In a digital era where all our life begins and ends through an electronic device, whether it is a smartphone, a tablet or a computer, it seems difficult that things as traditional as paper books can continue to have a place in society.
However, there are still and there will be loyalists to the traditional format who will defend its existence and the value of being able to read the words embodied directly on paper.
And this situation is precisely what leads me to ask the following question:
Should I buy a Kindle?
Buying a Kindle and subscribing to its e-book platform is one of the best things any book lover can do. In fact, it is a more affordable option than buying physical books. Kindles let you read wherever you are, and you have access to almost unlimited amounts of books.
Therefore, my recommendation for all those who are hesitating between betting on virtual reading or continue buying physical books until the end of time, will always be the same: buy a Kindle and give yourself the opportunity to have the world's largest library tucked in your pocket. It's worth it.
Below, with the intention of serving as a guide to all those who do not know how to make the transition from physical to electronic format and to convince you that spending a few dollars on a Kindle is worth it, I will answer clearly and concisely a number of key questions regarding this topic.
Take note!
Why you shouldn't buy Kindle?
Even though digital reading is the future and offers us thousands of advantages over the traditional format, I must admit that there will always be a small group of society that will never like this option and will remain loyal to their thousands of years old paper library.
Are you a person over 70 years old? Are you dedicated to the conservation or research of literary works? Are you a lover of antiques? Have you never got along well with technology?
Well then you will probably never get to buy a Kindle, and if you buy it you will not enjoy it and it will end up collecting dust in your drawer.
That's life, not always everything new will end up being accepted in the same way by the whole society. This does not mean that this new modality is not useful, but because of your tastes and your way of life it will never end up adapting to your way of life.
Why a Kindle can be a good investment?
If after my initial plea you still don't feel motivated enough to buy your first Amazon Kindle or subscribe to its services, don't worry.
It is normal to have doubts at the beginning, especially if you are a middle-aged person who has a large private bookstore at home that he appreciates and takes care of like a real treasure.
Despite that, I'm not going to give up and I'm going to continue explaining why buying a Kindle could be the best investment of your life.
And who says that by buying a tablet to read in digital format you can't still go back to your paper books from time to time? They are totally combinable, being able to enjoy the advantages of both formats without having to give up any of them for moral principles.
Here are my main reasons why anyone who loves reading should buy a Kindle as soon as possible.
Endless books at your fingertips
This is possibly the most important reason why everyone ends up buying a Kindle: you can have millions of books in a small device that fits in your pocket.
No need to make room on your bookshelves or store boxes and boxes in your garage with your old stories inside, with a Kindle you can have all those stories (old or new) in one place.
Plus, not only will you be able to enjoy the books on a Kindle tablet, but you'll also be able to access all the titles you buy and download through your iOS and Android devices on which you have the Kindle app active. Sounds good, right?
You can take your library anywhere
Who doesn't like to read on the bus? Or on the beach? Or on the 15-hour plane ride home? Everyone, of course.
However, one of the big drawbacks that every book lover has to deal with is the lack of space: book or diving goggles? In the hand luggage there is little space, but if you have a Kindle that problem will disappear forever. It fits anywhere!
Forget about having to make a selection of books for your next trip and bet big. Buying a Kindle you can take thousands of titles without space problems, being able to read them wherever you want and whenever you want from the comfort offered by the digital format.
Eliminate waiting times
How many times have you had to wait for the novel you've been waiting years for to go on sale at your local bookstore? How many hours of long lines at the mall have you had to wait in order to buy the first copy of your favorite author? Probably too many.
Well, by starting to use the Kindle reading platform all those waiting times will disappear forever.
Amazon is a company with worldwide influence where all the great authors of the moment put their novels on sale, both in physical and digital format, so when a new novel is published you can quickly access it from the comfort of your home and eliminating any waiting time.
Want a book? With your Kindle in just a few seconds you will have it on your device ready for you to read? It's worth a try, don't you think?
Kindle is really affordable
Some people think that spending more than 100 dollars on an electronic reading device is excessive, but the truth is that it is a really profitable investment.
The average price of a book in physical format is around 30 dollars, if we usually buy between 10 and 15 books a year we will be far exceeding the total value of a Kindle reading device.
So, is it worth spending that kind of money initially on a Kindle tablet?
Of course, it is, because you can have millions of titles at a much-reduced price at your fingertips, saving many dollars over time and gaining in convenience and time. So my conclusion is that yes, it is very affordable to buy a Kindle or subscribe to its online features.
It adapts to your needs at any time
Do you read during the day or at night? Do you feel like reading an hour before going to sleep but don't want to use the artificial light in the room? With Kindle you can do it.
The new models that Kindle has launched on the market will allow you to regulate the intensity of the light of their screens, allowing you to read in the middle of the night or during a sunny day without any inconvenience.
Can I Use my tablet as a Kindle?
Yes, of course. In fact this is one of the reasons I explained in one of the previous points, explaining that people who sign up for Kindle's streaming platform will not only be able to read the titles they buy on a Kindle ebook, but also on any other Android and iOS device compatible with its application.
In this way, if you already own a tablet compatible with the Kindle app and you have just contracted the full services offered by the platform you will be able to use it as a support for your reading without any problem. There are no barriers to online reading with Kindle, all are advantages!
What Kindle should you buy
Currently there is a wide variety of Kindles with which you can enjoy hours of reading without limits, however there will always be some models that will stand out above others.
I will explain them below:
Amazon Kindle Oasis (2019)
This Kindle model is the most complete of the range and therefore also the most expensive with a market price of around $250. Although, the high price of this product is more than justified with the numerous features that the model presents compared to its predecessors:
- 7-inch anti-glare screen
- Wifi and mobile connection
- Built-in 25 LED light
- Battery life of up to 6 weeks
- Capacity between 8 and 32 GB
- External page turn buttons
- Gold or Graphite color
Amazon Kindle PaperWhite
The Paperwhite is not the newest model, nor the most complete, but it is the best seller of all. It is a mid-range model that does not stop generating sales year after year, because despite being simpler and simpler it is just as effective and offers the same reading comfort as other more expensive ones.
- 6-inch anti-reflective screen
- Built-in 5 LED light
- Long battery life
- 8 and 32 GB capacity
- WIFI and mobile connection
- Black color
Amazon Kindle (2019)
The amazon Kindle is possibly the simplest model in the range, but it is no less recommendable, especially for those people who are not looking for such a complete reading experience.
- WIFI connection
- Screen 6 inches anti-reflective
- 4 LED light
- Battery life up to 4 weeks
- 8 GB capacity
- Black and white color
Is a Kindle cheaper than buying books?
I will give you the answer to this question in two parts, because this way you will better understand why, despite being a very expensive device, Kindle tablets are cheaper than buying a paper book.
On the one hand, my answer to this question is: no, a Kindle device is not cheaper than a physical book. A paper book usually costs around $25-$30 or even less, while a Kindle ebook is around $100 or more. Therefore, it is clear that its price will always be higher than that of a traditional book.
However, and this is where the key to the success of this device lies, despite the fact that a Kindle tablet can cost up to $130, it will always save us many more dollars than if we had never bought it.
The reason is clear: if a person buys more than 10 books in physical format over a year will be spending more than $ 120, while if you invest initially $ 100 in a single device capable of storing thousands of digital books at a price twice lower than the traditional format, in the same time will get to take advantage of that investment and save more than half the money you would have spent on paper books.
So yes, buying a Kindle is cheaper in the long run than continuing to buy all books in physical format. It is an irrefutable reality.
