Why I Don't Own A Kindle

I’m one of the rare few who don’t have an iPod or iPhone. I don’t even have cable TV or a KitchenAid. So it shouldn’t come as any surprise that I don’t have an e-reader.

Yet.

I’d probably enjoy a Kindle (or Nook or Sony or whatever). It would save my back muscles from lugging around books in a huge tote every day. Packing would be a lot easier for my upcoming trip to Seattle. But there are several reasons I don’t own an e-reader, and here are the top 3…

Doesn’t Have The Same Dependability

I just found out last night that for some book formats, Kindle can just zap your book gone. Take it back. Wave a magic wand and suddenly you can’t read it anymore. Not that thugs in jackboots couldn’t come into my house and swipe a book off my shelf, but seriously, I think there’s less likelihood of that happening. For a cited example from the New York Times, click here.

And what if an E Bomb does hit? Whammo. End of reading on that that little electronic device, whereas my hard copies will always be ready to crack open.

Doesn’t Have The Same Feel

I’m tactile. I like to hold a book in my hand, fold over the crisp pages into dog ears, hear the thick squidge of a highlighter dragging across paper. And don't even get me started on pressing down sticky notes and flags...love em! While I realize dog-earring and highlighting are possibilities on an e-reader, it just wouldn't be the same touchy-feely experience.

Doesn’t Have The Same Smell

Maybe if they bottled up the unique smell of ink on paper, put it into aerosol format, then added a little dispenser thingee on the e-reader which could squirt some out (like air fresheners in public restrooms), I’d rethink this point.

So, there you have it. My reasons for not owning a Kindle, Nook or Sony Reader. Now if someone were to give me one, say for Mother’s Day or a birthday, perhaps (excessive throat clearing for those to whom a small cough holds meaning), I would certainly think about revamping this list into Why I Own A Kindle.