The Prowler
Kindle: Friend or Foe?Friday, February 05, 2010 By Allie Galvan
Are you ever intimidated when you pick up a novel, and all you can think about is how thick it is? Well, there’s a solution to that. The Amazon Kindle is software that allows you to buy and read thousands of books at a decreased price. At a cost of around $250-$300, this device uses a special electronic ink that is displayed on electronic paper, rather than a normal computer screen. The electronic ink makes the screen look like an actual book, so it doesn’t hurt your eyes. This buzzed about invention has received a lot of positive and negative feedback, with good arguments on both sides. Northshore's Art teacher, Mrs. Landry, has had the Kindle since September. Despite being a new Kindle owner, she enjoys the invention, saying "It's lightweight, which is nice, and I love how I can enlarge the font for my old eyes, it doesn't make them hurt. I find it's really comfortable, and instead of having a stack of books on my nightstand, I just have a thin little Kindle." When asked the famous question "How is it compared to a book?" she told me it was the same. “I thought I’d miss turning pages more, and I'm still getting used to it, but it's not bad." It's evident that Mrs. Landry is happy with the Kindle, but a trend with Kindle users is being noticed. Most of the people who are unhappy with the Kindle are older, while the younger people are taken with it. This may be because kids are so adjusted to technology; the absence of a book doesn't bother them. When I asked Junior Nikki Tomboli what her favorite part of the Kindle was, she said "I love how if the teacher tells us to go buy a book, I can whip out the Kindle and have it in 5 seconds." It seems that the only complaints about the Kindle are that it isn't as good as holding a real book. But as technology improves with time, it's evident that this little digital miracle for all the bookworms is only going to become more popular. |