The Amazon Kindle 2 Review: Is This The Right Device for Students & Academic Professionals?
The Amazon Kindle 2 may be the avid reader’s best buddy nowadays but do you know that it could also be a good partner for students and professionals? This is because this ebook reader device offers an option for students that allow them to quit hauling around their heavy books. Professionals are also starting to realize that the Kindle can be used for reading their work-related documents. But how is the Kindle 2 doing in this role so far? Let’s find out what the pros and cons are in this Kindle 2 Review.
As these are primarily created for computers, digital versions of text books and other reading materials professionals often use, are commonly in MS Word and PDF format. Here’s lies the catch: the Kindle 2 does not natively support PDF files and this is one important thing that individuals have to think about before going ahead and buying one. Of course, there are ways of converting files to make them readable for the Kindle 2, but the process could be tedious, and the results, hit or miss.
There are some solutions to this. First, you can have Amazon convert your files for you for just a small fee. While it is not expensive, a student looking to convert dozens of books over the course of their studies may find it extremely time consuming and frustrating. And many college students don’t have the money to be nickel-and-dimed. If you’re good enough with computers, you can download programs and convert the files yourself. Again, it requires a bit of a learning curve and still takes time you may not be willing to invest.
But with the negative aspects come the positive. Obviously, the size difference is more than a little appealing. College students won’t have an aching back from their backpack full of textbooks and a businessperson won’t have a sore shoulder from a stuffed briefcase. You may even save money with the Kindle 2. When you look at the price, that may sound silly, but digital copies of books can be significantly cheaper and considering how much a college textbook can costs, that is saying something. Most professors have jumped into the digital age and started offering class materials in the form of PDFs, meaning you will need a computer to view some of your work anyways. Switching to the Kindle just gives you another avenue to view that material.
One’s decision to use a Kindle in the academe would all depend on whether the need for it would outweigh the initial cost. Consider also the time that you would have to spend to convert files. If you can spare the time and the few cents needed to have files converted, then swapping your backpack of books for the Kindle 2 would literally get the load off your shoulders. If the file conversion process is too tedious for you, the new Kindle DX, with its native PDF support, could be the solution you’re looking for.
