I don't care if print is dead, or if it's just resting a while. What I do care about is getting the best, most versatile access to information when and where I need it. And for this, I've come to depend on my Amazon Kindle. While the rest of the tech world is busy kvetching over the forthcoming second-gen Kindle's design aesthetics and its admittedly hefty $359 price tag, I'm wondering only one thing: Will it make me want to upgrade?

I've been carrying a Kindle for a little over a year now. I've purchased a few dozen books for it, some of which I already owned in print. For me, it's been the ultimate traveling companion.

To a serious road warrior, it's not easy making a good case for adding yet another device to the gig bag. Between the bulk of a business laptop and the clutter of cables and power bricks, there's generally not a lot of room left for niceties. Yet as someone who works constantly between multiple locations, spends a week at a time on the road, and kills hours a day in transit, I've come to consider my Kindle an indispensible business tool.