Is the Kindle 2 gym friendly?
(Credit:
David Carnoy/CNET)
The one thing you don't see or hear too much about is e-book readers at the gym. But if you're into reading on the treadmill, elliptical, or stationary bike, the Kindle 2 and other e-readers are pretty ideal.
The key is there are no real page turns to deal with and you don't have to worry about keeping the book--especially a paperback--flat. You just reach out and press the "next page" button to keep reading.
The only problem I had was that on some machines my positioning put me too far away from the Kindle 2 to read smaller type. But that's remedied by jacking up the font size. True, you have to click the next page button more often because there are fewer words on a page. But at least you can read the type without any trouble.
Of course, people who have access to fancier exercise machines with built-in LCD TVs tend to watch the video rather than read something (and some gyms have that nice wall of TVs to look at). But now that certain hotels have started loaning out Sony Readers to guests, maybe some enterprising, high-end gym will allow you to check out a Kindle 2 loaded with periodical subscriptions for your workout. A company called Octo does make a water-resistant cover that would probably qualify as sweat-proof.
Anybody else think e-readers have a future at the gym?
Additional reading: E-book readers check in to hotels
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter. 
http://gobblerr.blogspot.com/2009/07/kindle-2-proves-gym-friendly.html
- by azell July 20, 2009 6:36 PM PDT
- I've had a Sony 505 for 16 months and am on my 18th book read 95% while on a treadmill and recumbant bikes. I played with many different things and now use an 1.5 corner bracket, covered with a rubberized tape (to keep it from slipping) and have industrial velco male on one outside angle and the fuzzy part on the back of the eReader plus 2 plastic bumbers (to keep it from tilting). The corner braket sits on top of the equipment's reader board, the rubber keeps in from slipping. It works fine. I can ajust the level by where i attach the corner bracket. If I need the cover for the light, I've a strip of fuzzy velcro on inside of the back cover.
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(4 Comments)For reading while eating, I've a a small folding rubberize display stand.
Why Amazon or Sony or some gadget guy come up with something like this means that none of them exercise or, if they do, they don't read while doing it.
Innovation is more than more memory, faster chips, etc. In some ways the computer industry only thinks of what is inside and how how things are used.