I gave my wife an Amazon Kindle for her birthday this week. This gift definitely ran the risk of being equivalent to Homer Simpson buying Marge a bowling ball for her birthday, but I don't think it was quite there. The thing is, I don't read. I just don't have time. On the other hand, my wife reads a lot. So I'm hoping that this is more than a geeky curiosity and proves to be very useful for her.

After a few days, here's my first impression.

The Kindle device itself is very nice and it's a pleasure to use. It is very close to reading text on a page from a paperback. If there are graphics involved, like in a magazine or blog article, the quality is poor: black & white and low resolution. But they've clearly made a design decision to make downloads quick and text readable.

It is really small, the size of a medium sized paperback and fits nicely in your hand, or bag. It is definitely portable enough to take everywhere you might carry a paperback book. It's certainly smaller and lighter than a hardcover, so if carrying those around is getting old, this is a big bonus.

The wireless connection is very strong, which can be a challenge for a cellular signal here at my house. It is also speedy, which makes me guess they're using Verizon's EVDO service, though I don't know.

The only complaints so far include a few interface annoyances and that the power button is covered by the case. (duh!)

This non-reader has purchased a few novels (I love to read a good book, I just don't make time). I will give a good effort to read them.

The price on books is decent. you get a 25% or so discount on the physical book prices. The downside is that you don't actually end up with a book when you're done, but is that really a bad thing? A glance over at my bursting bookshelf full of spent novels that'll never be picked up again tells me that it isn't.

The device itself is expensive, but it doesn't, however, have a monthly fee associated.

If you're going to give this as a gift, it's not a great gift for someone who is frugal. While they may be an avid reader, the price tag on magazine and newspaper subscriptions, and even reading blogs (yes, you need to pay to subscribe to blogs!) can put someone off and prevent them from embracing the technology and seeing through the dollar signs.

My conclusion is that this is a really great device, but with a high price tag. That high price should make you think seriously about whether you'll use it or not. But if you are the type of person to use something like this, it's fantastic.

Buy it here: Amazon Kindle