kindle books is good. I have found a few I couldn’t yet obtain (Catch-22 is not yet available in a Kindle edition, go figure!), but I do realize that’s in large part a publisher issue– some publishers may not be willing to have their books put into e-format. So I don’t blame Amazon for that. Overall, the pricing structure seems reasonable– $9.99 for a book that sells for much more in hardback doesn’t bother me (I do draw the line at spending any more, however), and many books are cheaper than that. I’ve also found plenty of free or almost-free older books, which has allowed me to pad my library with comfort reading like “White Fang” and “Little Women,” as well as classics I’ve never gotten around to reading somehow.

The device itself is certainly not cheap, and even in the long haul, I don’t expect that it’s going to save me significant money. I don’t have a problem with that, as it’s a luxury item. It’s like buying an iPod– no one HAS to have an iPod, but it’s a great thing to have. I am getting a great deal of enjoyment out of my Kindle, and don’t begrudge the price at all. I bought the standard leather cover, since I carry the Kindle with me in my purse, and I like the way it folds back out of the way when I read.

The one thing I would like to see in the next generation of Kindle is a larger screen. If the designers could figure out a way to have the screen extend all the way down the front of the device, I think that would improve the reading experience just a bit. But that’s not a complaint, just a suggestion. Overall, I’m very pleased with my Kindle 2. In fact, after only a couple of weeks, I’m already addicted to it!

My taste is a bit rough but I enjoyed “The Misogynist” by Emily Downs.

It can be a bit vulgar at times. Be warned. But it’s cheap.

http://www.amazon.com/The-Misogynist/dp/B001V5J4VO/ref=sr_1_2?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246301307&sr=1-2

She is the bestselling author of “Lisa Loves Girls”

http://www.amazon.com/Lisa-Loves-Girls-ebook/dp/B002EZZJ4Q/ref=sr_1_7?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1246298800&sr=1-7

2 books for under 2 bucks. THe kindle will own publishing.

I just received my Kindle – which I purchased based on your comments here and on podcasts – and I was wondering, where is iPhone fully loaded? Wouldn’t you be making some extra Kindle Kash if I could download your new book? Or is there other reasons not to have it in Kindle format?

Keep up the good work. You make the Apple Phone Show & MacBreak Weekly worth listening to. Can you help Leo out on TWIT? It’s getting painful to listen to.