ReKindle-ing Concentration
This is not a Kindle review (seriously, there are already enough of them) but I’m just sharing my thoughts on why I’ve bought one. Concentrate, because this post is about concentration.
I had a good long play with an iPad at the weekend and I spent about two hours swearing. I was swearing at the fact that the usability of this unassuming silver tablet makes it more or less impossible to resist. I felt the money leaving my account. My pre-order for the Kindle 3 needed to be reappraised.
Strange then that I stuck by my Kindle order. I know it’s got a black and white screen, reading blogs or newspapers is stupidly expensive and the list of things it doesn’t do is a mile long. I suppose though, that this is the main part of it’s appeal for me. Single-purpose tools are going to be become increasingly rare. When you get flip-flops with an integrated bottle opener (please stop yourself from googling them because you think it’s a great idea…), you sort of know we’re in trouble.
Some recent research I read in the New York Times explains how our use of technology is rewiring our brains. On a personal level, I know I do far more “flitting” from one thing to another. An email or tweet comes in and the bubble of concentration is burst. The technology often wags me and not the other way round.
So I’ve gone for a device that, from my 24 hours of experience anyway, does one thing really well- it lets you read great value books. My theory is I’ll concentrate more. I’ll wag the Kindle.
My only disappointment is that it doesn’t open my beer.
