Kindle Fire & the Death of Kindle 1

It seems ironic that they just announced the Kindle Fire today as my Kindle 1 just came to a spluttering death.  Three years ago I posted a blog post stating that "I Have a New Boyfriend."  That post was to announce my new love for the first generation Kindle.  As all first generation tech toys go, it was expensive, and my wonderful mother gave him to me as a gift.  I loved my kindle and it has weathered many things, such as all the traveling I did back and forth to my mom's place in Hawaii, long soaks in the tub (no, I didn't cover it--risky, I know), being packed in my purse, and even an occasional reading session on the beach.  I can't say I was nice to Kindle 1, but I sure got a lot of use out of it.

Earlier this year it started losing battery power like water running through a sieve and it was all downhill from there.  Here's what started happening:

• Dark lined screen of death
• Battery power in less than 10 minutes if I left the Internet connection turned on
• Pages that took up to 5 seconds to turn  (Gasp!)
• Burned in letters into the screen from overuse  (Yea, I'm kind of proud of that one.)

I loved my Kindle, but enough was enough.  I finally put it in the same drawer that still holds my flip cell phone from five years ago, my first generation iPod Shuffle, my Blackberry Pearl from two years ago, and any other tech gadgets that I haven't taken to be recycled.  It is the tech gadget graveyard, where all good technology has been made obsolete by something newer, prettier, and more precious.

Back in May I finally succumbed to the incredibly tantalizing pull of the iPad 2.  This was no little purchase, but one that I had been salivating over from the moment it was mentioned.  It was perfect for my trip to Europe, as I could read on it, listen to my iTunes, and catch email from back home.  Why carry the Kindle, an iPod, and a laptop?  The iPad 2 was my godsend.  Now I'm not sure what I'd do without it!  With four different reading apps on it, I can download any ebook sent my way:  Amazon Kindle app, Bluefire Reader, Overdrive, and the iBook. 

As you can see, I'm sold on my iPad 2, but I'll admit that I'm intrigued by the low price and amazing options that seem to come with this new Kindle Fire!  They seem very similar, so far, but we'll see.  I found this article by PCMag.com that compares the three main competitors if you want to check out their specs., "Kindle Fire vs. iPad 2 vs. Nook Color."

My Kindle 1 has died, only three short years into this new e-Reader technology.  Where I once thought I was at the cutting edge of the technology has once again been proven obsolete.  What it really does is show me that I have a serious addiction and need to keep squirreling money away for even newer and cooler tools that are sure to come around the bend!

What do you think of the newest e-Reader on the block?  Any interest?