Technophobe or Bookworm?

Amazon.com's growth is slowly a little, but that's not surprising. People are more careful about their spending than they were in 2007. Plus, there was the huge Harry Potter sale of July 2007--people wanted the last book, and others who had been waiting until the series finished picked them all up now that the final one was released. Even the Twilight craze can't match that.

But they're also slowing down on the Kindle. Let's face it; I don't think it's the new Wii.

"CFO Tom Szkutak said that while sales of the Kindle have exceeded expectations, it does not plan to release a new version of the e-reader until 2009 “at the earliest.” He noted that Amazon has ramped up manufacturing capacity for Kindle, and the device is in stock.

I think that's a smart move. While I'm waiting for a Wii eventually (hell, even my parents want one), it'll take a long time before I warm up to Kindle, if I ever do. If I want a gadget, I'll take my iPod. But a real book is something else. There's a smell, a feel of the pages. You can see how much you have left and how much you've already read. You don't get a funny glare from the screen. And if other people are reading around you (say, on the subway) you can judge them via their choice of book. In theory, the Kindle sounds like a good idea--take lots of books with you--but I'm fine with my paperback copies, thanks.

Anyone own a Kindle? Anyone want one?