because I have one) that I feel are unjust. The introductory post is here.Of course you can. You just need to make sure your hands are relatively dry, and that you don't drop it. These rules are identical to those for reading a traditional book in the bath, although I will concede that the stakes are higher due to the cost of replacing a Kindle compared to that of most books*. However, I'd be prepared to bet a couple of peanuts (and maybe even a brazil or two) that my Kindle could take a quick dunk as long as it was thoroughly dried and then left in a bag of rice soon afterwards (although I wouldn't want to try this on purpose), which wouldn't necessarily be the case with a standard paperback.
You can also buy special cases, such as the Aquapac
, to make bathtime reading safer, and this is something you just can't do with a 'real' book unless you only get through one page per soaking session (in which case, again, you're doing it wrong). In fact, with my covered Kindle I can even read a book in the shower. Beat that, Luddites!It just crossed my mind that you could probably manufacture your own cheaper but less reusable waterproof e-book cover with a sandwich bag and some duct tape. But don't quote me on that.
* Although it's not necessarily, as my friend experienced, as high as you might think.
A good point well made.
ReplyDeleteMy youngest step-son has a Kindle, which I have h had a look at and was suitably impressed although I'm not in any great hurry to aquire one myself just yet. If I did a lot of travelling, I would definitely have one (and it would certainly be easier to read in bed than the hardback copy of The Fry Chronicles that I was given last Christmas!) I do like 'real' books though; we have book shelves in almost every room and I like that.
I love 'real' books as well. We have shelves all over the place, and I've had to develop cunning and unorthodox techniques in order to get them all to fit (and still they don't). As I said in yesterday's post, ownership of an e-book reader doesn't mean you can't have real books too!
ReplyDeleteYes. Electronic devices are remarkably immune to a quick dunking. This is particularly true if the battery can be removed while it dries (the main damage mechanism is galvanic corrosion across powered-up components and circuit tracks). The Kindle presents a challenge in that regard, but I'd say there's a good chance it would survive.
ReplyDeleteI've experienced two recent examples accidental immersion. One was a mobile phone that survived the washing-up bowl. The other was a compact camera that almost survived being dropped in sea water (it would have recovered totally had it not been for water trapped in the sealed optics).
Ahh, everyone knows someone who knows someone who's put their mobile through a washing machine cycle...
ReplyDeleteMy boss dropped his (brand new) mobile in the toilet a couple of weeks ago. He tried leaving it sealed in a tub of rice for 3 days and it recovered completely.
ReplyDeleteIt is important, for every techie geek, to buy bags of rice that are at least large enough to accommodate your largest portable electronic gadget.
ReplyDelete