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Save: space at home and in your luggage, as well as some discounts depending on the book. Hundreds of dollars in data roaming fees.

Gain: the book equivalent of an iPod – all of your favourites in one convenient portable place

Cost: around $190 for the 3G / Wi-Fi version

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Holidays for me generally mean one thing – the opportunity to kick back on a sun lounger with a favourite book (or three) and enjoy some quality me-time.  Unfortunately, they also mean battling against airport luggage limits (which ultimately means only being able to take a handful of the books I want to read), running out of new books to read halfway through, and begrudgingly having to lug them home again once I’ve finished reading them.

Well, that is until recently.  A couple of months ago, with the exciting prospect of a two week holiday to look forward to, I decided to treat myself to a Kindle 3G
– and I can honestly say it’s totally transformed the way I read books.  It’s given me the same freedom and versatility with my book collection as my iPod gave me with my music collection – and much more besides.  Allow me to explain…

1) The screen is like the page of a paperback

When electronic readers first came out, people were understandably nervous.  After all, computer screens tire your eyes after a while, and they tend to reflect light making it almost impossible to read in certain conditions.

The Kindle 3G overcomes this first hurdle effortlessly, with a matt screen that reflects natural light light instead of supplying its own light source like a computer screen.  As unbelievable as it sounds, it really does look like a page from a paperback – ok, it might not have the feel or smell of a book, but it’s as close as you’re going to get without actually printing on paper.  It means there’s no glare wherever you choose to read, even in bright sunlight, and you can read for hours without your eyes feeling any more tired than they would with a normal book.

2) Its small and lightweight with a huge memory

If you’re used to lugging round the latest hardback, you’ll find the Kindle 3Ga true breath of fresh air.  It’s lighter than a paperback and thinner than a magazine, so it fits effortlessly into your handbag, satchel or car glove box.  Even though it’s slim and small, the screen is still a good size at 6” – and you can even choose the size of the font to suit your needs.

If that wasn’t enough to impress you, imagine being able to fit a library of up to 3,500 books in one place – you’d need a whole room to house all that lot in traditional printed versions!

It’s simple to use as well – even technophobes could easily get to grips with the simple functionality and accessible navigation.

3) The battery life is amazing

Because the screen of the Kindle 3G isn’t backlit like a normal electronic screen, it uses a tiny amount of power to operate.  The only things that use up power are turning the page, and connecting to the internet.  So if you’re just reading with the Wi-Fi turned off, your battery could last up to one month!  This might sound far-fetched, but I’ve used mine almost every day for two months now and I’ve only had to charge it up twice.

It’ll still last for up to 10 days even if you keep the Wi-Fi turned on the entire time – so you’re unlikely to get caught out with a flat battery.

4) You can connect to the internet anywhere in the world – for free!

All Kindles come with Wi-Fi capability built in (to allow you to download the books); however I would definitely recommend paying a little extra for the 3G version.  Having 3G capability means you can access the internet anywhere that there’s a 3G signal – you aren’t dependent on finding a friendly café or hotel with Wi-Fi.

You can even access a basic version of other internet sites – which proves a useful addition when you need to check your emails and can’t find a local internet café.

And the best bit?  Connecting to the internet is completely free, even abroad – there are no ongoing charges, and you don’t have to go through a complicated set up process on the computer when you first get your Amazon Kindle 3G.  Once you get it, it’s ready to go – straight out of the box!

I was able to browse Google Maps when I was lost in many countries and I was able to dispense with tour guides. I had wikipedia, tripadvisor and more at my fingertips, so whenever I came across a local curiosity all I had to do was Google it!

Here is a coverage map showing where the Kindle 3G should offer free internet: http://client0.cellmaps.com/tabs.html

5) You can sample and buy a massive range of books

The number of books available to download may vary by country, but to give you an idea the range in the States is over 950,000 – and in the UK, its 650,000.  That includes new releases and best sellers as well as old favourites.

The price of books varies – but a fantastic feature is the ability to download a free ‘sample chapter’ of any book to help you decide if you’d like to go ahead and purchase it or not.

You can access thousands of books for free, including copyright-free classics such as Pride and Prejudice, and a selection of new novels from up and coming writers.  As for the rest, prices are broadly in line with the cost of printed books, although you will often be able to benefit from significant discounts (especially if the book has been out for some time).

Books are downloaded onto your Kindle 3G within about 60 seconds, with no computer connection required – so you can start enjoying the next installment instantly. That has to be one of my favourite features – instant access to a huge library of books whenever you want, wherever you are.

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It’s not hard to see why the Kindle 3G is one of Amazon’s top selling products – almost 24,000 customers have given it an average rating of 4.5 stars, and the critics agree.  If I haven’t managed to convince you, check out some of their glowing comments below:

“New Kindle leaves rivals farther back.” – New York Times

“Amazon’s newest Kindle is the best ebook-reading device on the market. It’s better than the Apple iPad, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the various Sony readers…” – Fast Company

“They’ve cracked it — this is the future.” – London Evening Standard

“Just as digital music knocked down the price of an album… …Kindle is doing it for books. It’s about time.” – Live Magazine, Mail on Sunday