# How did Kindle seduce you?



## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

Ok.  I have a confession.  I never really thought about getting an e-book reader (is that even the right name?)  As a former English professor, I admit that I had a bias towards "hard copy" books.  My mom got me a Kindle for Chirstmas because she thought I'd like one.  At first, I was hesitant.  I downloaded a book I had already read but then decided to read again.  The reason I did that is because I wanted to compare the different formats.  Each format has its advantages.  I like the feel of "real" book, the smell, the ability to take notes with a pencil.  But the Kindle reading experience had its own rewards.  I'm not sure how to put it into words.  Now I love the Kindle.  Thanks, Mom!  I"m looking forward to downloading more books.  As I told one person, I'm flying to Japan in April and will need lots of reading material for the plane but won't have a lot of room in the carry on luggage.  Kindlel to the rescue.

So did Kindle seduce you?


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## MAGreen (Jan 5, 2009)

When hubby and I started shopping for yet another bookcase and couldn't find one we both liked...and then he reminded me that we were eventually going overseas and would have to leave most of my books behind! To be honest, the first time I saw the Kindle, I avoided it like the plague! I didn't even want to look! After that shopping trip, I finally sat down and really looked...and decided I just needed it!!!


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

Mainly ergonomics... large/heavy books become difficult to manage after a couple of hours.


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## dragonfly (Aug 25, 2009)

I have always had more than one book going at a time. When the kindle app for the iphone came out I gave it a try and loved it, but I wanted the real deal. Now I am never without my kindle, and my library now goes where I go, and I can flit back and forth as my mood sends me to any of my current reads. I also love the feel of my leather cover, kind of texture therapy Leather covered books cost a fortune, and are rare. Not on my kindle.


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2011)

The giant ad I kept seeing on Amazon's homepage was what did it for me.

Whoever had the idea to keep the Kindle at the front page of Amazon made a boat load of money for Amazon. I just couldn't resist


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## jhanel (Dec 22, 2010)

For me, it was the e-ink. As a computer programmer by day, I stare at a monitor all day long. When I come home and read, my eyes get very tired very quickly, and I never seem to get through a good book, no matter how good the book is. But when I borrowed a friend's kindle, I could read easily. And I could carry all of my current books with me wherever I go.... Yep. Sold!


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## history_lover (Aug 9, 2010)

I get hand strain from holding books open too long and I have a very small apartment with no storage for books. But I was unsure about ebooks so when I got an iPhone I decided to check out the Kindle app for it. The screen was small so I had to turn the pages frequently but otherwise, I loved it. Over the next few months, I would still read both formats but then the K3 was announced and I jumped on it - now I only read Kindle/ebooks.


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## Fireheart223 (Oct 3, 2010)

The thing that appealed to me first about the Kindle was how you can take your whole library around with you all in one device. I love to read so much that before I got my Kindle, I was running out of room to keep all my "real" books, I'd accumulated so many    And then when I got my Kindle, I was hooked. It's just such a neat device, and they did such a wonderful job with the eInk. I thought at first too that I'd miss holding a "real" book, but reading on the Kindle didn't take away from my reading experience at all. My mom was the same way, said she had no interest in eReaders until she borrowed my Kindle one day. Five minutes into reading on it, and she's remarking on how cool it is and joking how she's going to steal it from me, haha  now she has my K2 since I'd upgraded to the K3 awhile back.


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## Linjeakel (Mar 17, 2010)

I've always been a huge fan of any gadgets and gizmos - can't resist them. I've also always been an enthusiastic reader, having at least one book on the go at any time, so inevitably space was becoming an issue as the books took over the house. Something which combined my two passions was kind of a no-brainer for me. There was never any doubt I would eventually get one!


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## jenny1983 (Sep 14, 2010)

As an American currently not living in the US, getting new releases was problematic. I had to order online and then wait a few weeks for the books to arrive, only to repeat the cycle. Kindle solved this problem brilliantly


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

Oberon seduced me first. One of my biggest hang-ups with ebooks was my attachment to the traditional form-factor of books, especially pretty books. Man, do I love pretty books. I came across Oberon's Kindle covers when I was looking for a nice iPad cover, and their covers effectively fulfill my form-factor need. Not only that, they make _every_ book I read into a pretty book. Anyway, so after Oberon entered my mind, I started seriously looking at ereaders and finally gave into my gadget craving when I had some extra student loan money (hey, I read textbooks on it too ).

Wow- I have an iPod Touch, a phone, both a PC and a Mac laptop (even though the PC is almost dead, hence the new MacBook Pro), an iPad, and a Kindle.

Omg, I'm a gadget slut. My parents must be so ashamed...


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## jello (Dec 31, 2010)

I have about 4 1000 page plus books coming up in my reading stack... my hand hurt just thinking about it. Then Amazon announced the K3 with much, much more reasonable pricing and the gears started turning...


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## bordercollielady (Nov 21, 2008)

jhanel said:


> For me, it was the e-ink. As a computer programmer by day, I stare at a monitor all day long. When I come home and read, my eyes get very tired very quickly


Me too! But I'm also a "gadget" person and the idea intrigued me. I had previously considered a Sony but - when Amazon announced Kindle - being a big Amazon consumer - I had to take a bite.

Another big thing for me - at 62- was the ability to increase the Font size. I had quit reading some books because the font was too small. I didn't want to get into the "Large Print Books" consumer group - my Mom had to do that before she passed and it really limited her choice of books.

Since then - I've convinced friends and most of my family (I have only one sister left to convince but that one - she's 75 - may never change) to buy them too. I LOVE mine!


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

Wow!  A lot of interesting responses.  Thx.


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## KindleChickie (Oct 24, 2009)

For me it was the huge advertising blitz with the k2 release.  I read 4 newspapers daily and was sick of the mess they make.  The ink gets all over my hands and if I am not careful my clothing too.  And then there was the bundling up of the newspapers weekly to take to the curb.  It was just a huge hassle and I loved the idea of getting my papers wirelessly delivered so I could take them where ever I choose to read them.


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## grjag (Jun 18, 2009)

For me it was the thought of carrying my library with me instead of packing multiple books when we travel.  For my husband, it was the thought of not finding more places to put the books I buy and spending all that money on books to just donate them.


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## bashfulreader (Jan 29, 2011)

Actually, it was really *this* place that pushed me over the edge.    (I know this is only my second post here, but I've been lurking for a LONG time.)  Well, Kindleboards, and Amazon's Kindle forums.

Thanks to Amazon's continuous "front page" ads, I was mildly curious, but like a lot of bookworms, I thought I would miss the look, feel & smell of paper books.  And money was a little bit tight.  But I was curious enough to do some research.  Reading about so many people who felt the same way, and yet still fell in love with the Kindle, I eventually had to find out for myself. 

What I couldn't have predicted is how much I would enjoy all the freebies and less expensive indie books.  My "to be read" pile is HUGE, and I'm still managing to keep to a very low book-buying-budget.

Now my K2 is about to turn one year old, and I can't imagine how I ever managed without it.


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## Rie142 (Oct 28, 2009)

What did it for me was being able to carry all my books with me.    I love to reread certain books when the mood strikes me and now I can carry all with me.  YEA.  I really love my kindle. 

Also my eyes are not what they should be and now I can make the font bigger when I need to.


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## flutterby (Aug 11, 2010)

I started reading kindle books on my ipod touch, drawn in by the one-click buy and not needing to bike downtown to Borders when I wanted a book (usually at night when I try to avoid going out).  My iPod touch was stolen in August.  Thought  about getting an iPhone, and didn't wawnt to kill the battery reading on it every night when it's already on 24-7 as my primary phone.  Saw the lowered kindle price with the K3 and ordered just in time for the K3 release.  So, I guess it was the store that lured me in, followed by the device itself.


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## evrose (Jan 7, 2011)

It didn't do anything special - just dinner and a movie.

I'm a cheap date.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

I wasn't reading much since I hated buying books I would only read once (which is 99.9% of them) and have to hassle with storing or donating down the road, and also hated the library.

So once I learned about e-readers, I knew I had to have one. The Kindle won over the Sony reader (only major competitor at the time) due to the whispersync and the Kindle store having a better selection and prices than the Sony store in some searches I did before deciding.


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## bwbollom (Jul 30, 2010)

My wife and I both read a good bit and we travel a couple of times a year. Plus, last year there was a possibility that we were going to be moving overseas. So we seriously looked into them before our last big trip and I decided to buy. Once the K3 arrived, my wife fell in love with it and we bough her one as soon as they were available at Target. It was a great thing to have on our trip and we use them all the time now. My mother-in-law got one for Christmas and she's loving it too. And my brother-in-law got one too since he moved to Alaska for work and couldn't bring all of his books. I hope to get one for my mom sometime in the near future, and my brother really wants to get one for his wife. We're definitely becoming a Kindle family


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## Katxena (Jan 23, 2011)

My mom got one, and on a visit to her I played with it a little and really liked it.  Before actually seeing one in the flesh, so to speak, I wouldn't have considered it.  I travel a lot and always take a lot of books with me, so the timing was perfect.  I was holding my mom's kindle and staring at the big heavy stack of books that I was going to have to take home in my suitcase -- it just made sense.  

I initially thought I might only use it for trips.  Ha!  That would require that I occasionally put the thing down.


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## kmmkiwi (May 13, 2010)

When I discovered that I could read cheesy romance novels in public without getting embarrassed over the cover art.


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

kmmkiwi said:


> When I discovered that I could read cheesy romance novels in public without getting embarrassed over the cover art.


LOL, I hear ya... in my case it's not romance novels, but political books. I lean towards conservative and I live in a very liberal area. I did get real sick of snide comments from people who don't share my political leanings.


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

kmmkiwi said:


> When I discovered that I could read cheesy romance novels in public without getting embarrassed over the cover art.


Ok, that's funny!


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

fuschiahedgehog said:


> LOL, I hear ya... in my case it's not romance novels, but political books. I lean towards conservative and I live in a very liberal area. I did get real sick of snide comments from people who don't share my political leanings.


Again, funny. Kindle makes it easy to be in the closet I guess. hahah


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

evrose said:


> It didn't do anything special - just dinner and a movie.
> 
> I'm a cheap date.


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## JenniferBecton (Oct 21, 2010)

I injured my arm this year in a horseback riding accident, making almost every mundane chore--including holding books open--very difficult. I started to wonder if having an ebook reader would make my recovery easier. I got a Kindle and M-edge cover for Christmas, and the setup allowed me to read hands-free. Now, I love it, especially for reading in bed. Kindle, you had me at hands-fee.


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## teeitup (Nov 1, 2008)

The Oprah promo in Oct. 08 was the tipping point for me.  I had been looking at them since they first came out, regularly checking the Amazon Kindle discussions but the cost held me back.  I still paid more than I was really comfortable with, at the time, but I had no more space for HB books anywhere in my house and I just wasn't crazy about PB's.  I have so many HB books still to read but the convenience of the Kindle and putting all the free classics on a SD card more than paid for it.  I just recently updated to the K3 in Oct. 10 (just realized there must be something about Oct and Kindles for me) but with all the freebies, indie authors and just the smaller size and capacity, Kindle has done nothing but enrich my life.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

fuschiahedgehog said:


> LOL, I hear ya... in my case it's not romance novels, but political books. I lean towards conservative and I live in a very liberal area. I did get real sick of snide comments from people who don't share my political leanings.


For me it's more about image, I look like a metal chick, I walk like a metal chick... but I tend to read girly books just for fun... (okay kiddin about the image, but the covers of vampire books these days are just awful and I don't like to be stacked with "Twillight-girls" )

Also I'm traveling home a couple of times a year now I live in the UK and my parents still live in the Netherlands... I tried bringing some books with me over Christmas and actually had to leave some behind, I didn't like that 
Uni requires me to read a lot of books and most of those have run out of copyright... meaning I can get them for free on my kindle... >.> I would be crazy not to spend 150 pound when I'd have to spend a lot more than that just on books every year for my study, and my room is not big enough to store them all...

But the main thing was that I could go on facebook and my regular websites just on the go. I'm a geek, I like the internet option I got with it.
And I needed something to replace my eeepc that has been functioning as my ereader for a couple of years now, the nearest thing I wanted was a new eeepc which would have cost me 500 pound for the model, until the price of netbook/tablets duo's have dropped I think the Kindle will be a great investment for reading.


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

ahh, the EeePC.  I have a couple of those kicking around under the bed.  Awesome little machines!  Currently using an HP netbook, which also rocks.  My 'purse' (usually just a VB totebag) usually contains my netbook, kindle, archos tablet, and my android phone, along with a host of miscellaneous cables, tools, mem cards etc.  Friends call me 'Gadget Girl.'


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

oops... almost forgot about the Nintendo DS.  That's usually floating around in there too.  And my kids' Kindles and/or DS's.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

fuschiahedgehog said:


> ahh, the EeePC. I have a couple of those kicking around under the bed. Awesome little machines! Currently using an HP netbook, which also rocks. My 'purse' (usually just a VB totebag) usually contains my netbook, kindle, archos tablet, and my android phone, along with a host of miscellaneous cables, tools, mem cards etc. Friends call me 'Gadget Girl.'


I will probably turn into you if I have more money, but I feel bad enough with just 2 phones (regular ones nothing fancy), a ds and the kindle... plus ofcourse stuff I need for uni  (and the pokewalker but no-one knows that  )


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## splashes99 (Aug 11, 2010)

I had been wanting one because of the handiness of it, when my BF gave me one last year for my b-day!  I'm a book flipper...I'll read a little of one book and then feel like I may want something more or less serious, and I also serially reread my favorites.  There's no way i can tote my library around with me in my purse - except on my Kindle.

I must confess that I do still love physical books...something about the feel and the physical act of turning pages, but not enough to make my Kindle any less amazing.


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2011)

Speaking of the EeePC, I'm using one now   Its a 101MT, a tablet netbook. The screen is terrible but its what I needed.   

Keeping up with all of these electronics is costly


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

McGee said:


> Speaking of the EeePC, I'm using one now  Its a 101MT, a tablet netbook. The screen is terrible but its what I needed.
> 
> Keeping up with all of these electronics is costly


is it really bad? cause I was looking at the 91MT to replace my 701 but the price has been a problem for me... I mainly want to use it for reading and a bit of online stuff so getting myself a kindle was not a hard choice for the moment...


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## fuschiahedgehog (Feb 23, 2010)

kiazishiru said:


> I will probably turn into you if I have more money, but I feel bad enough with just 2 phones (regular ones nothing fancy), a ds and the kindle... plus ofcourse stuff I need for uni  (and the pokewalker but no-one knows that  )


Back in college (early 90's) my pride and joy was a casio color programmable scientific graphing calculator. Lots of skipped meals to pay for that bad boy! 

edit to change calendar to calculator


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## Guest (Feb 7, 2011)

The screen looks like it has a clear sticker over it all the time. Not very good. Its partly true because its a regular laptop screen with a glass touch panel glued on top of a regular netbook screen. It was so bad, I bought a regular 10" netbook screen to replace the touch screen   The iPad and other real tablets have much better screens. 

I would keep that 701 and buy an android/iPad tablet. Tablet could be used for reading/surfing. 701 could be used for typing, schoolwork, printing etc.


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## Kia Zi Shiru (Feb 7, 2011)

the 701 is dying on me, battery, touchpad, stuff like that. I have a regular laptop for all my work but I used my 701 for reading and a bit of surfing when I wasn't at home (I hate carrying around my 16" laptop, just too heavy), now my kindle has replaced that function, otherwise I would have waited till tablet prices dropped and gotten one of those. I don't "need" a touchscreen but it would have been a fun function


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## racheldeet (Jan 21, 2010)

Free classics. I'm a classic books junkie and have been since I was a wee one, for some reason, so the prospect of having so many at my fingertips (and not having to drag LARGE hard copies to school and back) was a fantastic part of it.

When I lived with my parents I was at least an hour from a book store and our local library's selection was fairly stale, so the idea of being able to access books easily and without having to expend gas to go get them was a big deal too.


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

In November of 2007 I went to Amazon one day and there it was. . . . I knew immediately I wanted one.  But at the time it was $399 so more than I could just spend without thought. . .and then it was sold out in about 2 hours.  So I figured I'd been saved from myself but decided I'd buy one after tax season with some of my earning. . .by then the price had gone down to $359 and I pulled the trigger.  Have not been without it since.


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## laurie_lu (May 10, 2010)

The Kindle seduced me when I saw one in the wild for the first time.  I was on a buisness trip.  I was lugging around a 700 page book.  My coworker was carrying multiple books all on her Kindle.  I was so jealous.  I had to have one.


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

I'm loving these responses.  Keep 'em coming.


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## Nimrod (Feb 6, 2011)

The Kindle seduced me because Fred Meyer was out of Sony PRS350c's, but had the Kindle in stock.


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## NightReader (Apr 25, 2010)

I love books and gadgets, but I resisted for a while.  I was going to get one when Oprah had her discount, but I talked myself out of it because of the cost.

Then, the price came down at about the same time I went on an anti-clutter purge.  At that point, having a zillion books in one little cover was just too tempting to resist.

Oddly though, there is STILL a book pile in the bedroom.  And one on the bookshelf.  And a few hiding at work.

I think I'm a book junkie.


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## Kindle Worm (Jan 13, 2011)

It was a dark and dreary night, and in she walked! Kindle, dressed only in a... Oh wait... not that kind of seduction. Ummm... it's very easy really, no more piles of books laying around. LOL, the thought of that alone made me fall in love.


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## caseyf6 (Mar 28, 2010)

SAMPLES.  I'm a gadget girl, too, but the true selling point on buying an e-reader was the SAMPLING.  Then I tried out Nook, just to play and because it looked cute.  BAH.  Everything I read about Kindle, plus the service of Amazon, tipped me over the edge.


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## loisdbrown (Feb 8, 2011)

Sat by my Kindle-loving friend and that's it took. We were at a lecture and within 2 minutes of the beginning of the talk, she had purchased the book the speaker was talking about. Jealousy.


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## matt youngmark (Jan 11, 2011)

I'm a gadget hound too, and kept my eye on the Kindle for a long time. When the K3 came out with the $139 price drop I finally pounced. Of course, my wife and I already had Kindle software loaded on at least 5 other machines before I actually bought a Kindle, but that non-backlit e-ink display makes all the difference in the world for me -- consider me seduced, and seduced good.


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## Kathy (Nov 5, 2008)

I wanted one for traveling. I travel a lot for work and was tired of lugging books. When the first Kindle came out I wanted one, but they sold out. I kept waiting for them to get in the new supplies and really kind of forgot about it. My children bought me one for Christmas with the Oprah discount. I was lucky and got one before they sold out again. Then of course the K2 came out and I had to have that one. I now have the K3 and have loved all of them. I love reading on it and the luxury of having tons of books with me all the time.


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## Translator (Jan 24, 2011)

Hi, I am from Japan! (I live in U.S., though)
I don't own a Kindle yet, but I will be buying one soon because I can't resist any more!
I was kind of waiting to get one because I read a lot of Japanese books and the problem is e-books are not yet common in the Japanese publishing industry.
Now all these posts here are really seducing me.

Have fun in Japan!!


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## caracara (May 23, 2010)

I thought people were crazy for digitizing books. Ok, I was actually outraged, especially at Oprah for promoting this dreadful blasphemy.

Then I was at my cousins house, and actually saw one, and realized the vast number of books one could carry around. I was in love. Having carried around 2 Harry Potter books (hardback) because I was a bout to finish one, this was amazing.

My K2 came wrapped in duct tape for my birthday. I have cheated on her, but only with stubborn authors who refuse to kindle'rize they're books.


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## sparklemotion (Jan 13, 2011)

For me it was the simple fact that I have no more room in my house for books!   Then I kept seeing the front page advertisement for the Kindle 3 and it peaked my interest due to my space issue. Initially when the Kindle first came out, I thought there was no way I'd ever want to read in e-book format, I loved books too much. But now... I've really changed my mind!


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## SailorMerry (Dec 18, 2010)

Translator said:


> Hi, I am from Japan! (I live in U.S., though)
> I don't own a Kindle yet, but I will be buying one soon because I can't resist any more!
> I was kind of waiting to get one because I read a lot of Japanese books and the problem is e-books are not yet common in the Japanese publishing industry.
> Now all these posts here are really seducing me.
> ...


ああ！日本人ですか？もいちど、日本でSonyはereadersを売るつもりです、だからたくさん日本語のebooksをくるつもりです！

Hopefully I didn't botch that too badly... ^_^U


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## NapCat (retired) (Jan 17, 2011)

I had not even considered any of the e-readers as (I thought) I needed the feel of paper and turning pages.  A friend brought his K-3 to my house to show me.....the first thing that floored me was how readable the screen was even in sunlight.....then I linked with my home WiFi and started "browsing" through the Amazon bookstore.  The browsing experience is even better than wandering the stack of Borders, etc as you also have reader's reviews. Yep ! Kindle seduced me in a fell swoop !!

The developers of this wonderful device have hit the nail on the head for we avid readers....truly one of the greatest inventions of our lifetime !!


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## beckyj20 (Jun 12, 2010)

My mom told me she thought I should get one. At first, I definitely did NOT want one. I love DTB and I thought it just wouldnt be the same on an ereader. After a while, I started looking at them on the internet out of curiosity. In my search of which one was the best (cuz I always have to have the best) I found this website. Everyone on here raved about theirs and from then on I HAD to have one! So I guess all of you seduced me!


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## originalgrissel (Mar 5, 2010)

I was instantly intrigued by the idea of the Kindle when the first ones came out, because I love to read & I am always carrying two or three books in my purse (or carryon bag) because I never know what I might want to read at any given time). When we were considering making a trip overseas a couple of years back I thought it would have been great to have a Kindle on the plane with me for the long trip. Anyway, the trip plans were scrapped & though I still would have loved to have a Kindle the price tag being so high at that time, I decided to put it on the back burner. My neighbor (a librarian) did get a 1st gen Kindle though & I played around with it & loved the fact that it was still perfectly readable sitting out by the pool...where I was spending all summer with the kids. Two Christmases ago my husband (who usually just wants me to give him a list of stuff I want, so he doesn't screw up & get me something I hate) did the unexpected & surprised me with a Kindle 2. A few months later he got one for himself via work so he could more easily deal with all the technical computer manuals he is always carrying around & we've both been happilly Kindling every since.

I love having so many books in such a small little device that I can carry around so no matter what I am in the mood for, it's right there. I also love that I can download lots of fan fiction, convert it and slap it on my Kindle rather than having to spend so much time reading at the computer. Kindle is such a great device & it has the added bonus of being pretty light weight, which is great for me because I have had several wrist cysts over the years and holding large books or hard backs can really cause a lot of discomfort in my wristst. With Kindle my wrist pain has all but disappeared while reading.


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## BTackitt (Dec 15, 2008)

K1. it was instant techlust. I have never wanted a piece of technology like I wanted a K1 as soon as I heard about it. I could live without a cellphone, and tv, but not my computer or Kindle. We have bookshelves everywhere in our house, with the shelves bending under the weight of the books, and books stacked EVERYWHERE. Since getting K1's in Oct '08 & Feb '09 we have gotten rid of nearly 2,000 DTB's, and while we have added more than 2,000 e-books, they just don't take up the same room.


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## The Hooded Claw (Oct 12, 2009)

I'd been interested since I first heard about them, and one of my best friends was an early adopter of the K1 and was wildly enthusiastic, but I resisted largely because of price.  One evening Amazon lowered the K2 price from $299 to $259, and I went to the Amazon homepage only a few minutes after the price drop was posted.  I clicked on "buy now" within ten seconds.  So I guess I'm not only "quick and easy" to seduce, but my price is only $40!


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## Larry45 (Feb 7, 2011)

My K3 isn't even here yet, but I have to admit that the constant bombarding of my e-mail account from Amazon with ads for the Kindle 3 finally got to me...


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## Xopher (May 14, 2009)

I was already reading digitally (via Mobipocket). First on my Casio BE-300 PDA, and then on my Dell Axim PDA. Reading on my laptop worked as well, but I was more interested in being able to read on the go.

I actually got my wife a K1 for her birthday. She read a lot, and since I was already reading on my PDA, I thought it would be a nice transition for her. She always says I drag her kicking and screaming into technology, but she loved using her Kindle from day 1. 

Every now and then, I would read something on her Kindle. It was a lot easier than reading on my PDA. My birthday found me with a Kindle of my very own. Before I had my Kindle, I probably read 3-6 books a year. Since having it, the number has gone up to 3-6 per month.


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## NotActive (Jan 24, 2011)

content


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## planet_janet (Feb 23, 2010)

Frankly, Kindle did not initially seduce me.  My DH suggested I get one when the K1 was released, but I scoffed and resisted, thinking that an electronic reading device could never replace the lovely sensory aspects of a good book.  For Christmas 2009, a Kindle was underneath the tree for me from my DH, and I was still unsure--until I started using it.  I was quickly enraptured with this thin, light device that could hold thousands of books, provide a word's definition in a matter of clicks, and provide the deliciousness of being able to finish a book and immediately download a new book to start reading.  Game over!


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## Mrs. K. (Dec 31, 2010)

Mr. K. and I camp many summer weekends in a tiny pop-up trailer. I can have a stack of books to occupy rainy hours without the clutter, and can get another book without leaving our dry and cozy den if I get finished with or bored with the books I have. Makes those hours on the road a pleasure, too, even when I'm driving.   



Yup, I'm just kidding about the driving part.


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

It's neat hearing all of these stories.


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## Gone 9/21/18 (Dec 11, 2008)

From the minute I heard about ereaders, I was keen. In 1999 I bought a Rocket Ebook and loved the thing. The problem was that there weren't enough books available and those that were available were badly overpriced. So after that experience I avoided everything to do with ebooks, including the Kindle when it first came out. But as months passed, I saw that the number of books available for Kindle was growing steadily and the prices weren't exorbitant (needless to say this was before agency pricing), and I gave in and got a K1. So the Kindle didn't have to seduce me, but Amazon had to. I had to trust Amazon to continue to support Kindle and continue to induce publishers to make books available for it.

The pricing thing still makes me cranky, but I buy what I like in my price range and get what's too expensive for me from the library, and the sample feature helps me get what I want whichever of those ways I choose.


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## mrscottishman (May 18, 2010)

Honestly I wasn't that interested in the Kindle or ebook readers until I got one. I have a netbook I had before I got my Kindle. I read an article about people taking their netbooks or laptops on the subway or bus with them and reading books from a thumbdrive. When at work people traded books and recipes from their thumbdrives and often used their desktops to continue reading. I got a extra thumbdrive and started organizing my documents and the books I had and then I started downloading from Project Gutenberg. I made a copy on another thumbdrive and gave it to my brother and got him started. For my birthday he went in with the rest of my family and they bought me a K2. 

Well the first Kindle's headphone jack went out in a week, I must have used it only five or six times. Then they sent me a replacement with a bad ghosting problem, then one with a bad battery, the next one I think just had a dull looking screen with a corner that was noticeably worse. Finally I asked to speak to a supervisor and told them I liked the Kindle, my brother had a Kindle and my son had a Kindle and by now I knew what a Kindle was supposed to look like and perform. I told them if they wanted to send me another one I would appreciate it, but this one had better be a new one!

I was reluctant to fall in love again. I had been hurt before. I checked her screen. I tested her headphone jack. I took her out a time or two into the sunlight. Still I didn't think it would last. Then, after a week on one charge and still showing more in the battery icon I gave in. I fell in love and the rest is history.

Sometimes you have to kiss a few frogs to find the princess,

Scott


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## BlondeStylus (Jan 28, 2011)

I love gadgets too, but have to admit The Kindle was not on the top of my list.
A couple of years ago I shattered my wrist.  It was a long recovery and it still isn't as strong as it was before.  Anyway, to make a long story short, I quit reading (gasp!) because it taxed my wrist.  Then one day I read an article about the K3 and fell in love with the idea of being able to hold it without stress.  I still hadn't made up my mind but mentioned it to my older daughter.  She had said she wanted one too.  For Christmas my girls gave me a Kindle.    I'm a reading machine once again!


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## Sheriff John Stone (Jan 21, 2011)

definitely the ads on amazon.

we made our purchase in... November i think.  just a few months before that i can remember going to amazon and seeing the Kindle ad and just thinking to myself that it looked stupid and pointless.  why would i want that?  i have my books, i'll get more books and all will be fine.  i like having actual copies of books on the bookshelf!  no!  i don't need this stupid Kindle.

and then one day i decided to actually check it out.  and watched the promo video.  and read reviews (on and off amazon).  and i was intrigued.  very intrigued.  then i showed my wife to get her reaction (since she's the one i'd have to convince) and she seemed interested.  and we eventually made the purchase.

it just sorta happened.


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## Carol (was Dara) (Feb 19, 2011)

I'm looking forward to getting my Kindle so I can have instant access to new books any time. No more driving to the bookstore forety-five minutes away. I'm also looking forward to reading in bed without disturbing my hubby.


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## JetJammer (Jan 18, 2009)

I actually received a K1 as a Christmas gift the first year they were released (my friend managed to order 2 of them in the 15 or so hour window they were actually available that November...).  I said "oh, how nice, thanks!", turned it on to make sure it worked, then put it into a drawer.  While I was never into the "smell" of books, etc. being an avid reader I just couldn't imagine reading for hours on a computer.

In April (4 months later!) I was looking for an out of print book I couldn't find, and discovered it was available for the kindle.  I remember thinking "oh wait, I have one of those!", pulled it out of the drawer to read that one book - and haven't purchased a DTB since.  (I won't even mention how many of my 'to be read' DTB pile has been replaced with kindle versions...)

Some 1500 books, 3 kindles (I upgrade every time a new version comes out), countless cases/skins, 4 kindles given as gifts, and 20+ "sold" by showing off mine later, I guess you could say I'm a convert.


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## Vegas_Asian (Nov 2, 2008)

My family was already in the market for an electronic dictionary for me and we looked at the pricing (talking dictionary was about 250) figured might as well get an ereader. There was the whole storage issue with my books. There was my tendency to run around town in search of a specific book. The list could go on and on. Not mention my printing for school was getting ridiculous. (labs, papers, notes) We were looking more at the sony (dad said since we were more familiar with the brand). Then oprah had her promo and mom gave me her credit card and said it was my Christmas gift/straight a's in college gift. She didn't know how to order on amazon so she couldn't hide it from me since I had to order it for her


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## Bunny Hugger (Jan 7, 2011)

I thought that the Kindle was a neat concept, but I never thought I would want one.  I love the look of my jam-packed bookshelf with all of the different color spines, I think it's pretty.

Once the K3 came out with it's $189 price tag I started to really consider it.  We had a 22 hour car trip to Kansas coming up and that's what did it for me.  I didn't want to lug around a bunch of books like I did 2 years before.  I told my bf that I was going to get one the week before Christmas so I would have it for the trip, little did I know he already had one on the way!  He had to give it to me early because he knows once I finally make my mind up about something I have to have it and I have to have it NOW


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## Figment (Oct 27, 2008)

Two words:  DeQueen, Arkansas!  I was sent down there for a trial, and ran out of things to read.  I went to both the local Walmart and the local grocery (the only places with book racks in a town which doesn't sell hot tea), and was able to find only Westerns and books with Amish heroines (I didn't know they had a lot of Amish in Arkansas!).

That was it!  I came home and ordered a kindle.  This was right before the Oprah discount, so they were really expensive.  It's been a great purchase.  Bemis (my K1) is still in daily use, with only a couple of changes of batteries.


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## Tear (Mar 3, 2011)

I had been considering buying a Kindle and hubby surprised me with one.  I'm a big booky and wasn't sure I would like a K3, but I totally love it.  My kindle lives in my purse, and I can read where ever I want, when ever I want.  Have I mentioned I love it.  I love the dictionary, periodic table, language book with easy phrases.  I could go on and on.  Not that I don't still pick up books, but it's just easy for a person who loves to read


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## SamIam (Mar 3, 2011)

It was really simple to use, my children helped me pick it out. I prefered it over the nook that we looked at too.


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## dharts (Feb 15, 2011)

I don't have my Kindle yet but I can tell you why I decided I need one. I've been an avid book hound since I was a child and I've always been a gadget lover but didn't really see a need for a fancy pants electronic device for reading books.  

One night recently I was reading as usual. I had a new paperback in my hands. Like many books nowadays, the print and paper quality was so bad, it was really straining my eyes to read. I have some vision issues. And, like all the other women in my family, I'm getting arthritis in my thumb joints and it was so uncomfortable holding the fairly thick and heavy book. I'm not that old, I kept telling myself. I thought about my elderly mother telling me a couple of years ago that she gave up reading. I didn't like that specter for myself.

The next day, I happened across the Kindle display in the local Target. I couldn't believe how lightweight it was and how good the quality of the text on the screen. Then I found you could even change the size of the font, etc. And then I started scoping around for what books are available, many for reasonable prices or free.

Now I can't wait until I get mine.


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## patrisha w. (Oct 28, 2008)

I Love gadgets. I am also an avid reader. But I couldn't bring myself to pay that much money for a Kindle 1.
Then my partner, Fred, offered to buy it for me. It came. I was hooked.

Right now my K1 is with my younger son. My Kindle 2 has gone to Iraq with the soldier-son of a friend. My Kindle 3 is quietly charging itself on the bedside table...


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## busy_91 (Feb 22, 2011)

I love to read but I started having shoulder problems (frozen shoulder in both), and traditional hard cover books were heavy and hurt my shoulders more.  I thought I would be able to put a large book on it and it wouldn't way anymore.  I am sure glad I did.  I still buy or borrow books, and I buy a hardcover ONLY when I want to keep it for my children to read later down the line.  But lately, more and more books are ending up on the Kindle.


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## sebat (Nov 16, 2008)

I must be easy.  Kindle didn't have to seduce me, 2 seconds and I was had. 

A lot of the early adopters of K1s claim that the Oprah show was instrumental in their purchase. A month or 2 before that, I caught a segment of The View, Whoopi said she had just gotten this wonderful gadget to read books on called a Kindle and she loved it!  It was August of '08.  Up until that point, I had no idea there was even such a thing as an ereader.  I immediately pulled up Amazon.  My husband's birthday was coming up and I didn't know what to get him.  I remember texting him because it cost so much money (it was before the 1st $50 price drop so it was $399) and I wanted him to think he was in on the decision making process.   He said get it!  I placed the order within 30 minutes of hearing about it.  We shared it for one week before I ordered a second K1 for me.


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## dixiehellcat (Jan 23, 2011)

I tink my cousin had the idea to get me an ereader several months ago. While we were in Chicago last fall for a convention we went shopping and got into a lengthy discussion of pros and cons of Kindle, Nook etc. I finally concluded Kindle sounded like the best deal, but I wasn't panting after one, being a good ol fashioned book lover.

Then a friend at work got a Kindle for Christmas. The first time I saw it I said 'it's so little and cute!'   As she showed me everything it would do, text to speech and browser and all, I was hooked, and I decided if I didn't get one for my birthday I'd go buy myself one. 

Oh, and apropos of nothing at all, I have to say I discovered another great thing about it today while sitting outside eating lunch--wind does not blow you onto another page, and it holds your napkins down much better than a book. hehe


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## nicholediscala (Nov 30, 2010)

I didn't want one. I don't know why, I just... didn't. Then I saw a K2 in stores and started going on amazon everyday to read the reviews and everything about. I still couldn't justify the price, but then the K3 was announced and I just HAD to get it. I stopped buying DTBs and admiring it everyday... then I received it as a birthday gift in November. I can't imagine being without it now.


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

I heard about it back in late 2008 or so from someone who traveled a lot.  Even though I didn't travel much or read much, I just knew I HAD to have one.  I waited for the K2 and it arrived in February, 2009.  I just knew it would be life-changing for me, just like my first laptop in 1996.  It was.  I've been reading like crazy ever since it arrived.  

I think it was the weight of paper books and having to store them somewhere that kept me from reading much.  The library was always closed when I was home.  Amazon had good prices on books, but I had to wait for the book to arrive.  Sometimes by the time the book arrived, I would forget why I wanted to read it!  The Kindle solved every single one of those issues and turned me from a non-reader into a voracious one.  It was kinda like they invented it for me.


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## LaRita (Oct 28, 2008)

Like many others here have mentioned, my house was becoming overrun with books.  I saw the K1 on Amazon while Christmas shopping in 2007 and immediately lusted after it.  By March of 2008, I was finally able to convince myself and DH that the $399 investment would be worth it.  I've never looked back.  When the K3 came out, I pre-ordered and received it on release day.  Can't imagine living without it.

And, by the way, our bookshelves have become at least 1 layer less cluttered as I gradually replace paper books with e-books.


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## SongbirdVB (Nov 18, 2008)

sebat said:


> I must be easy. Kindle didn't have to seduce me, 2 seconds and I was had.


This^^

I was on Amazon one day in August '08 and saw the Kindle on the home screen. $399 was, and still is, a LOT of money... but I had to look at it and see why it would be worth it. That's it, I was sold. The next challenge was convincing my husband, who is not a big reader, that I HAD to have it. I showed it to him on Amazon, talked about it all the time, essentially bugged him about it constantly. By November it had dropped $50 in price, and he couldn't stand it any more. He gave me his credit card, said "Merry Christmas, order the da*n thing" and the rest was history.  The following November I got a K2 and my daughter got my K1 for Christmas. My K3 came home this past October, and my husband inherited my K2. A few weeks later he told me that the Kindle is the ONLY way to read. I said "Really?"  The good news is that he's been spending significantly less time watching TV and more time reading ever since! YAY KINDLE!

Moral of the story: How to get what you want... slow but constant whining.


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## Lisa J. Yarde (Jul 15, 2010)

The ability to get books right away did it for me. I'm not an impulse buyer by nature, but that's changed with the Kindle. And the pricing? Don't get me started on the pricing. I can feed my need to read, in an instant and cheaply or sometimes, even for free, too? Yes, more, please!


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## MoonStarRaven (Mar 4, 2011)

I have always loved to read, I'll read anything I can get my hands on. I had no idea that ebooks even existed. I've spent years watching my nephews play video games on their Nintendo DS systems, and how they could carry all their little games with them. More often then not I'd be watching them play and switch their games for a long time after I'd finished the one book I'd been able to take with me and think... How cool would it be to be able to have a bunch of little cartridges with books on them so I would never run out of things to read. But I thought that was just wishful thinking. Then one day I saw an ad for a Kindle and here I am. LOL

I spend SO much time sitting in waiting rooms (I drive people to their medical appointments) That being able to have not only such a large variety of reading material with me but to have it on a gadget that just slides right into my purse is like a dream come true!


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## perryluvr (Feb 7, 2010)

For me, it was when my boyfriend got one and let me read a couple of books on it. The 2 things that first attracted me to it, was the ease of laying in bed in a _comfortable_ position, and the dictionary at my fingertips. Now after owning mine for nearly a year, i realized it's not any different than my love for my ipod. Even though I don't switch books nearly as much as I switch what I'd like to listen to on a daily basis.... having all my books with me at all times = heaven!


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## fancynancy (Aug 9, 2009)

SongbirdVB said:


> Moral of the story: How to get what you want... slow but constant whining.


Sounds like a winning method to me!


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## KyahCA (Mar 7, 2011)

I used to think the Kindle was pointless. But now I've realized how practical they are, AND they're good for the environment. . I don't have a Kindle though. I've only just started looking into them, and I think I'm going to ask for one for my birthday that's coming up. I love to read, but I have this condition where my hands sweat a lot, especially when I'm reading and touching books and the paper and everything makes my hands sweat more and it's just really uncomfortable. I usually do most of my reading during the winter when I can sit by an open window to keep my hands cool, but during the summer I can't get any reading done at all. The Kindle will make it so much for comfortable to read again. I can't wait.


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## Adria Townsend (Feb 24, 2011)

A lot of my friends and family members are close to being seduced by Kindle, but say the one thing keeping them from getting one is they don't like to read on a screen.  Does that bother any of you?  Do you think your eyes get more tired while reading on a kindle than reading a print-version?


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

J. S. Laurenz said:


> A lot of my friends and family members are close to being seduced by Kindle, but say the one thing keeping them from getting one is they don't like to read on a screen. Does that bother any of you? Do you think your eyes get more tired while reading on a kindle than reading a print-version?


 E-ink is more like a paper page than a computer monitor. It's only a 'screen' in the technical sense. That's what's great about it.


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## mooshie78 (Jul 15, 2010)

Yep, it's just as easy on the eyes as paper.

It won't tire the eyes like an LCD screen on a computer or iPad will (though those don't bother my eyes much personally).

Only thing I'd say is that if you often read in very dim lighting where a book or magazine is tough to see, then the Kindle will be tough as well unless you use a clip on light since it's not back lit.  Something like the iPad might be better for people who often read in dim areas.

Otherwise, the Kindle is great and is just as readable as a book--just requires a light source same as a book does!


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## Raybrite (Feb 9, 2011)

I live in the Philippines out in the Province. I was tired of paying $10-15 for shipping on a book. I have downloaded enough kindle books to more than pay for the kindle and I can carry it anywhere and choose which book I want to read. 
Yesterday I was waiting with some small children and I oppened a children's book for them to read.
It's great!
Ken


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## Adria Townsend (Feb 24, 2011)

Hi there, 
Thanks for the comments about e-ink being easy on the eyes.  I didn't realize a kindle is not backlit.  I guess that makes all the difference?  I've heard being on the computer late at night plays with your internal clock and then gives you a restless night of sleep because of the brightness.  So I'm assuming this isn't a problem with Kindle?  

There's a big learning curve for e-readers.  My sales are going up now that I'm getting the word out that e-books can be read on computers, iPhones, etc., and that you don't have to stay online to read an entire book.  All the things we've taken for granted with print books, like review copies have to be rethought.  I'm waiting to hear from my local library on how to go about donating a "copy" to their collection, since they hire an outside company to manage their ebooks.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

Raybrite said:


> I live in the Philippines out in the Province. I was tired of paying $10-15 for shipping on a book. I have downloaded enough kindle books to more than pay for the kindle and I can carry it anywhere and choose which book I want to read.
> Yesterday I was waiting with some small children and I oppened a children's book for them to read.
> It's great!
> Ken


Even though I live in the U.S.A. I was tired of paying for shipping, too, plus trying to store all the books I have (which are in piles all over the house). With the Kindle, I can download books with abandon, get them immediately, and not have to find storage space. More importantly, though, is that I've always had a list of books (classics) I wanted to read at some point, but just couldn't afford the cost of the physical books. Many of them are free on the Kindle and suddenly, I have access to all the books I've wanted to read but couldn't afford.

I totally love the Kindle for that reason. In fact, I just bought my husband one because he wanted to read some books by Ben Franklin and Thomas Payne, which are FREE!

The Kindle ROCKS!


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## Mark Young (Dec 13, 2010)

I started out with a Nook. But since I was coming out with my own novel through Amazon, I thought I'd better buy one so that I could make sure the format was right once published. Kindle won me over in a few clicks. It is faster, easier, and less complicated to use. Now, my Nook is gathering dust, except when I need to check if my next eBook novel needs to be checked for formating--than I pull it out. Kindle rules.


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## Tara Maya (Nov 4, 2010)

My husband is an engineer and always likes to get the latest tech toys. He also has a not-so-secret agenda to get rid of all my print books -- I own an extensive library. Because of this I was skeptical and suspicious when he wanted to buy me a kindle.

"You'll love it, you read all the time."

"I don't really need one."

He bought me one anyway... Now he just smirks, "I told you so!"


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

Tara Maya said:


> My husband is an engineer and always likes to get the latest tech toys. He also has a not-so-secret agenda to get rid of all my print books -- I own an extensive library. Because of this I was skeptical and suspicious when he wanted to buy me a kindle.
> 
> "You'll love it, you read all the time."
> 
> ...


That is a cute story!


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

Amy Corwin said:


> Even though I live in the U.S.A. I was tired of paying for shipping, too, plus trying to store all the books I have (which are in piles all over the house). With the Kindle, I can download books with abandon, get them immediately, and not have to find storage space. More importantly, though, is that I've always had a list of books (classics) I wanted to read at some point, but just couldn't afford the cost of the physical books. Many of them are free on the Kindle and suddenly, I have access to all the books I've wanted to read but couldn't afford.
> 
> I totally love the Kindle for that reason. In fact, I just bought my husband one because he wanted to read some books by Ben Franklin and Thomas Payne, which are FREE!
> 
> The Kindle ROCKS!


When I got my Kindle for Christmas I had no idea there were free books. I'm just exploring that aspect of the Kindle now. I love free, but I am willing to pay good money for a good read too.


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## bamboolemur (Mar 10, 2011)

Seduction, eh? lol.

I would it's the price. 

$139? really? for real? hook me up.

dramatization


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## RChaffee (Mar 3, 2011)

Like a woman, a gadget need only be itself to seduce me, but I bought one for my mom, and she says it was the lack of a binding, and the ease on the eyes that seduced her.


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## NightGoat (Feb 2, 2011)

I got to borrow my niece's Kindle for a week. The thing started to mimic my body language and mannerisms. It began to dress like me and liked the same bands I do and... actually, I was really impressed with the screen, the book management and the the selection, amount of free to cheap books I could find on Amazon.  

I was bored with the nook and wasn't interested in the colour nook at all. 
The Kindle, it rocks me like a hurricane.


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## Amy Corwin (Jan 3, 2011)

I liked the screen the best of the ebook readers out there.
And I ran out of space in our "library" (and on the floors--stacks of books everywhere) and...while browsing I found books all over the place that I wanted to read for el cheapo prices and that did it for me.

Absolutely love my Kindle. And I discovered that I now prefer to read my Kindle than a "real book" because I don't have trouble holding it open. And I can get books when I travel and not have to find luggage space.
Cool beans.


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

RChaffee said:


> Like a woman, a gadget need only be itself to seduce me, but I bought one for my mom, and she says it was the lack of a binding, and the ease on the eyes that seduced her.


That's a sexy reply!


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## Adria Townsend (Feb 24, 2011)

Thanks to the great info here I was prepared for my interview yesterday on NHPR when they asked me about kindles and if people really like them. I spoke about how this thread informed me that kindles aren't backlit and it's a different experience from reading on the computer. Thanks! Here's a link to the interview. 
http://www.nhpr.org/kindling-flame-eromance


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## Hoosiermama (Dec 28, 2009)

For me, it was curiosity as much as anything. I love computers and gadgets, and when Christmas 2009 rolled around, and DH couldn't come up with any ideas of what to get me, I said "How about a Kindle?" He'd never heard of them. I'd never even SEEN one, but he asked the English teachers at his school (he's a counselor) what they thought...and all of them said they'd love to have one. So, since he's technophobic, he suggested going to the mall and looking at the Nook. It was ok, but didn't really knock my socks off, plus it wouldn't be available til late February. So I went online and did some research on the various ereaders, and still liked the Kindle best. Ordered it on 12/23, and it arrived on 12/24!

I've been hooked on it from day one, when honestly, at the time I asked for it, it was as much for curiosity as much as to get rid of some of the paperbacks sitting around the house. The week after Christmas, I hauled most of my books to Half Price Books (except for the ones I really wanted to keep), and bought an Amazon gift card. I think the first two months I had the kindle I racked up a HUGE amount on the credit card on books!

So now, when a birthday rolls around or Christmas, and my kids want to know what to get me, my first response? AMAZON GIFT CARD!


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## tekielszynski (Mar 2, 2011)

Ciareader said:


> So did Kindle seduce you?


http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seduce

"seduce - induce to have sex"

Did this topic is sexual harassment


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## Ann in Arlington (Oct 27, 2008)

tekielszynski said:


> http://www.thefreedictionary.com/seduce
> 
> "seduce - induce to have sex"
> 
> Did this topic is sexual harassment


We're talking about the FIRST definition: 1. To lead away from duty, accepted principles, or proper conduct.


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## WayneBowyer (Feb 27, 2011)

Mine was a gift from my wife and daughter. I am dealing with a fairly rare neurological disorder called Guilliam Barre Syndrome. Hit me last May. Long story short is that my hands are hard hit in that holding and turning pages of a conventional book is very difficult. I have fallen in love with the blending of two personal favorites......electronics and books(reading)!

A few years back I argued what many have said in that I did not want conventional books to fall by the wayside. I still love books but I think I have a glimpse of the future as well. I see where this web site is a good resource as well. To those responsible I offer my thanks.

Wayne
Staunton, Va


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## ayuryogini (Jan 3, 2010)

My main deciding factor was after taking a trip to South Africa, when I was in the midst of reading a big fat novel. I loved the idea of being able to take so many books with me when travelling.  I also love that my house, already overrun with books I love, isn't becoming more crowded.

Now that I've had the Kindle for 1 1/2 years, I couldn't imagine being without it.


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## crash86 (Oct 8, 2010)

I had a Sony reader but being in the UK and not having much of a choice when it came to books selection and the extremely high cost of e-books for it I needed a change but didn't know to what.  When I saw that Amazon was coming out with the K3 (and after much research) I decided that this was what I had been looking for.  It is thin, hold more books than the Sony, the books were way cheaper and a larger selection of as well as freebies!  I loved that you can shop from it and that it comes with a built in dictionary. It is a classier design than my old Sony and because the Kindle doesn't need any extra software programs to download books with, it is easier to use. 

Space was another factor. Hub was complaining about my books taking over our small house and even though I would have clear outs I brought in just as many as I got rid of lol.  Now storage space isn't an issue.


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## CherryHeart (Mar 14, 2011)

My cousin got a kindle from her fiance and was bragging about it. After hearing all it could do I was pretty sold. I love the feel of a book in my hand, and was worried about reading on a computer screen. It's not at all like reading on a computer, it looks just like a page in a paper book. Living in a small town without a bookstore, and not being able to make the 150 mile round trip when I want a book, there were many times I got really excited about a book, and forgot all about it before I ever made it to a book store. Books are also expensive, and our tiny library seems to never have the books I want. I have ordered so many books from amazon, and eagerly await the mail for them. Now, I can pop on and grab a new book when I want to, right when it comes out, and if I don't have the funds for purchasing a new book I can search the thousands of free classics and read them. I am very pleased with my Kindle. I would say that I was excited about the kindle after I heard in detail all it could do, but I really fell for it after I got it in my hands.


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## Elk (Oct 4, 2010)

CherryHeart said:


> Living in a small town without a bookstore, and not being able to make the 150 mile round trip when I want a book, there were many times I got really excited about a book, and forgot all about it before I ever made it to a book store. Books are also expensive, and our tiny library seems to never have the books I want.


Under these circumstances an ereader must be near unbearably exciting. Wonderful!


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## markarayner (Mar 14, 2011)

Like many men, I am easily seduced, but I think it was the promise of how easy it was.  Not to mention the allure of many, many (reading) pleasures in one place.


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## gramps50 (Mar 19, 2011)

I guess what got me interested was the fact that the Kindle app came on my new Android phone  so I downloaded some free ebooks for it and started reading, that pretty much got me hooked.

I thought the concept was great a couple of years ago when they 1st came out, but at $259 I thought it was a little pricey for someone who would rather page through a magazine. I do a lot of reading on the computer but not the book kind more tech articles, forums and the like. I had decided in the back of my mind that i needed to start reading more, books can be cumbersome to carry around so what was the next best thing or maybe the best thing an ebook reader. So I started checking out the major players. I pretty much had it down to the Kindle and the NOOK. Oh did I mention the price has now come down to what I consider affordable? 

Anyway I started reading reviews and watching YouTube videos on the different ones. Finally I was ready to buy so I went to the store pretty much knowing what I was going to buy bit had to do a hands on first. After playing with the Kindle and the NOOK in the store I discovered I could pick up the Kindle and use it without much trouble. The NOOK was cumbersome to get around in if you ask me and I am a tech guy, I have more tech gadgets and the law allows, just ask my wife. The Kindle just felt better to me so that is what I purchased.

Frankly if the price was still $259 I don't think I would have purchased one but at $139 it an almost have to have type thing.


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## didjaever (Mar 2, 2011)

The price of the Kindle 3 hooked me after 12-month's of thinking about it. I LOVE IT!!


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## tamborine (May 16, 2009)

I read about Kindle online when it first came out. Up until that point, I'd had no clue that e-readers even existed, although if I'd known, I probably would've bought one. So Kindle didn't really have to seduce me, it just had to let me know it was there, and that was it!


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## Ciareader (Feb 3, 2011)

tamborine said:


> I read about Kindle online when it first came out. Up until that point, I'd had no clue that e-readers even existed, although if I'd known, I probably would've bought one. So Kindle didn't really have to seduce me, it just had to let me know it was there, and that was it!


I think that is always the way with true loves!


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## tng_in_cheek (Mar 31, 2011)

I used to own a Sony Reader, which gave up the ghost, so I was searching for replacement.

What decided the issue for me was Kindle's out-of-the-box support for Cyrillic fonts - I found that to get this on competition is awkward, at the least, if at all possible. So, now I can read Russian-language ebooks, of which I have, mmm... plenty


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## musclehead (Dec 29, 2010)

RChaffee said:


> Like a woman, a gadget need only be itself to seduce me, but I bought one for my mom, and she says it was the lack of a binding, and the ease on the eyes that seduced her.


No kidding. It's a gadget. It doesn't even have to try. (Although, I wouldn't mind a _woman_ trying now and then.)


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## TLM (Apr 8, 2010)

Linjeakel said:


> I've always been a huge fan of any gadgets and gizmos - can't resist them. I've also always been an enthusiastic reader, having at least one book on the go at any time, so inevitably space was becoming an issue as the books took over the house. Something which combined my two passions was kind of a no-brainer for me. There was never any doubt I would eventually get one!


Exactly, me too.


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## Steve Emmett (Mar 31, 2011)

I'm not a gadget person. It was getting my book published in e-format that forced me to buy a Kindle and am I glad! I love it and feel miserable when a book I want is only in print.


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## Russell Brooks (Dec 23, 2010)

For me, one thing that I didn't like was having to wait a few weeks for a physical book to be delivered to my home if I ordered online. And with my busy schedule, time is money, so I don't like having to travel to the boostore, search for a book, wait in the checkout line before I can get it. With Amazon's one-click feature and instant download in under five seconds, I save a lot of time and money.


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## endhalf (Dec 7, 2010)

Well, in my case I seduced Kindle


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## stormhawk (Apr 29, 2009)

I think it winked and did the hair-flip thing.

I was an RCA eBook owner. Still am, although I can't use the thing since they shut down their support and store that they said would be available forever. Actually, that factor kept me away from the Kindle for a number of months ... and then I just took the plunge on a K1. A KDXg and K3wifi later and I'm a junkie. 

It just kind of happened.


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## SilverMaple (Oct 20, 2010)

I got a Kindle because of instant gratification and we live out in the sticks-- if I see a book I want, I don't have to order it online and wait a week to get it, or drive an hour to the nearest bookstore and hope they have it.

I went with a Kindle over a Nook because the page turn was faster, and it was lighter, which enabled me to have an Oberon cover and not suffer handstrain while reading for hours.


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## markarayner (Mar 14, 2011)

SilverMaple said:


> I got a Kindle because of instant gratification


This didn't seduce me, but it's one of the things I love about my Kindle!


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## AnnetteL (Jul 14, 2010)

My husband is a gadget guy. He got a K1 because it was a cool new thing. Reading THAT is what hooked me. He got me a K3 for my birthday, and now I read mine way more than he reads his.

One of the biggest lures for me: It's tiny and can fit in my purse, yet can carry as big a book (or BOOKS) as I want.


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