It’s almost tough to remember now, but a little over a decade ago, most people didn’t want to read on smartphones or (conventional) tablets. Many phones – like theiPhone 4s– were still under the six-inch mark, which left little room for a page of text, never mind an illustration in a graphic novel. It was possible to fix that by buying a tablet, but iPads were still relatively thick and heavy, and even theNexus 7still had the problem of burning your eyes out in a dim room.
That’s how the Amazon Kindle and other e-ink devices became successful. I owned one myself – the originalKindle Paperwhitefrom 2012. But over the years, I started using it less and less, and now I’m not even sure where I last put it. You’d think that would be the end of my interest in e-readers. Somehow, though, I’m finding myself tempted by them once again.
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Why I first drifted away from my Kindle
Personal and technological shifts
The most direct reason is that my reading habits changed. As a tech journalist, I spend a lot of my workday reading news articles, social media, and source documents, so at the end of the day, reading even more can be unappealing. Frequently, I’d rather play a game or watch videos. In 2013, I took a serious interest in weightlifting, to the point that the hobby now consumes several hours per week. Time has become a precious commodity, especially with a wife and kid in the picture.
The most direct reason, honestly, is that my reading habits changed.
Technological evolution played a part, too. While early iPads were too heavy for long reading sessions, later models became increasingly thin and light, making them acceptable substitutes for a Kindle, if not a true replacement. When I got an iPhone 13 in 2021, its 6.1-inch OLED display solved any issues I had with portability or reading in dim lighting. OLED may not be as pleasant on the eyes as e-ink, but it’s not as searing in the dark as an LCD.
In retrospect, I may also have been coping with ADHD, which can sometimes make it tough to focus on conversations, let alone a novel. I only recently learned that I might have the condition – we’ll see how that pans out.
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Why I might return to the Kindle fold
Better habits, new tech
If it turns out that I do have ADHD, treatment could make books appealing once again. Before my mid-20s, my attention span was slightly better – I’d read books on lunch breaks, everything from Star Wars novels to Carl Sagan and Edgar Allan Poe. It’s been years since I’ve finished something cover-to-cover, and that thought gnaws at me sometimes.
I’ve been meaning to dip into Kurt Vonnegut’s classics for ages.
Without or without attention problems, I feel like an e-reader would be a healthier way to wind down at night. It’s something quiet I could do in the company of my family, and it would stimulate my mind while helping me de-stress for better sleep. At the moment, I get some of that mental activity from mySteam Deck, but it may not be all that relaxing.
I feel like an e-reader would be a healthier way to wind down at night.
Modern Kindles are also more appealing than anything I had in 2012. They’re bigger, brighter, and sharper, and Amazon finally released a color model recently in the form of the Kindle Colorsoft. That device had some initialquality control problems– and it’s still unavailable here in Canada – but it would give me an excuse to read more comic books and graphic novels. I’m not much of a comics fan, but I do follow Marvel characters like Punisher and Daredevil, and authors like Alan Moore.
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Should I really buy another Kindle?
Some final thoughts
There’s no guarantee I’ll actually get another Kindle. A Kindle Colorsoft is $280, which is a lot to spend on something that’s only useful for reading. That cost might be mitigated by mostly downloading free books, say from alocal library, but still – $280 would go a long way towards a new phone or OLED tablet.
I’m thinking that waiting a little longer might pay off.
There are other color e-readers out there, too, from brands likeKoboandBoox. Indeed, I’d rather not give more money to Amazon, given its anti-labor practices and its dominant position in the book industry. I’m just realistic – I already own a few Kindle titles, and I know that if I choose Amazon, I’ll be able to read just about anything.
I’m thinking that waiting a little longer might pay off. Color e-ink is bound to get better, and it’s increasingly common for e-readers to double as note-taking and web browsing devices. It might be easier to justify one if I can use it to brainstorm new writing projects without the temptation of games and social media being a few taps away.
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