Uni-taskers vs. Multitaskers

Generally speaking I like having technology that's flexible enough that it works really well no matter what I need to do. Generally a multitasking device is something that I keep around a lot longer than something that I purchase for a single purpose. 

However, there's a piece of hardware that I have had for years that only does a single thing, and dos it so very well that I have continued to replace them as I've worn them out.

Yep, an Amazon Kindle. 

I bought into these things back when the second generation of them came out with the embedded keyboard that I never actually used. I managed to use that for years, eventually having the device replaced multiple times as buttons failed and cases cracked. 

I think that I'm on my fifth or sixth one, and while that might not seem like a impressive statement I read a lot and the failures are all things that are just wear on the device. To put it simply I just wore the buttons out on the ones with physical switches, and the ones that are touch based I used them so much that the batteries eventually just gave up the ghost. 

I keep coming back to them for a couple of reasons;

First - battery life.  When I'm on a reading binge I will rip through a book a day in some cases. Granted we aren't talking larger novels but a good Reacher novel will last me a day if I really tear into it. My last camping trip had me read through the first three books of a six book series without really trying too hard. Having a device that can allow me to do that without having to constantly recharge in the middle of a given book is a requirement, and that's not something that you can do on a iPad or a Laptop.

Second - weight. With a Kindle I can walk around with a entire library in my bag, where with a paper book I'm stuck with whatever I can comfortably carry in the bag. That usually works out to one or two books at most, and even a single paperback weights more than my Kindle does.

Third - the screen. This is huge, and if you haven't looked at a e-ink screen you really should. A modern LCD is basically like looking into a light, and while it's fine if you are writing something or watching a movie it's does cause eyestrain, but the e-ink display doesn't put out any light, it's basically a piece of paper that can be programmed. Some of the new ones do have backlights but that can be turned completely off if you don't want it or aren't reading in the dark. 

On a iPad or other device I can only read for a few hours at a shot, however a e-ink display can be read for a entire day without getting any headaches or other eyestrain. 

The last thing that keeps me coming back is the price, the base device usually runs around 120$ CAD, and I generally get several years out of one before the batteries give up the ghost. The ones with the physical buttons tended to fail quicker, but the touchscreen ones take care of that quite nicely. As long as i'm getting a couple of years from the device it's well worth the 120$ to keep the weight in my bag down.