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Convince me I want the Kindle I just won


Shamzanne
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First World Problem alert!!

 

I was so excited to win something! But then I realized that I don't really want a Kindle. Now I feel rather bratty and unsure whether to even open the package.

 

-I don't travel much and never feel like I don't have room for all the books I want to haul around.

-I (strangely) take pride in carrying a book around and choose bags for the express purpose of being large enough for a book. Happily.

-We have use of an IPad already (through my daughter's charter school) and NEVER use it for reading-I vastly prefer reading a bound book. As a typesetter I enjoy the work that goes into preparing a manuscript for print and the art of typography. This is lost in ebooks.

-I read all of the time. My household/church owns a publishing company and bookstore so I have access to zillions of books for free. I can only remember once in the last few years feeling the desire to go out and buy a book.

 

There is no one in my life who I would give this to as a gift. Selling this could cause hurt feelings but I could really, really use the money. It is a paperwhite, if that makes a difference.

 

Any thoughts? Is there a reason I really want this thing that I'm not thinking of?

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I resisted the Kindle at first, but have loved mine for several years now (the paperwhite is my 3rd, 1st & 2nd were gifts). Many libraries, and Amazon Prime, now have e-book "loans", so you don't necessarily have to buy books.

 

I like it when I'm reading more than one thing at a time, or can't decide / change my mind on what will be up next, or (recently) when a kid wants to read someing while we're out & about.

 

My favorite part, though, is not having to get rid of the paper books when i'm finished! I still keep a limited physical library, but when i realized that most of my books were just clutter, never to be touched again, it was marvelous.

 

If you decide against, could you donate it as a fundraiser / silent auction prize for a worthy cause? You wouldn't have the money, but it might eliminate the hurt feelings problem.

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I didn't love my Kindle at first.  I have an older one -- I've heard the paperwhites are even better.

I mainly use mine for library books and travel.  I can go through 2-3 novels while traveling for Thanksgiving/Christmas, so it's nice to have backups all stored on my Kindle (instead of running out of reading material mid-trip).   ETA:  I also keep 2-3 interesting kid books/novels on the Kindle, to use as bedtime stories and what-not.

 

I NEVER buy a book for my Kindle.  It's freebies or loans only.  If I'm spending $$ on a book, I want the real thing, in my hands.  And hardcover b/c I like hardcovers. :D

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If you don't want it, and don't see a need for it, don't keep it. 

 

I will say that for many years I shunned the e-reader as unnecessary.  Then I got a kindle fire just to have another source of internet access at home and I have found I do a lot of reading on it.  But, that doesn't mean you will come to love yours. 

 

Not sure how hurt feelings come into play here since you won it, but it's yours to get rid of it in whatever way you like.  

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I didn't want one at first but I love it. It actually saves money. All my books come from the library For my student I love the ability to look up unknown words and keep them as flash cards(on the kindle). Instant free vocabulary program.

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I didn't think I wanted one, but when the Kindle Fire HD was on sale for a good price last year DH and I sprung for one anyway.  The thought was we'd share it.  So I could use it for books and he could use it to demo how you can operate the player system on your piano at his work, and maybe we'd both pick it up for internet access once in a while.

 

I wish I'd saved my money.  

 

Like you, I prefer printed books.  If I'm reading an e-book, I read it using the Kindle app on my phone because it's a much lighter and more comfortable device than my Kindle.  I do travel quite a bit and still don't use it much, even when I have it with me.

 

I would tell you to sell it.  I obviously don't understand the dynamics of the hurt feelings, but if you could figure out a way to get some cash out of it while someone who really wants the Kindle gets to have a brand new one at a discounted price, it sounds to me like a win-win.

 

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My ds loves his paperwhite. An Ipad and kindle fire are too heavy to read comfortably but the paperwhite is perfect. We can get books from the library on it too which is very nice.

 

But.  If you do not want it, sell it!  How would it hurt feelings if you won it- just wondering?

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My 2.70 Kindle still sits in the box. I've used it once in the last month. I'll use it more for school, as ds and I try to have two copies of every book we're reading. I don't know, I'm not sold on it myself, but I know I'll use it down the road more. I like turning real pages, I flip back and forth a lot. I'm glad I didn't cave and buy one at full price though. 

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I also resisted the idea of a Kindle. I was a book snob. DH got me one as a Christmas gift. It didn't take me long to truly appreciate it's benefits and now I don't think I'd be happy without one. Last night I started reading a paperback and found it so cumbersome. At the first word I didn't know, I reached up to press it to get the definition and realized it was not my Kindle. As I'm not one to take the time to get out of bed and start my computer to find a dictionary, I still don't know the meaning of the word, and now don't care enough to go back and find it. That was a lost learning opportunity. :)

 

If you don't want it, don't feel guilty about not using it. If you won it from a friend and that is why there would be hurt feelings, I'd contact the person and tell them you appreciate the gift but since you don't use ereaders, you would be happy to see it awarded to the next person in line.

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You sound a lot like me. I resisted the Kindle for a long time too. Then I heard so many stories about people who resisted who ended up loving it. So I asked for one a few Christmas seasons ago and my mom bought one for me. Didn't much care for it. My DH and my DS10 love the Kindle, so it went to good use. But I was/am too deeply in love with the physical form of books.

 

Anyway, I vote sell it and don't tell anyone.

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Seconding what everyone is saying - reading on the Kindle is better than on the iPad and you may turn out to like it, but if you don't want it, then don't feel a bit of guilt selling it.

 

My boys won a Kindle Fire a little over a year ago.  After keeping it briefly and playing with it, it just didn't match up with our iPad in terms of educational ability and we ended up selling it and eventually getting an iPad for them to share instead.  I also felt a pang of guilt because it was a prize, but then it passed.  It was ours, we were totally allowed to do that.  No guilt.

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I love my Kindle so much I actively avoid reading a physical book anymore, with a few exceptions. However, when my friend got the very first Kindle I thought I'd never want to give up physical books. Try it, you might like it. If you don't, it will be pretty easy to sell it. If you feel uncomfortable selling it, then give it away. Just deregister it from your account before you get rid of it. 

 

 

As others already said, you can't compare reading on an iPad or any tablet (including the Kindle Fire) to reading on a e-ink Kindle. 

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If you know someone who is allergic to dust and mites, a Kindle would be a welcome gift.

 

I have a Ph.D. in English Literature, and I have always loved books. I used to work at a large library and peruse every used bookstore, but I suffered with sinus trouble, breathing problems, and hives. My Kindle has solved this for me. I can read the classics without sneezing or wheezing. I still have hard copies of most of the classics from grad school, but I use these only for study as needed.

 

 

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Thanks for your responses everyone! I won the gift at my company Christmas party and I live with my "boss" and the person who chose all of the prizes. It is kind of hard to hide anything from him. (He's not my spouse, I live in Christian community) I guess I am more worried about looking ungrateful. I didn't open the box because I figured if I try to sell it, I might get more for an unopened box.

 

I think my "problem" may be solved. A friend who won a big gift certificate to a local restaurant might swap me, which would be perfect. I really appreciate all of your input and if my friend decides not to swap, I might just give it a try. I didn't think about my daughter wanting to use it, but she's starting to read chapter books and might enjoy it.

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If you do keep it, check out the Amazon kindle store and you can find 100s of books for free each day------and you could get picture books and simple chapter books for your daughter that you might not want to keep as her reading level increases.

 

I have found many great books to read on my Kindle that I would have never found at the library.

 

I resisted a kindle for a long time but then gave in and LOVE it.

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