Something To Get (Kindle...I'm curious about you...)

So I've seen the Kindle out and about lately and have wondered about the new and seemingly-nifty little gadget. The thing that has intrigued me the most about the paperless reading devise is that it is just that....paperless! In all of my save-a-tree glory (mind you I'm not perfect, I use paper too, but I try to conserve where I can) this seems like a fabulous invention to cut out out wasteful paper usage. Now don't get me wrong, there are plenty of books that I feel are better suited to traditional print. You can't always get the same effect out of a machine that you can out of a tactile, beautifully designed and beautifully crafted collection of words and images on paper. But there are a lot of opportunities for this little bad-boy to save some serious foliage.

Now I will also note that I question the environmental drawbacks due to the production of this unit. I question...how much water was used, what resources were depleted in the manufacturing of the parts, etc.. To be honest, I don't have the answers to those questions. And those are hard things to find out about (believe me I tried). But for an avid reader and/or someone who hates the clutter of newspapers and books taking up space, this unit seems to be a way to address those concerns, as well as a concern about the rain forests at the same time.

The rain forests cannot be replenished. And while paper can be recycled, not nearly enough of it actually IS being recycled. Water and other environmental resources can't be replenished either, however manufacturing processes are finding ways to do more with less.

I haven't actually seen one of these in person, let alone tried one out, so I have no idea what it's actually like to use a Kindle. But if I get the chance to test one, I'll make sure to add an update with a review. It may end up on my Christmas list due to the price tag ($359), but I think I'll see if I can try a test run first.

Let me know if you've tried one. I'd love to hear your thoughts.