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Hello. My name is Josh Kim, and I'm a printer. I print everything. I print meeting agendas and notes. I print PDF articles and chapters. I print articles from news sites. I print e-mail. I print and I print and I print. And I want to change.
Do you know anyone who has successfully moved all their documents, all the stuff they used to print, to a Kindle or an iPad? Or maybe "everything" is too high a bar - but surely you must know someone who is gone mostly paperless thanks to the Kindle/iPad?
And what device is better to try this experiment? I like the iPad because it can also serve as a portable communications and web device. Take notes in meetings (I guess with an external keyboard), read what I once would have printed, check e-mail etc. etc. But the Kindle appeals also, particularly the new Kindle DX announced today, as the Kindle's e-ink seems like the best substitute for paper. A single purpose reading device may also reduce distraction while offering the optimal reading experience, but I fear that I'd be toting around both an iPad and a Kindle.
Reasons To Print:
Reading: I find reading on a screen tiring and unproductive. Can't read long form on a screen.
Notes: I take notes on what I read.
Focus: Having the print out forces me to keep attention focussed on the paper. If I have a screen the mind and the mouse might wander to e-mail or the web.
Portability: Paper goes with me easily.
Reasons to Stop Printing:
Clutter: I do all this printing, and then I end up with all this paper. I want less stuff.
Search: Printing everything is great until it comes to finding it to do something with it later on. If my files were digital I'd be able to search for them.
Annotation Reality: The reality is that I never do much with the annotations I've made after I've made them. All communication is digital, so I need to be able to share ideas and feedback through with other people through a mechanism such as e-mail, document sharing or project management platforms.
Ubiquity: If had all my documents on an iPad or Kindle then everywhere I went I'd have all my documents.
Why do this experiment at all? One of the big reasons I'd like to try to break the printing habit is to get a sense about the possibilities for moving curriculum to iPads or Kindles. Wouldn't it be great if all the readings and materials for any given course or program came bundled together on an e-reader or tablet?
Are you part of the print to digital movement? Any of you thinking about trying to kick the printing habit?
