Wednesday, June 9, 2010

An exciting new acquisition!

I haven't been this excited and this obsessed about an electronic gadget for as long as I can remember. By the time I got my first computer, I was already introduced to the concept of internet cafes and ICQ chatrooms. A dumb terminal didn't add any more zing to my life. My first cellphone was one of the basic Nokia models that I had no role in choosing and communication costs were far too prohibitive for my meager college sustenance allowance to serve any purpose other than receive the 'where-are-you-what-are-you-doing' calls from my mom.

But this one is different. I'm smitten! I've never had e-books, never liked them. May be the closest I've come so far is proof reading for Gutenberg. After a brief brush with e-books in college, I had made up my mind that however advanced the world gets I'm always always going to yearn and love the feel of paper and the sheer joy of holding a book in my hands. Less than 7 years later I can't believe I have today actually fallen in love with an e-reader. Beautifully mimicking the feel of a book and yet offering all the conveniences of the electronic medium is the 'Kindle'!!


It actually feels like you're holding a medium-sized paperback and the print/e-ink with the off-white/ivory background is awesome... just like the books - only more sharp and readable. It's remarkably simple... no jazz. Read, flip, read again. No camera, no videos, no instant messaging and no stock quotes. Pressing the 'next page' button weirdly feels like turning the page. Especially if you're one of those people (like me like me) who like to look up a lot while reading - I'm telling you, your search ends here... Oxford English Dictionary, Wikipedia and even Google for simple browsing all through this invisible network called Whispernet. Here's a picture of my Kindle and in it the first book I bought at the Kindle Store.