I have been heavily considering purchasing a Kindle from amazon but do to the cost I wanted to see if anyone else owned one and what their experience has been with it any feedback?
TIA
TIA
The Kindle
- Thread starter taprater
- Start date
This comic should sum up my feelings about it:
- Thread starter
- #3
while I do agree with that and I love to have the pysical book in my hand being in the navy and moving back home soon and going to school and I may not be able to get my own place for a while so space is my main issue but I do not want to give my addiction that lies in those wonderful bound pages.
I say get an iphone or ipod touch. Kindle is free for that and there are also other good ereaders too, in addition to all the other nifty things they can do.
I don't see the point in paying $300 for a portable library. Sure it's all the fun of a book, but it's also all the strain of staring at a screen, and you have to worry about battery life, and you can break it. On top of that you have to pay $9.99 for most books, when you could by a nice paperback of it for a bout $6 or $7.
And why would you need to have your whole library at your fingertips, anyway? Most people only need one at a time.
I don't see the point in paying $300 for a portable library. Sure it's all the fun of a book, but it's also all the strain of staring at a screen, and you have to worry about battery life, and you can break it. On top of that you have to pay $9.99 for most books, when you could by a nice paperback of it for a bout $6 or $7.
And why would you need to have your whole library at your fingertips, anyway? Most people only need one at a time.
I did a ton of research on eBook readers this past Christmas. In the end I bought my wife the Sony PRS-505. From what I could dig up this just seemed like the best fit for her (and I 
).
Now nearly 6 months later I can tell you that it was a better investment than my IPod touch. We have literally hundreds of books at the touch of a button and it is about the same size (and slightly lighter) than the average paperback book.
You can't go wrong with the Sony.
Also, I didn't like the Amazon only attitude of the Kindle. It just seemed and still does that the Sony was the better choice.
Awesome,!
).Now nearly 6 months later I can tell you that it was a better investment than my IPod touch. We have literally hundreds of books at the touch of a button and it is about the same size (and slightly lighter) than the average paperback book.
You can't go wrong with the Sony.
Also, I didn't like the Amazon only attitude of the Kindle. It just seemed and still does that the Sony was the better choice.
Awesome,
!
Just one point, I believe the entire idea of this new devices is that you don't "strain" looking at the screen. They have e-ink technology that makes the display read like ink on paper. Another benefit to this is the way the image is produced. It uses small white/black pixels, sort of like an etch a sketch. Once a pixel is turned white or black its job is done. There is no more power draw from the device to continue with the display. Not saying they are worth it just some cool facts about them. (This is just what I've read, I don't own nor have I even seen one in person).
I was/am still considering the purchase of the Sony because the font is adjustable. Usually the print of paperbacks is too small and causes considerable eye strain. I used to read at least two books per month and I miss it. The downloads cost more than the average paperback though.
Sue
Sue
I've considered getting a Kindle. My boss has one and likes it a lot. He's 83 and has no problem reading the screen. He has the original and there are some usability issues.
I love books and collect a few kinds. But there are a lot of books I would like to read that I don't necessarily want to keep. Rather than having to find ways to discard/recycle/sell them, it seems like a good idea to only get a digital version.
I love books and collect a few kinds. But there are a lot of books I would like to read that I don't necessarily want to keep. Rather than having to find ways to discard/recycle/sell them, it seems like a good idea to only get a digital version.
I'm not saying too much against the kindle, I think it's a good idea, even if a bit overpriced, but there is one thing that really bugs me, but it's probably just a personal thing.
Say you read a book that you really like, and you recommend it to your friend. If it were me, I'd give them the copy I got; my friends pass books around quite a bit. If you were to buy an electronic book on Kindle, you can't pass it over to your friends, and that's kind of a deal breaker for me.
Say you read a book that you really like, and you recommend it to your friend. If it were me, I'd give them the copy I got; my friends pass books around quite a bit. If you were to buy an electronic book on Kindle, you can't pass it over to your friends, and that's kind of a deal breaker for me.
I have several friends that own kindles and I would own one myself except I have been informed by my SO that I "WILL" be waiting for my birthday or I "WILL" be sleeping on the couch for a month.
Of the 7-8 friends that have them, not one of them regrets it. I have held, and used them, and can attest that eye strain is no worse than a regular paperback book. Battery life is hardly a problem since e-ink only writes once and only uses a tiny bit of power then. A friend of mine averages 3 books a day and she recharges her kindle once a week, maybe twice.
An additional note. Go to www.gutenberg.org and download books for free. All of the books that have gone into public domain are listed here and can be downloaded for free. You can email them to your amazon account and they will convert them to Kindle for you for a 10 cents each. I imagine you can do something similar with other format ebook readers.
Now you have no excuse not to read the classics.
Of the 7-8 friends that have them, not one of them regrets it. I have held, and used them, and can attest that eye strain is no worse than a regular paperback book. Battery life is hardly a problem since e-ink only writes once and only uses a tiny bit of power then. A friend of mine averages 3 books a day and she recharges her kindle once a week, maybe twice.
An additional note. Go to www.gutenberg.org and download books for free. All of the books that have gone into public domain are listed here and can be downloaded for free. You can email them to your amazon account and they will convert them to Kindle for you for a 10 cents each. I imagine you can do something similar with other format ebook readers.
Now you have no excuse not to read the classics.
I've had the Amazon Kindle for almost one year now (the first generation, if you will) and i truly think it's great. I read quite a bit, sometimes two books each week and this thing performs like a champ. Mostly i read at the pool in the mornings and sun glare is no problem whatsoever. The pages are crisp, clear and the contrast (even in strong Thailand sun) is always excellent.
I originally went with the Kindle for 2 reasons:
1) Access to way more titles than Sony and,
2) Neither of them had a backlight at the time......Sony has since added this feature.
Really, the lack of a backlight on the Kindle is a non-issue, it's the same as reading a traditional book.
And, speaking of the 'feel' of the paper, etc....all of the tangible points of traditional books....fuggedaboutit! Once you begin reading, you don't even notice it.
Being out of the States, I don't get to take advantage of the Whispernet (if that's what it's called) feature, but i think it is a pretty cool option. For me, it's traditional downloading to my Mac and then loading onto the Kindle. A typical book takes about one minute for me to download and transfer.
Didn't mean for this to turn into a review, just thought i'd share my experience.
Yeah, they're not a cheap toy, but the thing works.....and very well.
That's my 2 baht!
I originally went with the Kindle for 2 reasons:
1) Access to way more titles than Sony and,
2) Neither of them had a backlight at the time......Sony has since added this feature.
Really, the lack of a backlight on the Kindle is a non-issue, it's the same as reading a traditional book.
And, speaking of the 'feel' of the paper, etc....all of the tangible points of traditional books....fuggedaboutit! Once you begin reading, you don't even notice it.
Being out of the States, I don't get to take advantage of the Whispernet (if that's what it's called) feature, but i think it is a pretty cool option. For me, it's traditional downloading to my Mac and then loading onto the Kindle. A typical book takes about one minute for me to download and transfer.
Didn't mean for this to turn into a review, just thought i'd share my experience.
Yeah, they're not a cheap toy, but the thing works.....and very well.
That's my 2 baht!
Hmmm, wouldn't this fall under fair use? And if not...well....ehm....you get my point
Just checked this link, amazing.
Just downloaded The Mayor of Casterbridge and The Man who would be King.
Thank you very much
I've been thinking about one of these for my wife. How hard is it to load the titles onto the units. Is the Sony able to use more books that are sold outside of Amazon.com? Also how quickly do new titles come for sale?
I got a new Kindle in a couple of months back. It takes about 30 seconds to download a book.
So far I have been able to find all of the books that I wanted to read available on the Kindle format. Go on the site and seach on Kindle books for the authors that you like.
just out of curiousity, how many foreign languages books are available for Kindle? I read a lot of Japanese books and I wonder if it's possible to get these books for Kindle (There is no Kindle in Japan so I doubt much availability)
I downloaded "Tarzan of the Apes" from there and read it on my iphone. Don't let the movies fool you, the book is amazing and very well written. The free ebooks are great. I think I'll give some of the Oz books a try next.
I don't see the problem. You have a movie or book you like, you loan it to your friend. I like the idea of Kindle, and I'd probably get one if it were a little cheaper, but I want to be able to pass my books on when I'm done with them.
I have had a Kindle for a year now (the first version of it)
The Kindle is not for marking up textbooks, note taking, research, etc. It's a tool for reading. So that's my approach to it. While it is possible to highlight, bookmark, and annotate the text, it's somewhat cumbersome to do.
I like it. A lot. A number of books that I've wanted to read are available for it (older books are about 1/3 the price of a paperback). I also subscribe to two newspapers through it (NY Times and SF Chronicle). You receive books almost instantly after purchasing. The newspapers are delivered overnight (or whenever you turn on the Kindle). Newspaper (and maybe magazine) subscriptions come with a two-week trial period. Cancel within two weeks, and you're not charged.
Reading is easy, you can change font size, it's very lightweight, it consumes very little power (one charge will last about a week if you leave it on all the time), and it tries to emulate reading a book. I've found my hand flicking up to "turn the page" a couple of times during the page transition. I find myself reading more often now. It's easier to handle, books don't flop shut, and there are plenty of free books out there on the webs.
Figuring out the buttons and how to use them takes a little getting used to. But once you do, it becomes second nature. Figuring out the difference between "back" and "previous page" took me a while. Now, I think it's sheer genius. (The time frame I mean here is I got used to it in less than one week of intermittent use.)
There's a built in dictionary, which has come in more handily than I expected. You can also listen to audio books (or MP3s) on the Kindle. MP3s are "random play" only, though - no playlists. It has a built-in speaker and a headphones jack. I have not listened to anything on the Kindle.
It has built-in web surfing capability (it's "experimental" according to Amazon and could be pulled at any time) that I've used several times. It is a little slow and it doesn't support ActiveX or Flash (which is a plus in my book). Graphics and pictures are not great. But if you need to check something in Wikipedia or look up a word on the web (like in Urbandictionary.com), it's fine for that. I now know what "belaired" means.
The built-in keypad is actually nice for my uses: searching stuff on the Kindle, dictionary look-ups, searching Google or the Kindle store. I love the layout and it's finger-friendly. Reaction time from pressing a key to it's appearance on the screen is slow, though.
There are some areas where improvement could be made:
There's no light on the Kindle. So if you have no light source (sun, lamp, etc.) you can't read. I bought a book light and that solution works fine for very low light or a dark room. But a light source around the outer edge of the screen would be awesome.
The "next page" and "previous page" buttons are sensitive. It's very easy to hit them accidentally. But you develop a muscle memory about this and it diminishes over time.
The Kindle is black and white (or grayish-white). No color. Occasionally, the newspapers will have photos with the story but it's poor quality.
The "book reading" experience is not duplicated. I love books and there's something visceral about reading a book that I enjoy. And that no ebook will never duplicate. Ditto the newspaper reading experience - if you like the photos that go with news stories, or you like reading certain sections in a certain order, the Kindle doesn't give much there. It's possible, but not intuitive or easy.
I bought the Kindle mainly for reading during the daily two-hour commute but have found myself reading more often - lunch, after dinner, at the gym - than I used to. It's perfect for that: it's easy to switch back and forth between a book (or books) and the papers without losing your place in each of them. Right now, my Kindle has a couple of weeks' worth of both newspapers and ten books - and it all fits nicely in my messenger bag (heck, it would probably fit in a purse!). Something that couldn't be done with the "real" stuff It's been great to take on outings. Easy to haul it around and read for a while at a coffee house, etc.
Overall, I think the Kindle would probably be enjoyed by people who like to read - as in "reading in my spare time" or possibly voracious readers. If you're looking for a "device" that lets you read, surf the web, and listen to tunes at breathtaking speeds and is easily configurable to every little whim one could have, it is more disappointing.
Overall, I don't regret buying it, but the price still seems a little steep. I spent several weeks researching it, asking around, and waffling on the purchase. $200 would have made the decision a complete no-brainer, IMHO. But I don't regret it at all.
The Kindle is not for marking up textbooks, note taking, research, etc. It's a tool for reading. So that's my approach to it. While it is possible to highlight, bookmark, and annotate the text, it's somewhat cumbersome to do.
I like it. A lot. A number of books that I've wanted to read are available for it (older books are about 1/3 the price of a paperback). I also subscribe to two newspapers through it (NY Times and SF Chronicle). You receive books almost instantly after purchasing. The newspapers are delivered overnight (or whenever you turn on the Kindle). Newspaper (and maybe magazine) subscriptions come with a two-week trial period. Cancel within two weeks, and you're not charged.
Reading is easy, you can change font size, it's very lightweight, it consumes very little power (one charge will last about a week if you leave it on all the time), and it tries to emulate reading a book. I've found my hand flicking up to "turn the page" a couple of times during the page transition. I find myself reading more often now. It's easier to handle, books don't flop shut, and there are plenty of free books out there on the webs.
Figuring out the buttons and how to use them takes a little getting used to. But once you do, it becomes second nature. Figuring out the difference between "back" and "previous page" took me a while. Now, I think it's sheer genius. (The time frame I mean here is I got used to it in less than one week of intermittent use.)
There's a built in dictionary, which has come in more handily than I expected. You can also listen to audio books (or MP3s) on the Kindle. MP3s are "random play" only, though - no playlists. It has a built-in speaker and a headphones jack. I have not listened to anything on the Kindle.
It has built-in web surfing capability (it's "experimental" according to Amazon and could be pulled at any time) that I've used several times. It is a little slow and it doesn't support ActiveX or Flash (which is a plus in my book). Graphics and pictures are not great. But if you need to check something in Wikipedia or look up a word on the web (like in Urbandictionary.com), it's fine for that. I now know what "belaired" means.
The built-in keypad is actually nice for my uses: searching stuff on the Kindle, dictionary look-ups, searching Google or the Kindle store. I love the layout and it's finger-friendly. Reaction time from pressing a key to it's appearance on the screen is slow, though.
There are some areas where improvement could be made:
There's no light on the Kindle. So if you have no light source (sun, lamp, etc.) you can't read. I bought a book light and that solution works fine for very low light or a dark room. But a light source around the outer edge of the screen would be awesome.
The "next page" and "previous page" buttons are sensitive. It's very easy to hit them accidentally. But you develop a muscle memory about this and it diminishes over time.
The Kindle is black and white (or grayish-white). No color. Occasionally, the newspapers will have photos with the story but it's poor quality.
The "book reading" experience is not duplicated. I love books and there's something visceral about reading a book that I enjoy. And that no ebook will never duplicate. Ditto the newspaper reading experience - if you like the photos that go with news stories, or you like reading certain sections in a certain order, the Kindle doesn't give much there. It's possible, but not intuitive or easy.
I bought the Kindle mainly for reading during the daily two-hour commute but have found myself reading more often - lunch, after dinner, at the gym - than I used to. It's perfect for that: it's easy to switch back and forth between a book (or books) and the papers without losing your place in each of them. Right now, my Kindle has a couple of weeks' worth of both newspapers and ten books - and it all fits nicely in my messenger bag (heck, it would probably fit in a purse!). Something that couldn't be done with the "real" stuff It's been great to take on outings. Easy to haul it around and read for a while at a coffee house, etc.
Overall, I think the Kindle would probably be enjoyed by people who like to read - as in "reading in my spare time" or possibly voracious readers. If you're looking for a "device" that lets you read, surf the web, and listen to tunes at breathtaking speeds and is easily configurable to every little whim one could have, it is more disappointing.
Overall, I don't regret buying it, but the price still seems a little steep. I spent several weeks researching it, asking around, and waffling on the purchase. $200 would have made the decision a complete no-brainer, IMHO. But I don't regret it at all.
My wife and kids got me one for my birthday in late February. I had been a voracious reader when growing up and in my early 20's but I had lost my love for reading when I was working on my graduate degree. I think I truly had just read too much. Also, I began to need reading glasses more and more frequently due to eye strain. The kindle has helped me enjoy reading again. The adjustable font size means no more glasses for me, truly the e-ink is much much easier to read than a computer screen, and I no longer lug around magazines, books, or newspapers - as they are all easily downloadable. I have used calibre and the kindlefeeder to deliver blogs and rss feeds as well - you can schedule those for delivery whenever you like and the Sprint 3G network built in is fantastic. And, there is no monthly subscription for that - they call it whispernet and it is included in the initial purchase. The browser is great for checking gmail and/or checking the news. I am traveling now for business and it is the perfect traveling companion - you can even load up music on it and it has a headphone jack for my noise canceling headphones. One of my friends that is a technical engineer has over 200 technical manuals on his version 1 kindle - he has to have all kinds of IEEE standards and encryption manuals to reference.
As was previously mentioned, the one drawback that I can't get around is the lack of sharing with friends. I love to share books and I have found that if I really love one, I wind up buying a hardcopy in addition to the kindle version to pass around at work. Oh well, I was used to having books and dvds not come back occasionally when I loaned them out - it is all just stuff anyway
As was previously mentioned, the one drawback that I can't get around is the lack of sharing with friends. I love to share books and I have found that if I really love one, I wind up buying a hardcopy in addition to the kindle version to pass around at work. Oh well, I was used to having books and dvds not come back occasionally when I loaned them out - it is all just stuff anyway
