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The Kindle: Amazon’s new wireless faux pas, or what not to buy me for Christmas

I love gadgets! I love technology. From my laptop to my iPhone, I’m always on the lookout for something new, flashy and fun to use and play with. But looking over Amazon’s new Kindle, what comes to mind is, “you must be kidding!” Is it me, or is this one of the dumbest new products to hit the market?

There are several things that annoy me about the Kindle:

1. The name: Kindle. Say it three times … out loud. Go ahead, I dare you. Even saying it once, it sounds more like a child’s toy than that of a new, hip electronic gadget. As names go, it’s definitely on par with the Microsoft Zune and we all know how that has turned out don’t we (I’ve never met, or even seen anyone that has a Zune).

2. Why would I buy a book without the book? When it comes to pleasures, such as reading, there is nothing more sacred and organic than a real book; printed words on paper. The touch, feel and smell of books cannot be replicated. Don’t get me wrong, I do read articles and magazines online. Online reading has its place, but I can use a laptop, or phone for online reading, both of which have rich service offerings and are much more than electronic books. I can’t share it with friends, loan it out like I do my books, or better yet, recycle it in the used book section of my local bookstore.

3. The content you download for the Kindle is DRMed (protected by Digital Rights Management). If I buy a book today, will I be able to read it 5 years from now? Technology changes quickly, and the technology of today will be changed, or history, in 5 years. Amazon isn’t exactly a technology company. Since the Kindle doesn’t even support PDF file formats, one of the most widely used formats, paint me suspicious.

4. It costs $400.00, and that’s expensive. Almost as expensive as a lower end computer and too expensive for a reading tool (and that’s pretty much all it is folks, a reading tool). I can buy an iPhone for the same price and an iPhone provides me multiple uses, including reading capabilities.

5. The price of the books, on average, is $9.99, which is reasonable, but not when you consider I can buy both new used books for around $7.00. At the rate in which I read, I’d be able to drop a hundred bucks in no time flat and still end up scrounging my bookshelves for more reading material.

6. It’s not aesthetically pleasing. It looks clunky. It’s too big to fit in a pocket, or a purse, unless your purse is the size of Texas. Again, compare the Kindle to an iPhone, in which the iPhone fits perfectly in my hands and DOES fit in my purse. As an extra ding, the Kindle is white, which means it will be dirty in a week (check your keyboards and home phones if you don’t believe me) and who wants to carry around a dirty kindle? Wouldn’t black have been more savvy for a tech gadget? Again, I revert back to my opinion that this is reminiscent of a child’s toy.

I’ve been an Amazon supporter since they first opened up their URL for business. As much as I like and support Amazon, I have to wonder just what “team Kindle” was thinking when they rolled out this dud of a product. Revolutionary? I don’t think so. On my list of must have Christmas gifts? Definitely not. You’ll never see me own anything with a name like Kindle.

Unique Christmas Gifts

Sometimes I’m at a loss about what to buy people for Christmas. My dad pretty much has everything he needs (and wants) and he’s not the only person I struggled with this year insofar as gift giving.

This year I personalized seveeral gifts, making my dad, and my friend Gloria, photography books of their favorite subjects. My dad loves animals, particularly deer, as he has many who roam freely on his property in Oregon. I made another book for my friend Gloria (who hopefully isn’t reading this blog & will now understand why she usually has a camera shoved in her face!). Her favorite topic is her dog, Champ, who travels everywhere with her (you rarely see Gloria without Champ). I’ve seen books and calendars that some of my colleagues have made and the books, in particular, are beautiful; hardbound, with personalized jacket covers. I was speechless when I saw the book my friend Kevin made last year for his girlfriend. I've included the front of my dad's book and the back of my sister's book below (oops, one more person now prohibited from reading my blog)!

If you’re a Mac user, making one-of-a-kind books, cards and calendars is a snap, using either iPhoto or Aperture. If you’re not a Mac user, there are similar programs that run on Windows. The concept is still the same. I used iPhoto for the book I made my dad. I had a blast picking out the pictures I had taken over the years and then using the templates to assemble my book and I was addicted to this great, user-friendly application the minute after I started. In a nutshell, you select what you want to do, create a book, greeting cards or a calendar. Once you make your selection the application shows you different kinds of templates. You create your project, import your photos and begin laying the photos out according to the template. I decided to somewhat alter the standard template, which was as easy as selecting the layout icon at the bottom of the page. You can also add and delete pages, change your mind about pictures, text, etc., with the click of your mouse. Ordering my books was just as easy. I selected the “buy book” icon and iPhoto immediately launched my Internet connection, uploaded my file and provided me with an immediate confirmation number. A few minutes later I received a matching confirmation email with all the details from my order, including delivery timelines.

I can’t wait for Christmas and I can’t wait for my dad, Gloria and my sister to open their gifts. I know these books will be cherished and provide smiles for many years to come. If you, too, are struggling with what to buy a particular person on your Christmas list and you want to give them something unique, you just might want to consider making your own books, calendars, or personalized greeting cards. It’s a gift from the heart and a gift that keeps on giving.

How to Survive the Christmas Rush

Twas 4 weeks before Christmas
All my shopping was done
I could relax and enjoy the holiday
And have lots of fun

I had time to hang stockings by our chimney with care
And I knew, indeed, that Saint Nick, would soon enough be here

My purchases are arriving, daily, by truck
All I need to do is wrap and gift card them, under the tree they will tuck

What is my secret?
I have not one, but two
I buy one big gift for every person on my list
And one little present, too
And I also shop online, with a swift click of a mouse
So I can stay in my jimmies, enjoy my Christmas carols and not leave the house!

There you have it, my secrets to enjoying my holiday without the stress of fighting all that holiday cheer in malls across the county! Last week, I went to a strip mall, just for beauty supplies, and the shoppers were already circling people walking to their cars, like vultures, hunting for a close parking spot for fear of walking a few more steps. People were in such a hurry that they weren’t even parking in between the lines, which left more than a shopper or two stranded without a parking space, or worse, perhaps, a dent in the door frame. As I watched people coming and going to and from their cars, they didn’t look happy or cheerful. Instead, they looked rushed and tired, as they dashed in and out of the stores. No one was smiling, laughing or looked like they were enjoying any "holiday cheer."

I did several things this year that made my shopping easier, so that I can now sit back and enjoy the Christmas lights, music and venture out only when I feel like it.

1. I made and kept a Christmas list. I keep a “Christmas list” file on my iPhone & computer. Whenever I think of something that I’d like, or something I’d like to give, I record it.

2. I have a box in our spare bedroom with “XMAS” spelled on the side. When I’m out and about during the year and I find something that I know someone would absolutely love and it’s an item that they wouldn’t buy for themselves, I’ll buy it and put it in the box until time to wrap it up for Christmas.

3. 95% of my Christmas shopping is done online. I can search for deals from reputable merchants (more on questionable retailers in another post) and buy considering the cost, combined with shipping charges. Many, if not most, online shopping places have free super saver or low cost shipping.

4. I bought each person one large, rather pricey gift, and one or two smaller intimate gifts.

5. This year I’ve also been able to personalize gifts by taking advantage of online printing of books, cards, and calendars that come built into my Apple products, such as iPhoto and Aperture. For one person, in particular, I have created a one-of-a-kind book that they will cherish, not to mention bring tears to their eyes when they open it up.

This year, unlike many years of Christmas past, I will have enjoyed shopping from the comfort of my studio, decked out in my jimmies, cinnamon tea, Christmas carols playing through my iPod connected to speakers, and even a roaring fire coming from my pseudo fireplace (A laptop looping a QuickTime movie of a roaring fire, complete with the sound of the crackling fire that I taped it myself).

Don’t get me wrong, I’ll still take advantage of enjoying the holiday lights, parties and other fun things that come with Christmas, but only because I'm not stressed about finishing the holiday marathon.