Should I buy my Mom a kindle for mothers day?

[Arylkin]

I think it would be a wonderful gift!   Everyone who has seen mine is amazed and says how much nicer it is than they imagined.   I bet she'd really like it (especially with the variable font sizes). 

[Kathy]

Well I haven't been 45 for a lot of years and I love my Kindle. It was a gift for Christmas from my children and I have to say, the best one they ever gave me.

[koolmnbv]

Thank you so much for everyones great answers. I guess i was hesitant because sometimes she seems like she resists new things, like "The old way wasnt broke so why fix it?" But after listening to all of you i think she will instantly enjoy the new way to read. I think I was putting a little more thought and confusion into it rather than just considering that she will play with it a while and get used to it and then love it.

Thanks so much for everyones great answers and support.

[LADennis]

I am 44 and I think the Kindle is the best thing ever invented!  I think your mom would catch on to the download process with ease.  It's not hard at all.  I really like it because of the fonts too.  Also, I am a person that hates clutter and having all my books condensed is GREAT! I took all my books to the library and donated them.  If she has issues with the Kindle I'm sure you can talk her through it and she will catch on and love you even more for it! So, I would say emphatically YES, get her a Kindle!!!

[Britt]

My mom is 52 and not super computer savvy. She didn't think she would like the Kindle (she was VERY set in her ways--it was hardback or nothing at all), but my stepdad got her a K2 for their anniversary a month or so ago and she hasn't been able to put it down since!

[koolmnbv]

I am 44 and I think the Kindle is the best thing ever invented!  I think your mom would catch on to the download process with ease.  It's not hard at all.  I really like it because of the fonts too.  Also, I am a person that hates clutter and having all my books condensed is GREAT! I took all my books to the library and donated them.  If she has issues with the Kindle I'm sure you can talk her through it and she will catch on and love you even more for it! So, I would say emphatically YES, get her a Kindle!!!

Thank you so much after hearing yours and everyones answers I completely agree and will order her k2 in a week or 2wks. BTW i LOVE your avatar pic...your furbaby? name?? Soooo cute!!

[Leslie]

You guys are making me feel ancient. LOL.

I am 53 and it probably goes without saying that I love my Kindle. If I got a Kindle for mother's day....well, I'd be out of my mind. Go for it.

L

[koolmnbv]

You guys are making me feel ancient. LOL.

I am 53 and it probably goes without saying that I love my Kindle. If I got a Kindle for mother's day....well, I'd be out of my mind. Go for it.

L

I am so sorry I truly did not mean to make it seem like i thought my mom or anyone else my mom's age for that matter is OLD! I definitely dont think that I only pointed out her age because I know quite a few others on this board were also around that age and could give me some ideas on how they liked their k's and if they resisted at all.

I know I made my mom sound like she's 2 steps to the grave at only 45 lol but I truly just wanted advice from other forty-somethings!

[MikeD]

My Mom is 87 & loves her Kindle. Actually, the older you get, the more useful the Kindle becomes...

My wife and I are also older than your Mom and enjoy our Kindles immensely.

[intinst]

I am a couple months from 57 and somehow manged to figure out how to use the Kindle.
I think there is every chance your mom will do great! Now any ideas on getting my 77 year old mom to use the Kindle.

[B-Kay 1325]

Intinst, repeat all of the above.  LOL

[intinst]

Believe me I've tried, she won't even look.

[patrisha w.]

OK...I'm 45...and I love my Kindle, hope that helps!

Well, I am considerably more than 45 but I am going to answer anyway! I would say that if your mother reads a lot, she will LOVE a Kindle because it will enable her to read more!

patrisha

[melodyyyyy]

Hi
  I am 47 and can't work my cell phone without help.  I love my Kindle.  It is the ONLY devise that I own that I do not have to get my son or hubby to help with.  Your mon will love it.  I can work my Kindle with my eyes closed lol .

[koolmnbv]

Hi
  I am 47 and can't work my cell phone without help.  I love my Kindle.  It is the ONLY devise that I own that I do not have to get my son or hubby to help with.  Your mon will love it.  I can work my Kindle with my eyes closed lol .

Ok you literally sound just like my mom! She always is getting me or one of my sisters to help with simple cell phone,dvd player, dvr, comp. etc questions and easy troubleshooting. Once she catches on she is fine but im glad to know you love yours also! I will definitely go ahead with my mothers day gift! Im so glad for this board!

[Boston]

I bought my mother a Kindle for Christmas and have it registered to my Amazon account.  She is 74.  She has a computer but only knows how to use it for email (and still often calls my brother to help her out).     

I first started her in the basics of reading a book, sleep mode, etc.  Once she got through that, I showed her how to remove it from her Kindle and we downloaded another.  I typed up simple instructions covering just the basics for her to reference when needed.  I figured there was a 50/50 chance that she would have me return it (and told her that we could) but the thought never crossed her mind after she started reading on it.

She is not an on-line shopper so prefers to leave the purchasing of books to me.  If I buy books for myself, I email her the titles with the description copt and pasted from Amazon.  She tells me which books she is interested in and I push them to her Kindle.  She keeps the descriptions to decide what she wants to read.  Occasionally, she sends me a list of books she wants to buy (seen in the stores or book catalog).

She did see the write-ups on the Kindle 2 and mentioned she was glad that she had a Kindle 1...the scroll wheel is more her style than a joystick.   

She loves her Kindle and I love being able to share books with her again. 

My suggestion is to buy it and let her try it.  There's a 30-day return period if she doesn't love it.

[drenee]

Boston, those are some great suggestions.  It never occurred to me to send my mom the descriptions of the books where she could keep it handy and not call me every time she starts a new book for me to describe them.  She bought a book by mistake, which we returned no problem, and now she's a bit shy of getting on to Amazon through her K.
deb

[lostknitter]

I am a couple months from 57 and somehow manged to figure out how to use the Kindle.
I think there is every chance your mom will do great! Now any ideas on getting my 77 year old mom to use the Kindle.

My mom is 77 and we were just yesterday talking about getting her one. For my mom, who is afraid to even try to use a computer, I think the best way for us, will be for me to purchase her books for her on Sundays when I visit, or during the week and then download them for her. She loves her books, and I got her a Sansa Clip to listen to audio books from the library, she does fine with it, but I download them to her Clip each week and make sure the menu is at "music" so she doesn't have to navigate anywhere else. If your mom is like mine, and not too far away, this might be an option?

[DD]

Two reasons I think you should get your Mom a Kindle:

1.  She loves to read.
2.  She did not wrinkle up her nose and say, "That's weird!", when she tried yours.

I say Yes!

If she doesn't like it and disowns you, can I adopt you?  You give great gifts!
BTW, I'm 59 and own a K1 and a K2.

[MarthaT]

Certainly it'd be a thoughtful gift for the avid reader

[docjered]

It is all a matter of perspective. At 45 your mother really is quite young. The questions you raise would perhaps be more valid if your mother was, say, 75 or 85, but at 45 it should be a no-brainer. I introduced my mother to the world of computers when she was 68, and even though it took a few patient evenings (with her protesting every time), email and reading news online became her passion. She passed away two years ago at 72, so I can only wish I could give her a Kindle for mothers day. Actually, I would give her the whole Amazon library just to have the privilege of gifting her once again, so I can definitely tell you this: If you have the inclination, DO IT. Regret is just not a viable option. I gave my mother loads of gifts over the years and the Kindle would have made choosing so much easier, to give her downloads, etc. Now I have my house filled with things that I gave to her, and I miss her terribly. The day you lose your mother changes your life irrevocably. The only solace I have is my memory of her << she loved presents >>, and I have no regrets.

Jered

[PJ]

Oh most definitely Yes!!

I'm ...hmm let me see it's 2009... oh yes 46.  But I even got my mother using a Kindle (check this out) and she's over 70.  If your mom likes to read she will love it.