Kindle Post

PRODUCT NAME: The Kindle
TYPE: E-book reader
MANUFACTURER: Foxconn for Amazon.com

RATING
5/5 "The Alphabet"; 4/5 "The printing press"; 3/5 "Papyrus"; 2/5 "The Da Vinci Code"; 1/5 "Danielle Steel"
SCORE: 3/5

I view the Kindle a bit like the invention of papyrus by the ancient Egyptians. Bear with me. For centuries, any time King Tut or the Assyrian emperor had something they desperately wanted to tell people, "Nubile virgins wanted" or "Mission accomplished in Iraq" and that kind of thing, they'd bang it into stone and make damn sure people would still be reading about the drubbing he gave the Iraqis or the lamentable virgin shortage, three thousand years later.

Then, some clever-clogs points out how much quicker, easier, more convenient, more compact and portable it would be to scribble all the words on bits of mashed-up plant pulp. Voila, papyrus! Only snag is, it rots in moist air. Or crumbles in dry. And tears. And burns. Papyrus, in other words, was a step forwards in convenience, but a step back in permanence.

So too with Amazon.com's Kindle E-book reader, if not more so. Not only does the Kindle transform books into that most delicate of media, 1s and 0s flitting about in server-space, but also its longevity is inevitably linked to that of its producer, Amazon.com, a company that didn't even exist until 15 years ago.

Yes, yes, this is all very retrograde and reactionary of me. I cheerfully confess, as an E-book reader, the Kindle is superb. The E Ink display is crisp and easy on the eyes, and flipping through the pages is as smooth and seamless as reading the old-fashioned paper kind. The small screen on the Kindle 2 (I haven't tried the larger DX version) means there's more flipping to do, but since this is so effortless, it's hardly a drawback. The battery power appears generous, enough for endless hours of constant reading without pausing for a recharge. The built-in free 3G wireless connectivity is nice if a bit slow, letting you grab new titles or samples almost anywhere you please. The physical design too is pleasingly clean and simple, although I found the thumb-activated joystick for navigating menus a little clumsy.

The extra bells and whistles outside or reading E-books seem less well done, however. There is a very basic web browser, which can just about handle Wikipedia but soon collapses, whimpering, when presented with sites more graphic-intensive. The lack of navigation tools is also aggravating, and makes browsing a bit like trying to access the Internet using only a "Pong" controller. In addition, there is also a text-to-audio feature which can read books to you, although I must admit I was never tempted to try.

To reiterate, the Kindle excels for reading books, but falters for anything else. To mangle the famous epigram of Greek poet Archilocus, the Kindle knows just one trick, but it's a good one.

Rather than any specific beef with the Kindle per se, my concern is with the whole concept of an E-book reader. Electronic hardware and the data you store inside them are terribly fragile, and are rapidly overtaken by new technological progress. I've taken my digital camera in to be repaired twice over the last three years. A computer crash wiped out a large chunk of my photo album. Never had to repair or replace a book. Although I never bothered to upgrade my videotapes to DVD, I've replaced my music collection twice already, once with CDs, and now with MP3s. I don't particularly look forward to doing the same with my library.

In short, I believe (I hope) that the Kindle and other E-book readers are never more than toys for boys, something to slip into the suitcase rather than taking an armful of paperbacks on holiday, perhaps an aid to those whose eyes and hands are not as sprightly as they once were. E-books and papyrus are all right for some things, but it's comforting to know some things are set in stone for future generations to enjoy.