I caved in and bought a 3G Kindle despite proclaiming just two short years ago that I preferred physical books:

“I guess despite being a full on tech guy, books are one area in which I like the tangible item. I spend much of the day online reading and working with screens; books are a welcome respite from pixels. I realize digital formats are more sensible, devices have made great strides in readability, and probably are much more ‘green’; perhaps I’ll look back on this post in a decade and laugh at my naivety.”

While I was at it I picked up two more Kindles for my mom. Being a voracious reader, I’m hoping it’ll get plenty of use.

I realized that with my nomadic lifestyle, it no longer suited me to utilize 20% of my luggage for books. I could sit here and nitpick with all the changes (touchscreen, much better speed, color while retaining non-glare qualities, etc) the Kindle could use, but all in all I love it.

An interesting observation – every single one of my family members that first picks up the Kindle tries to use it as a touch screen like the iPad, swiping for page changes.

The other great thing about the Kindle 3G is that I get internet for free nearly anywhere in the world. Since we travel quite often, and at times to rather remote islands and locations in S.E. Asia, this could be an easy and free way to stay connected.