The Kindle has landed in Mexico! Mine has at least. It’s a late Christmas present from my girlfriend. She probably got tired of me talking about planning to get one. Some recent visitors from the States brought it down; a nice surprise. And it works really well here. I thought I should cover this now that I’m using it and before we get too far from Christmas.
Now I can read any book that’s available in a Kindle version as soon as I’d like to. Before my Kindle showed up, acquiring a new book was a slow process, depending on friends and luck. I had three choices. I might, by luck, stumble across something I was interested in that someone else was finished with, ask a visitor to bring it down, or look for a book myself in the States when I happened to go up there. But a fourth and best option arrived just after Christmas. I can connect to any wireless network here in Mexico and buy a book in about a minute.
There’s another feature that’s useful too. I can read the first couple of chapters for free from any book that’s available to a Kindle. This saves time and money for me. Currently, I’m reading two books that I bought after previewing five book’s first chapters. This is a nice feature to have when there isn’t a bookstore anywhere in my area.
I know you can read books on iPads and computers, but I think the Kindle has a couple of advantages. One is the size, the Kindle is small and very light making it easier to deal with (easier than a printed book too). The other advantage of the kindle is sort of counterintuitive and that is that the Kindle is only a reader. So when you’re using a Kindle you don’t have the distraction option of email and web surfing. Sort of less is more.
Speaking of less, I don’t like to have lots of stuff. So I generally give books away after I’ve read them. With the Kindle there’s a reduction in the number of books laying around and those books I want to keep are in one tidy package. On the next trip I take, I’ll be able to take all of my books with me too.
And that’s not all. I also received a cover that protects the Kindle. Plus the cover comes equipped with a cool little retractable LED light, built-in, so I can give my headlamp a rest.