The Kindle

I can not overestimate my enthusiasm at the handy little gadget that is the Kindle. Speaking as a bookworm as well as a tree-hugger, there are many little battles to be won on going electronic. And I do like the slightly nostalgic idea of the black-and-white, as well as the energy-saving technology that also saves on the eyes.

Amazon quite recently released their second generation machine, the Kindle 2, as they imaginatively call it, and yes, my interest persists. Upon first hearing about e-readers in general I was delighted, but was told that there are yet to be any on the market actually worth the money. This, unfortunately, still seems to be the case.

For although I will admit I am very, very fond the tree-slaughter trophies that occupy my bookshelf at present, their proposed physical absence is not the sole reason of my concern. First of all, its budgetly Applish outers do not allure me. The design is indeed cleverer than its predecessor's, but to perfection it clearly has some way to go.

But the most important thing is the range of books available, and at this point I find only disappointment. I ran my bucket list through the online Kindle Store and came out with a meagre 39% of the works. To a high degree, the site is void of both popular literature (with the exception of mind-numbing chick-lit and crime) and classics.

And though I will grant them that the prices are generally decent, they are yet to win me over. For, stingy as I am, my loyalty is hard to acquire without a few free samples.