Let me start by saying I’m a fan of the Kindle/e-Readers in general. It has had a big impact on my reading (although my “to be read” pile has never been bigger which is a bit of a pain – it gangs up with the massive pile of unwatched DVDs in my lounge room to provide a constant reminder of my poor purchasing habits). However I’m not sure it works as well for this style of publication as it does for a novel. They have tried to make it easier to read – the ability to quickly skip through stories using the five way controller for instance is quite handy. But it doesn’t replicate the layout of the magazines well and the lack of the pictures etc detract from the experience. And to be frank my physical copies of Analog, Aurealis and Andromeda Spaceways Inflight Magazine tend to drift towards the bathroom, where individual stories are consumed when M dismisses my active involvement in giving her a bath so she can play with the bath toys without adult interference. I’m not 100% sure about the compatibility of that much water and an electronic reading device. All in all I find myself gravitating towards the physical collections in the house rather than the virtual.
(I should say that the Kindle application on the iPad works better, if only M would stop stealing it to watch Peppa Pig. I should also say that I am using a second generation Kindle and as of last week the fourth generation Kindle/Kindle Touch/Kindle Fire were announced. Perhaps magazines are dealt with better in the more recent devices, especially the Kindle Fire)
Still, for international subscriptions the Kindle has at least one major advantage – the vagaries of international post makes getting physical magazines sent over to Australia an interesting exercise in anticipation and disappointed expectations. The Kindle version turns up promptly over the ether without a single missing issue.
