i guess this is goodbye..

I'm a well-known bookworm among my peers. I'd read almost anything I can get my hands into (well, except for textbooks - they bore me), and I'm usually seen with a book, even way back my elementary and high school days. I'm the student who always carries a novel with me, I knew who Albus Dumbledore was even before JK Rowling's books became a worldwide phenomenon, and I'm probably the only one in class who never complained about our quarterly book reports.

In this day and age of technology, I guess it came as no surprise when I was the first among my friends to get a Kindle. I prefer reading an actual book, but back when I was unemployed, books became an unnecessary expense. Of course, it didn't stop me  from buying them, but even on sale, it still cut a huge chunk out of my budget. It was by chance that I discovered Amazon's Kindle. And from the very first time I read about it online, I knew that I just had to have it.

Of course, buying it was a problem. I don't know where I can buy it here in the Philippines. I thought about buying it straight from Amazon's website, but I figured the shipping fee would be expensive. So I decided to wait it out. And good thing I did, too. Last February 2011, Mom went to Singapore with her brother, and lo and behold! She brought home my very own Kindle. 

For almost 2 years, I was never without that gadget. I bring it almost everywhere with me (yes, even when I have to go to the comfort room). I was so proud of that baby, proud of the fact that I owned something most of my friends never heard of. I loved that little thing.

That's why it breaks my heart to say goodbye to this nifty gadget, my bestfriend, my reliable companion. 

It started having problems late last year. While I'm reading a book, it would suddenly freeze up, then it would restart on its own. And just when I thought all is well, it would freeze up and restart all over again. I contacted Amazon support, but none of the troubleshooting tips they gave me worked. So I had to stop using it.

Sometime last year, I bought an iPad Mini. It now doubles as a tablet, and my primary e-reader. 

But despite having a new gadget I can use for reading, I can't seem to let my old Kindle go. A couple weeks ago, I picked it up but when I slid the sleep button, it won't turn on. I tried charging it, but it still won't power up. So I contacted Amazon support again, and they said that my Kindle's issues can't be resolved. They provided me with replacement offers, though. I can buy a refurbished Kindle (it's "like new" and also comes with a one-year warranty) with discount.

I opted for the Certified Refurbished Kindle (I think some call this Kindle 4) that costs $59 that became $47.20 because of the discount. I'm having it shipped to my boyfriend's sister's husband who's in the States right now, and he'll bring it home to me.

And the customer support I chatted with was so nice. She gave me an option of a $13.98 2-day shipping or the free super saver shipping, so of course I chose the free one, but then she said, "Actually I will leave it on 2-day shipping. I have waived the shipping fee for you." How's that for awesome? Thank you, Tamryn.

For only $51.45 ($47.20 for the unit, plus $4.25 tax), it's a steal. I can't wait!

So I guess this is the end of the road for us, buddy. We had fun together, but nothing lasts forever, so.. Thank for almost 2 awesome years together. I'll never forget you.

RIP Kindle 3

February 14, 2011 - May 16, 2013

You will be missed.