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Now... if only it could print, or at least work as a screwdriver.

When you think of a Swiss Army knife, you think of a portable dependable tool that can do many things well. It can imitate many other different items, though it is rarely as effective as the original, single purpose, tool. The Kindle plays a similar role in my technological life, perhaps not the most effective tool for the job, but always dependable.

I deal with a lot of different devices. Since our office is moving, most of them are here on my desk. Student Media has an iPad and a MacBook and I have a Droid, a netbook, a laptop, a desktop and a Kindle.

I’ve spent time using all these devices and each has certain strengths and weaknesses. However, I’ve come to rely more on my Kindle then any other device.

As we’ve gone through the process of moving, I’ve found myself often in a situation where I couldn’t relay on having wired or wireless internet, or even power. My laptop, with its minuscule battery life, wasn’t worth bringing around.

The iPad, MacBook and netbook were all mostly useless without internet. It surprised me just how much I’ve become reliant on web-based application. Without the internet, I didn’t have anything to take notes with on all three devices.

Then there was my phone, which sometimes crashed, would lose signal and had completely unreliable battery life.

My 3G Kindle reliably gets internet anywhere and has enough battery power to last anywhere from a few days to a few weeks. The experimental browser feature is not the easiest to use, however, it gets the job done. It’s not even slow, just sometimes difficult to use. The input system can also be difficult.

However, by combining the Kindle with the WordPress P2 theme I can take notes easily and efficiently. In an emergency I can interact with my e-mail, or send texts back and forth with Google Voice. All my reference materials are loaded up on the Kindle, along with plenty to read, so I’m never stuck without the knowledge I need. I even got the case that lets you run a light off the device’s battery.

In the world of colorful, fantastic and inventive devices, the low-cost, no-color, low-profile Kindle is my life-preserver. Many have both their fancy high-power device and a Kindle, because the Kindle just works. For others, the Kindle is their device of choice, its sales have been stupendous.

Perhaps the ever-increasing number of tablet makers should look closer at the Kindle than the iPad for inspiration. Developers should also take advantage of the opportunities the platform offers.

In a world of digital doubt, the Kindle always keeps me always prepared.