Looking back at all the presents that I’ve ever been given in the course of my life, the Kindle I received for my graduation has been one of the most game changing. This little gadget has transformed the way I consume books. By reducing the friction of reading it has helped me read more frequently, and most importantly it has made me a more productive reader.
In this post I’ll be discussing the main features that make this device a must have for readers. Note: This list is not ordered by relevance.
- Instant word translation: ‘When reading on Kindle you get the meaning directly from the dictionary just by clicking any word. You’ll also get results from Wikipedia and Google Translate when connected to Wi-Fi. This a key feature for me as I usually read in English (which is not my native language) so I don’t have to reach for the phone whenever I don’t know the meaning of a word.
- Read in any light condition: Before Kindle when I tried to read on the bus on the way back home it was already too dark and I couldn’t see a thing. Now I use the adjustable light of Kindle which makes it easy to read in low-light conditions without damaging my eyes.
- Easy one-handed reading: I read whenever I have the chance, and that sometimes means reading while I’m having breakfast. Before Kindle I ended up grabbing the book one-handed in a weird way so I could eat breakfast with the other hand. Fortunately, those days are long gone😂. Now I can uphold it anywhere as if it were a phone.
- Buy instantaneously: Even though I love going to libraries on the search of the next book I must say that being able to buy a book anytime is a big plus, specially for whenever you don’t find a book so easily or in a certain language.
- Save paper: If you care about the environment, this one’s for you🌱. You can reduce your paper usage by reading on Kindle. Let’s try not to contribute to deforestation as much as we can 💚.
- A portable library: I guess this is the obvious one, but also the most impactful for those who travel. In a Kindle you can bring a ton of books always with you without worrying about how you’re gonna fit them in the suitcase.
- Water resistant: It’s not like you want to read in the shower, but it feels safer to know that even if you’re outside while it’s pouring the Kindle is going to be fine.
- Notes and highlights: Being able to highlight and add side notes to the books I’m reading has been a huge game changer. I usually read non-fiction and enjoy highlighting the main ideas, export and check them later.
- Progress info: Kindle gives you information about how much time or pages are left until you finish a chapter/book.
- Cheaper books: Kindle books are usually cheaper than the hardback ones.
- Battery life: At Amazon they claim “A single battery charge lasts weeks, not hours.” and this is entirely true, I use it every day and lasts a surprisingly long time.
- Snippets and recommended highlights: As Amazon says, “With Word Wise, you can see simple definitions and synonyms displayed inline above more difficult words while you read.” You can actually choose the level of difficulty for which you want to receive these instant definitions.
Additionally, there’s another feature that shows which are most highlighted quotes of the books. Note: you’ll need Wi-Fi connection to use these features.
13. Goodreads sync: If you’re a book nerd you might have heard about this social network. With Kindle it’s easy to synchronize the book progress with your Goodreads account and write reviews directly from it.
These were the main points I could come up with, but I’m sure there are more.
Of course, you don’t get that “feeling of reading a hardback book”, but for me the aforementioned benefits far outweigh the lack of that sensation. Kindle has highly improved my reading experience and overall, it has made a better reader.
Hope this post was helpful in some way. See you in the next post 😊