Kindle 2.0 Launches Today; Will it Ever Replace Books?

Amazon's e-book reader Kindle has been given an upgrade, leaving many in a tizzy to get their hands on the portable device. But I must admit, this former English major won't be part of the crowd.

The device is quite impressive. At over a third of an inch thick and weighing 10 ounces, it can hold up to 1,500 books, has a better battery life than the last Kindle (25% better) and a feature that reads the selected book aloud. The new features also include buttons to make it easier to flip pages and a five-way controller to allow for note-taking and highlighting text. You can get all this for a cool $359.

I can understand the intrigue, but I'm just not sold. According to The New York Times' comment box, many people aren't convinced either, but for different reasons.

"At $359 I will never buy one. Perhaps if it were $50 - $100. Otherwise it better come with at least 100 free downloads of any title I want."

"This is an early April Fool's joke, right? . . . Reading books on a tiny device because you CAN doesn't mean you should. The kindle is an answer to a question that no one asked."

"I bought an original Kindle and the buzz wore off after about a week . . . I wonder how, over time, I will be able to "pass down" books that I have read to my children. How does one pass down a Kindle? . . . I'm not sold that the Kindle is the future of books."

It is the last comment that I can identify with. No, I have not used a Kindle, however, I just don't see myself using it regularly even if I did have one. The convenience is helpful, but I'd much rather carry a book along with me, even if it's a hassle or takes up too much room.

One of the best parts of reading a book is the act of reading something solid. It's the sensation of flipping pages, visibly getting closer to the end and a resolution. Sometimes it's the smell of a book. The book could be from your grandmother, a used bookstore or it could be new.

My parents have a copy of "To Kill a Mockingbird." It wasn't passed down by anyone, but was purchased at a used bookstore. Flipping through the pages, I can still see the folded tips when I didn't have a book mark and splatters from when I ate lunch and read at the same time, because I couldn't do one without the other. I recently found out that our puppy ripped off the book's binding and wanted to cry. A book's visible war wounds are endearing. A Kindle can't give you that.

But maybe I'm over exaggerating and take the act of reading far too seriously. Either way, I'll continue to buy my used books and pile them on my bookshelves as long as I am able.

Chloe Albanesius, Kindle 2 Slims Down, Adds Muscle - and Talks, PCMag.com

Brad Stone, Amazon.com's New Kindle Is Lighter, Brighter and Chattier, The New York Times