Monday, April 19, 2010

Which should I pick???

I have been jonesing for a new electronic gadget. I have been okay for a while, but when the iPad was launched, I started wanting one! Don't worry, I refuse to pay for an iPad....I don't care how cool they are.

But I started looking and thinking that I could quench my geeky lust by getting something else. I am a voracious reader, so thought maybe a Kindle, even though I totally pooh-poohed the idea when a friend asked my opinion of Kindles several months ago. I really love to hold an old fashioned book in my hands, but sometimes a Kindle would be easier. Like when I am on the bus every day. I carry paperbacks, or magazines to read, since hardbacks are just too darn heavy to throw in my bag with the other stuff I carry. And when I go on vacation, I read a lot and it would be nice to be able to pack one device and not several books. BUT, I am too cheap to buy the books, so would probably only be reading the books that can be had for free from Amazon. Also, my library has a lot of ebooks that you can just download to read. So, I started looking at the Kindle: $259.

Hmmmmm.....really, all you can do with a Kindle is read. So, I started thinking, maybe I need a netbook, instead. Not a laptop...the little netbooks. First of all, they are totally cute! LOL!. They are nice and portable and can do a lot more. E-mail, surfing the net, checking on blogworld AND I could download Kindle books to read on it. I found on-line somewhere that you can rotate the screen, so that you would hold it like a book to read the ebooks. So, I have been looking at those. Prices around $300.

So only $40 more than Kindle, but does a lot more.

I was shopping for these on Thursday, then on Friday, Hubby asked me if there was any new tech toy that I would like. Hmmmm.....why was he asking? Oh, yeah, our anniversary is next Monday. My sweetie-pie knows how to keep his little geeky girl happy. LOL!

I told him not to buy anything yet. I am thinking netbook, but I want to go touch one and feel it with my very own hands. So we may go look this weekend.

So, who has a Kindle and who has a netbook? Let me know what you think are the best features uses. Oh, yeah, and if you have a netbook, what kind? I would love to have something before I go visit my family in Tennessee the second week in May. Either would come in handy on the plane and on my layovers.

Happy Monday, All!

10 comments:

Annie Jones said...

Sorry, but I can't be of any help. We have a single desktop computer, one TV, a GPS unit that we use strictly for Geocaching, and old PS2 game system and cell phones that do nothing but send and receive phone calls. We still use our VCR and the turntable on our stereo sometimes. While we don't exactly shun technology, we're happily behind the times at our house...ROFL!

Frances said...

Hi, Annie Jones, thanks for coming by. Don't feel bad about not being able to help in this. LOL!

We have a kick-ass desktop computer, since about a year an a half ago, I won some money on a casino trip and bought a computer with every bell and whistle I could think of. Prior to that, I had only had a couple computers bought brand new. I am rather a tinkerer, so will add things and take things away from a pc instead of buying.

I still have our old one in the closet and it is a good on. I just had money to blow and blew it on something that made me really happy. LOL!

We don't have a turntable anymore, but Hubby regularly uses our vcr. We also have 2 dvd burners besides the one on the computer, so he does burn dvds. But for shows we will miss during the week, he uses old fashioned video tape.

I can buy computer equipment that I have had before without input. And I ordered the build for our daughter's laptop. But the Kindle and netbooks are something I have not touched before.

I think I will just have to dive in.

Oh, and there is nothing wrong with not jumping on the bandwagon of every new gadget that comes along.

McVal said...

In our house we have... 4 tower computers, 2 laptops, 9 tvs, 2 GPS units, 2 Tivos, VCR and DVD players, 2 Wiis - one broken, stereo that never gets played, 2 working ipods, 2 or 3 spare ipod shuffles...
We're quite fine to be without another gadget. Altho my husband has been eying the kindle too... But if he's going to read something, he'll want to read in the bathtub. Are those things waterproof?

Frances said...

But McVal, I am not a programmer! If I were, I would have a reason to have all those goodies in my house.

Hubby is into electronics, but not computer goodies. He is happy with the one computer we are using. And he does not even realize how kick ass it is. LOL!

I don't know if Kindles are waterproof. If not, you can probably find some kind of covers for them.

Sonya Ann said...

Yes but for a little bit more you could have a laptop. And that was the argument that we had here. And what did we end up buying? Nothing.

Frances said...

SonyaAnn, I could probably find a deal on a laptop for the same or less as the netbooks I am looking at. The problem is that I do not like laptops. LOL! I know....I know....a netbook is just a baby laptop. But I really only want it for when I am commuting and traveling and the netbook would be much more portable.

Yes, yes, laptops are portable, but I want something very light that will fit in my bag. I know...I am not being flexible. LOL!

slugmama said...

Don't look at me for help. If it were up to me we'd all be carving with flints on rocks.lolol
We do have 3 computers here(2 desktop/1 laptop that daughter bought), 3 tvs(only one belongs to dh and me) and 2 printers. DH and I each have a prepaid cell that does nothing but calls.
DH is a bibliophile and I read alot too but neither of us have any compunction to get a Kindle or netbook.
I guess we are close to being Amish in all things techno.lolol
Good luck on what Sweet Knees gets ya! ;-)

Frances said...

Hi, Sluggy! Hubby and I both read voraciously and I am perfectly content with a book in my hand. But I am also a bit geeky and have really been wanting a new toy. We have a lot of electronics, but that is all Hubby's babies.

I often think that I could be Amish. I would miss the internet, but I could survive.

Sonya Ann said...

Have you made a decision yet?

Frances said...

Hi, SonyaAnn! I am leaning toward the netbook,though I am not sure which one. I have been researching on-line and have narrowed it down to a few, but want to go to a store to touch them. LOL! So, Hubby and I will be going shopping on Saturday. Depending on the deal, I will decide whether to buy at a store or come back home and order on-line.

We also have to shop for something for our grandson's first birthday, which we will be celebrating on Sunday.

We will also go out to eat to celebrate our 13th Anniversary which is on Monday.

We will be busy on Saturday. LOL!

I will let you know what I end up getting.