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There's something about the Kindle software for iPod Touch and iPhone that makes me feel like I'm beating the system.

I bought my iPod Touch for all the cool Internet and entertainment stuff it can do.

I didn't realize how much fun the App Store would be, and when I found Kindle software from Amazon for nothing, I decided to try it.

The full-size Kindle has never appealed to me because I want to spend my gadget money on the stream of updated iPods and cameras that constantly draw my attention.

This seemed like a bonus.

The first title I got was "Down and Out in Paris and London" by George Orwell -- something I'd been meaning to read. It was a bargain at 99 cents.

The download was very fast over a Wi-Fi connection.

The book wasn't bad either. But I wanted to try something closer to my heart, so I found "Go Like Hell," the story of Ford's audacious bid to beat Ferrari in the 24 Hours of Le Mans in the 1960s.

It was pricier at $14.30, but it was an exciting, quick read.

My current book is slow going.

So, like any other media player, a lot depends on the content. Yet, the medium is still the message.

The software will stay on my iPod, but I'll always consider it to be more of a novel accessory. It's something to carry in my pocket for times when I'm caught in a restaurant, in a car wash or anywhere that I need a good book.

The good

l Five type sizes and three shades, white on black, black on white and black on sepia -- my choice, like the creamy tone of good paper.

l The page-turning motion, though not as elegant as some readers that mimic the flip of a page, does the job well. A swipe of the finger or a gentle touch on the right side advances the page.

l Several controls allow you to mark pages, jump back and forth to footnotes and stay oriented. If you turn the iPod from vertical to horizontal mode, a small "lock" icon on the screen allows you to fix the page in place so it won't revert if you change angles.

The bad

l Big type = lots of page flipping. There's not much real estate on a screen even as large as the iPod Touch. Smaller type looks too grainy for aging eyes.

l Sometimes the screen seems too bright, sometimes too dark, sometimes too reflective. But these are iPod issues that go with the territory.

l It's handy, but nothing will take the place of a nice, soothing, analog book.

Contact Richard M. Barron at 323-7371 or richard.barron@news-record.com