iPad launch = win for cheaper technology

If you've met me, you know how I feel about the Kindle. Yes, I still love actual books, and I believe they can coexist. I am of the feeling that a proper ebook reader poses no threat to a technology that shares a birthday with dirt. However, I still do not own a Kindle, since it costs eight to twelve times as much as a book, does not make phone calls, and I can't eat it. Such a purchase isn't easy to rationalize--especially since it was only available via the magic of the internet.

So when I read that Target stores would start carrying the Kindle, I was excited indeed. The $259 price tag has not changed, sadly, but at least now I can pick one up and play with one--the main disadvantage of the supposed "king" of ereaders; it was only available online. Having picked up and played with both the Nook and the Sony Reader, I was less than impressed with either. The Sony Reader's menu and interface was difficult to navigate, and the page lag was annoying. The Nook's touchscreen menu, although quite fancy, is distracting and slow to respond (loading the internet took a coon's age as well).

I've also touched the iPad. It was a Mac.

While I won't have the chance to pick up and hold a Kobo until early July, the Kindle's wifi capability might put me over the edge. The Kobo costs $100 less because of the lack of internet capability, and while I support a more economical option for the book-only fan, my tendency to read blogs before bed on my iPhone is causing me at least $100 in retinal damage. An e-ink display would really just be an investment at this point.

Well, look at that. It was easy.