Daft Old Duffer returns. Guest opinion articles do not necessarily reflect the views of the publication. Ed
I recently bought myself one of those Kindle Touch thingys. And I rather wish I hadn’t.
It’s quite a dinky little thing with many functions. Some of which I am beginning to master. But a book it ain’t. And nor is it a substitute.
Is it convenient?
For a start you can’t check ahead to see how many pages to go before the end of the chapter. Nor can you check the number of the last page and see if you’ve gotten halfway yet. And when you realise you’ve been reading half asleep and you’ve somehow acquired a character you don’t recognise, you can’t leaf back and find out where he or she popped up from.
Or at least, you might be able to if you’ve found out how to do it. Which I haven’t.
All part of the experience
If you’re not much of a book reader you’ll perhaps think such objections are rather petty. But if you do love books and book reading you will know they are an essential part of the reading experience.
As is scanning the author’s biography notes and what else he/she has written, plus the synopsis on the back cover of all the other books the publisher wants to promote.
And, naturally, the overall smell, look and general handle-ability of the book. None of which the grey cold metal of the Kindle can emulate.
Lightens the load?
Amazon obviously realise all this, which is why they concentrate on how easily the thing slips into your pocket or your suitcase. Claiming, quite rightly, that you don’t need to find room for five or six paperbacks when you go on holiday.
Thing of it is, I’ve been on quite a few holidays, each lasting several weeks. And I’ve never felt the need to carry even one paperback with me. On account I travel to see what is there, not to do what I can more comfortably do at home, in my own armchair.
Where, incidentally, I have downloaded the Kindle system to my lappy. Which is easier to read and didn’t cost anything to download.
So, why did I buy the Touch in the first place?
Damned if I know. Some weakness of intellect probably.
Comes in handy ….
I must come clean however and admit I’ve found two uses for my £109 purchase.
One is in the waiting rooms of doctors and dentists, where it helps me avoid browsing hopelessly through the mounds of utterly pointless and out-of-date magazines.
And the other is going to the lavvy. Much more convenient, sitting there, than that newspaper I’ve already read through once anyway.
Image: goxunureview under CC BY 2.0
