Is this the wrong spirit for a gift?

[siamesecat2965]

First, I think you definitely need to communicate to him that his messing with your Kindle annoys you. That said, I think it would be a lovely gift for him. He clearly enjoys using a Kindle, otherwise he wouldn't be playing with yours.

It would be one thing if he was obsessing over a non-major ereader and you were thinking of buying him a Kindle to prove how superior they are; to "show him the light", if you will. That would definitely be the wrong spirit, but that's not the case here. You have a Thing. He likes the Thing so much that he keeps using yours. So, you want to get him a Thing. That he'll leave yours alone is a bonus, albeit a significant one

This. He obviously enjoys using your Kindle, to your annoyance, so I don't see any issue with getting him one of his own.  And he may not have already since a. yours is there and available and b. he might not feel like he can justify the cost.  But if given one, I'm sure he'd be thrilled.

[Aeris]

Thanks for all the replies!

I think I'm going to go for it.

For everyone asking why I don't just tell him to keep off my kindle - it's a good question. I think I feel uncomfortable doing that too directly, because he's very generous with me pretty much all the time. The most recent example is that he got himself Diablo 3. I got interested in it, but my computer can't handle it - so my SO willingly offered up his desktop computer to me to play on pretty much 50/50 for the few weeks I was really invested. Now, that's a bit different just because buying a whole new computer just to play Diablo 3 is not really reasonable, for either one of us.

Point is, I think I'd feel a lot more comfortable fixing the problem by buying him a Kindle than by just telling him he can't use mine.

If he had a smartphone, the Kindle app would be a great solution, but he's a weird mix of technogeek and luddite, and the cell phone falls in the luddite category. 

[artk2002]

The suggestions about talking to him that I liked weren't about "stay off my Kindle" but more "I feel (insert emotion here) when you borrow my Kindle and don't restore the settings when you return it." It's wonderful that he's generous with his stuff, and that you want to reciprocate, but generosity needs to be met with responsibility on the other side. I'm sure that you wouldn't borrow something of his and return it in an altered state.

[TootsNYC]

. . .t (when I was in the tub....yes, I still used it then by popping it into an XL sandwich baggie, lol),  . . ..

I love mine as well, adn I do the same thing with the ziplock bag in the tub!

It's actually a bit advantage, when you think about it--you can't do that w/ a book and still turn pages!!


So, given your update, I vote you get him a Kindle, but that you do something small to "gift-ify" it--like get him the perfect cover for it, or something that seems a little bit indulgent.

Get him the reading-light add-on (bonus if you don't have one for yours), or some other sort of extra that makes it seem a little fancier or more personalized to him somehow.

[Moray]

. . .t (when I was in the tub....yes, I still used it then by popping it into an XL sandwich baggie, lol),  . . ..

I love mine as well, adn I do the same thing with the ziplock bag in the tub!

It's actually a bit advantage, when you think about it--you can't do that w/ a book and still turn pages!!


So, given your update, I vote you get him a Kindle, but that you do something small to "gift-ify" it--like get him the perfect cover for it, or something that seems a little bit indulgent.

Get him the reading-light add-on (bonus if you don't have one for yours), or some other sort of extra that makes it seem a little fancier or more personalized to him somehow.

LOL, I think an $80-$200 electronic gizmo is "gift-y" enough OP, you might want to pre-charge and load it with what he currently reads off yours, though.

[TootsNYC]

See, that's what I'm thinking for "extra"--something not too expensive but thoughtful.

Like, the books you know he'd like to read, perhaps. Maybe 1 new book (hard to preload, bcs part of the fun of an electronic device is taking it out of the package for the first time).

[Yvaine]

See, that's what I'm thinking for "extra"--something not too expensive but thoughtful.

Like, the books you know he'd like to read, perhaps. Maybe 1 new book (hard to preload, bcs part of the fun of an electronic device is taking it out of the package for the first time).

I think that can be solved with an Amazon gift card! Doesn't even need to be for a big amount, just enough for a mini book shopping spree once he opens the gift.