The days of reading hard cover or paperback books are over. While many of us have jumped on board the "books on CD" wagon, there's an even more techno-fabulous answer to that. Amazon, the website we all know and love for all our book needs has developed an E-reader. That's right, it's a little piece of plastic that has circuitry designed to allow us to download books, newspapers, magazine, blogs and even search the web all from one handy device.

The Amazon-Kindle looks just like what you would imagine an electronic book would look like. It has an electronic paper display, a full keyboard for searching for your reading material, a page up and page down button, and scroll bar and a memory that holds hundreds of books. It uses a hi-speed data (EVDO) network (the same that cell phone providers use) to connect with the Amazon network. Because of this, you can download reading material anywhere a cell phone connection is available. The best part is that this service is included in the price of the reader, so there is no monthly fee associated with it. But is it all it's cracked up to be? Here are some pros and cons:

Pros

Collection

Amazon's collection of books available for download is impressive. With over 90,000 books to choose from, you can find anything from best sellers to hard-to-find textbooks. You'll never be without something to read.

Speed

The speed is surprisingly fast. Like mentioned above, the Kindle uses EVDO (Evolution - Data Optimized) technology on Sprint's network. Even if you don't have a connection, you can use your computer to transfer books to the Kindle using a USB cord.

Battery

You can imagine that the battery life has to be impressive to be able to read books from this device. The Kindle doesn't disappoint as one simple charge of the battery lasts for 30 hours. This should be just long enough for me to get through one book.

Memory

The memory holds more than you might think. When I look at my book shelves in my home office, I notice how many books I'd love to get to. Depending on the length of the book, the Kindle can hold one of my book shelves and more. With a capacity of roughly 200 books, you shouldn't ever be without something to read. If you find yourself cruising through those 200 books, blogs or newspapers, the unit comes with an SD memory slot on the back that you can easily buy a card for that will allow you to store thousands.

Cons

Display

The display is...well basic. It looks a lot like print, which I suppose is the point, but if you're looking for color you won't get it here. There is also no light in the screen, so you'll be forced to be in a well lit environment to read.

Design

The design is really lack-luster when comparing it to all the fancy technology we have available today. It's a dull gray color with clunky buttons and wheels that don't really do a lot for the "sexy" factor. While everything performs well, it's just not visually appealing.

Cost

I won't beat around the bush, the Kindle is expensive. At $359 it's a little hard to justify. It's also a situation where you know a better version will probably be out soon enough and why waste the money on what will be an obsolete model. I can't imagine Amazon not making some upgrades with the Kindle; maybe infusing some color, touch screen capabilities and other features, so you might want to wait it out.

Of course, the books aren't free either. The books are priced at $9.99 a piece, but if you want to read newspapers or magazines, that's an extra charge. You can conceivably pay anywhere from $20 - $100 a month depending on what and how much you're reading. This can be quite costly when you add on the purchase price.

The Amazon Kindle packs a lot of punch in its little package, but you'll have to be prepared to pay for it. It's tempting to run out and buy these new pieces of technology as soon as they hit the market just because they're so darn cool, but take a minute to think it out. Weigh the pros and cons against your needs and make an informed decision.
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