What Happened to the Kindle?

You remember that funny thing that lit up and then went dead really fast. Or how about that thing you tried to read in the sun and it was like a black piece of slate. Or that thing where you never knew what page you were on and couldn't tell when you would finish the book or if the pages were marked and you couldn't spill jelly or coffee on it or throw it in your backpack or get it wet or find that one book you know you downloaded but now it is just gone. You know the thing that was supposed to be the IPOD of books. What happened to it?

I know I know. There are a lot of people out there who are happy kindle users but it is weird when the hardcover of my book  outpaces the kindle by four to one. People seem willing to plunk down 29.00 for a hardcover instead of getting an electronic version of less than half the price. The bigger question is why didn't it blow away all those pulpy books especially hardcovers.
Could it be readers are different than people who listen to music and while spotify tore the music biz to pieces the kindle fizzled like a bottle rocket.

The rub on this is the kindle flat lined somewhere and the novelty wore off and people went back to buying books. I am a perfect example. My kindle is jammed with books. And for a while that was my thing. No more books. Just electronic. But I missed marking up my books, I missed bending the pages, knowing how far i had to go...I missed READING a book. It is different. When I asked my comp class  in college who had a kindle? Not one hand went up.

So maybe it will come back. But until then bring on the coffee and jelly and bend back those pages and throw that bad boy by the tub. And the great thing is you don't have to plug it  in. My own kindle sits on my dresser...covered in dust.

Madam President The Secret Presidency of Edith Wilson

What you can do with your Book over a Kindle

Books are dinasorial but they have a function. For one thing you can read a book in the sun. You  cannot read your kindle in the sun. Alright. Maybe the old kindles but not the kindle fire. It is is just a black piece of marble. And you can read your book in the tub. You cannot read your kindle in the tub. I did. I dropped it. No more kindle. My book just got soggy.

You cannot throw your kindle on the floor or in in your backpack or on your shelf. Not if you want to lose a couple hundred bucks. Throw that book anywhere and you can still read it. You cannot read your kindle with toast and jelly and coffee. Your fingers are sticky and gum up the screen. You cannot dribble egg yolk on your kindle. Many of my books have yellow stains. You cannot spill coffee on your kindle. You cant get too far from a plug with your kindle especially the later ones. They just turn black. You never have to plug your book in. Ever!

You cannot turn down the page of your kindle and the bookmark function doesn't work a lot of times so you have to find your page again. Your book. Turn down the page. Rip it. Piss on it. Do what you have to do but you can find your place. You cant leave your kindle out in the rain. You can leave your book in the rain. It just gets fat.

Here's a big one. You forget what you read with your kindle. Your book lays around and you say oh yeah...that was a good book. Or...I better read that book I bought. With your kindle your book is hidden and forgettable. You also cant look ahead in your kindle...im sorry it is not the same. And you can't look back to see how much you have read.

 And finally you cant turn the last page of your kindle and hold it and go wow that was a good book!
You just turn it off. Bummer.

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