If Sherman Alexie is so anti-Kindle, then why are FIVE of his books now available for sale on the Kindle? If he is sincere, then I suggest that he put his money where his mouth is and remove his books from the Kindle.

Haven't these anti-Kindle people ever heard of peaceful co-existence? Hello. You can own a Kindle but read lots of hard-copy books too!

I don't hate kindles. I really don't care about them at all. However, one of best things about reading a book is discussing it with other people. Over the course of my life, I've passed time in airports and bus stations, in laundromats and dentist offices and in hospital waiting roomstalking to complete strangers about the book I or they were holding. I am not in the least tempted to converse. Perhaps this is what the kindle-reader wants anyway. As I type this, regualr contributors to another Sun blog who identify themselves as both introverts and techies come to mind and I wonder if they are kindlers.

Technical question:

I have a Mac laptop that was my daughter-in-law's hand-me-down. In order to see the monitor (screen) well, I have to arrange the lighting very carefully. Turn off the lamp sitting right next to me. Out of the porch in the sun - not an option. I also find - to a much lesser degree - this same phenomenon with my digital camera. (And, indeed, that problem was noted by Consumer Reports) My question is, Does the kindle screen have a problem with light reflection?

I wonder if I was on his plane? I took my Kindle to New York and it is fabulous for when you travel!

I love that the Kindle can be elitist for being too expensive, while not being elitist enough -- you can't silently brag about how smart you are through your book cover.

And Gail has it precisely right -- why can't we have both?

And Eve, the Kindle screen has no backlighting whatsoever. It's built with an "e-ink screen," so you actually need light in order to read it. Otherwise, it'd be like reading a page in a book with no light.

I do not own one, but I am thinking of getting one for my patients to read while they are in the chair. That would be fun.

While I agree that the Kindle could be considered 'elitist', I absolutely love it. I was one of those poor kids, but I grew up reading second and third hand books from a used bookstore and the library. Because of my appetite for the written word I have amassed a library of over 800 books. It is very impressive to look at, however when I move (and as a student and young adult, I move once a year) carting around 40 boxes of books is not fun. So I bought a kindle, to start putting some of my books on so I could put the rest in storage. It has worked like a charm, and i have been reading more of the classics, especially as they are free. There are many drawbacks to the device, but in my opinion, it is like the Ipod. It is expensive, new, flashy and a bit elitist. But it is also convienant, portable, and great for travel and commuter reading. And for those of us book nerds who carry around 3 books everyday in case we finish or get bored with one, this is a great solution.

Putting it simply, I enjoy reading on a Kindle. It's kind of cool. I don't travel THAT much or commute by train/bus, soI do most of my reading at home. No problem. I still enjoy this device rather than a myriad of books. And instead of people asking me about my specific book I'm reading, they ask about the Kindle which launches a discussion about books. Perfect.

I don't understand this “elitist” brand that’s been assigned to Kindle users. This weekend, I met a woman who purchased a Kindle because she didn't have room for all of her books in the trailer she moved into. For avid readers, at a dollar a day for a year, the device will pay for itself pretty quickly. It also saves paper, so it's environmentally friendly. It saves luggage costs (materially and physically) for travelers. The books available on Kindle are much less expensive than hardcover books, so it will get people reading more.

It’s also shortsighted and foolish for writers to complain that they don’t make as much money off of ebooks. The same woman I met this weekend downloaded my book to her Kindle and went on a Kindle message board to tell all of her friends. She got me 25 sales in one afternoon from a group of people who wouldn't have bought my book if it was only available in hard copy. Also, before Kindles, people borrowed each other's books. They didn’t all go out and buy them. Now, if a bunch of Kindle owner's want to read a book, they all download it, resulting in more sales.

Wireless reading devices will not replace hard copy books. I am not into gadgets, myself, and prefer to interact with a text by dog-earing pages, underlining compelling passages, and making notes in the margins. But I can see that not everyone is like me, and that's okay.

Kindles can be a bonus for a person living in a tight space. I am in the process of downsizing from a 2400 sq ft house to a 1200 sq ft apartment. I have culled my books and still have too many. I can't take my bookshelves with me since they are built-ins. So, I'll have to spend money for new bookshelves at my apartment. Although I can appreciate digital technology. I wouldn't want to take it to the beach. Also, I love the fact that most of my books were bough at used bookstores for a fraction of the cost or given to me by friends. I can't pass on along or sell my e-book user rights to offload it.

People might as well get some some kind of digital gadget for books..just like we did for music. You could carry your entire library in one (if it has enough memory..) Try carrying all of your printed books in your personal library around! And, yes, eventually the printed book will go the way of the dinosaur...just as printed newspapers are already doing.

Although I am not really in to high tech gadgets, Kindle is very useful for traveling and save you a lot of luggage space.

I use Kindle and I think its great. Good for the envirionment too.

Yesterday, I was reading a book (not on a Kindle) and spilled my large cup of coffee on it, ruining most of the book. While I was irritated at first, I realized that this is a funny opportunity. For my whole life, I will look at that book and remember spilling my coffee on it while waiting for my oil change at the car dealership. If I had a Kindle in this case, I would be much more annoyed with the situation. If a book gets ruined then you buy a new one for say, $15. If you accidently spill coffee on your Kindle, then you're at a loss.

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