Store Front

If you’re like me, you’ve been conditioned to be at least a little suspicious when you’re approached by a salesperson in a retail store.  You KNOW they’re going to try to sell you something.  However, you may not always understand what it is they are trying to sell!

In a Target, Wal-Mart or Macy’s, you’ve already been sold before you walk in the store – by the brand name.  The clerk is simply there to take your order…and your money. But at Bob’s Bait and Bagels or Sally’s Hutch Hutch, the owners are trying not to simply, or even primarily, sell bait, bagels or hutches.  They want to sell you on the same thing that Target already has – their store.

So what do I do with that information?  I engage the store owner (or knowledgeable clerk) in conversation.  I ask questions. Although they certainly want to make a sale, even more, they want me to come back again…and again…and again.

Bob or Sally, being smart retailers, want me to feel that I received the best value I possibly could on that bait, bagel or hutch.  I might learn from Bob that pink worms aren’t any good unless the Bass are spawning or from Sally that solid oak is once again preferred for firewood, not furniture and that hickory veneer looks better and cost half as much.

Saving real money is more than clipping coupons, it’s being informed and that “evil salesperson” may be your best source of information.

If you’ve been paying attention, you know that the Federal Government offered a $7500 income tax credit to first time home buyers (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc611.html) who purchased homes in 2008.  Of course, like any government program, there were exceptions (you can’t make too much money, you greedy #$&%!) and unlike other “credits” this one had to be paid back.  The pay back can be over 15 years and is interest free, so it’s essentially an interest free loan – still a pretty good deal.

Well, in 2009 the deal is even better because it’s now an $8000 (real) credit and you don’t have to pay it back (http://www.irs.gov/taxtopics/tc612.html).  You must purchase the house after December 31, 2008, and before December 1, 2009 and keep it for at least 36 months to qualify for the credit.  And for those of you that purchased a home early in 2009 and claimed the $7500 “non-credit credit” – EUREKA! You can file an amended return and get the $8000 non-refundable credit.  For some FAQ’s on this subject check out http://www.irs.gov/newsroom/article/0,,id=206293,00.html.

With the housing market still not out of the woods, this alone wouldn’t necessarily tempt me to buy at this time.  However, I just don’t believe interest rates are going to stay this low very much longer.

Since 1992 rates for a 30 year fixed mortgage have ranged from a high of 9.2% to a very recent low of just under 4.8% *. During the late 70′s and early 80′s, a time of rampant inflation, mortgage rates peaked above 18% *. With Uncle Sam spending money like a drunken sailor (no offense to our men and women in uniform), inflation and interest rates are going to soar. Unless, of course, Washington and the Fed…  Ok, this isn’t a fantasy blog; my opinion – buy now.

* Source:  Federal Home Loan Mortgage Corporation’s (Freddie Mac) Weekly Primary Mortgage Market Survey (PMMS)

Late last year I purchased a Lenovo S10 netbook.  The netbook was great — very portable and versatile. The biggest downside to the netbook was just its speed, it sometimes got bogged down in handling tasks in the background while trying to surf the web. And it often struggled a bit with video. But overall the device met most of my needs, especially as a portable document reader. However in April I decided to purchase a Kindle anyway. What drove my decision, and has it been worth the price?

Here are the things that motivated me to make the purchase:

• Well let’s be honest, I am a gadget geek. I love gadgets. So I have to be truthful here and include this as a reason.
• There are publications and releases that are available on the Kindle that are not available elsewhere.
• The Kindle is even more portable than the netbook.
• The battery of the Kindle lasts longer, especially with the wireless turned off.
• Delivery of new books and many of the publications is free through Whispernet (though delivery of blog feeds costs $2 / month)
• The paper like screen of the Kindle is easier on the eyes than the netbook screen over a period of time.
• The whole device is well geared toward reading — making it easier to read anywhere. Finding Next Page on the Kindle is easier than finding Page Down on a netbook.
• The price of many of the books, newspapers, and magazines is less than the price in the bookstore or on the newsstand.

So those are the many reasons I decided to purchase the Kindle. And these reasons are fairly consistent with the pros you probably have already seen about the Kindle. However there are some negatives too, and often it is more important to consider the negative aspects before purchasing something than the positive ones.

Screen Looks Almost Like Paper

But I said this was a pro, why have I listed it here!?  It is a pro, and it is one of the best features of the Kindle.  However I have noticed a key difference with the Kindle versus using a computer eBook reader. The backlight on a computer, although sometimes harder on the eyes, helps me stay awake while reading. I have a wonderful habit of falling asleep if it is late while reading a paperback or hardcover book. The Kindle shares that same feature. The downside to the Kindle here, of course, is that it is more dangerous to drop the Kindle than it is a book!  This is a minor disadvantage, but I have found it to be true for me.

Newspapers and Magazines Are Incomplete

Most of the books are the full edition, though some of the figures in certain books are difficult to read. Periodicals and magazines on the other hand tend to have few of the illustrations, photos, and figures that the print edition has. Some of the magazines and newspapers actually have fewer articles than the print edition.  Although the price of these is generally much lower than print, it is disappointing to find a watered down Kindle edition of a publication. The good news here is that the magazines and newspapers all have a trial period so you can try it out before paying for it.

The new Kindle, with a larger screen, should help address the readability of some of the figures. The question remains as to whether the content providers will provide more of their content. But the new Kindle has a higher price point, so it may be wise to wait for the price to come down.

Missing Formats

The Kindle would be nearly complete if it supported PDF natively and MobiPocket. This would cover the majority of electronically published material. The newest Kindle edition supports native PDF, though I have not seen how accurate and readable its output is.  MobiPocket covers a wide range of content that is not already available through the Kindle. Overtime I expect more content to support the Kindle, eventually this will no longer be an issue.

The Kindle Doesn’t Come With a Cover

Considering the device costs over $300, throwing in a $20 cover to make sure it makes it past the first week would be considerate of Amazon.

Conclusion

Despite the few issues, I still love the Kindle and highly recommend it to everyone who likes to read, and even some people who don’t. The Kindle is a great resource for professional growth, staying informed, and entertainment. You can purchase the Kindle directly from Amazon.  Though for the frugal minded, if the price of the Kindle is close to affordable but still a roadblock for you, consider purchasing an older edition through eBay.

Because I highly recommend the Kindle, I feel it is worth endorsing.  If you are considering buying one, you can find it in one of the following two places:

http://www.ebay.com/