I recently read this blog post about a reader/writer who has fallen in love with their Kindle. It’s making me rethink my thunk on Kindle: No way – don’t like a book retailer dictating a reader to me; feels too oligarchical to my silly American feelings; and Amazon “cheats” by releasing books on Kindle three days before print release dates. I just felt skeeved out by all of it. And then I read posts like that. Now I don’t know WHAT to do and need some feedback from you folks…
I used to read eBooks on my Palm device, but the screen is too small and the battery too short-lived for it to be a long-term ereader. So I invested the relatively small amount of change in a eBookwise. I like the eBookwise – long battery life, nice screen, but it’s a gigantic hassle to load books on it that aren’t exactly the correct file format. And if the line breaks in a book are hosed? Fageddaboutit. Just too nasty to read.
I lust after the Sony Reader, but even I can’t justify the kaching kaching kaching (that’s three kachings, if you’re counting). That sucker costs some serious money. Ouch!
So. Kindle? Anyone have it? Do you like it? How easy/hard is it to load books? Is it light enough to hold for long periods? It seems to me the color of the device would be off-putting – I mean, white? For a HANDHELD? Ick. I keep my hands clean, and even *I* can make something look like poo after a few months of use. There’s a reason why handheld devices are black or dark gray.
What do you folks think? Should I do it or just wait a while?
Now that Sony has updated the pdf capabilities of the PR505 I’m saving up for that. As I understand it Kindle still has that same problem and the majority of my eBooks are pdf.
Oh oh! Now that I click the Sony link they have the Red model up for preorder. My lust might have just gotten the best of me. I like shiny red things.
The Sony Reader is currently cheaper than the Kindle ($300 compared to $350). I got my Sony for Christmas last year and mostly use it for travel.
OK, I’ll weigh in here…I love my Kindle and have never regretted $1 of the $399 price (back in Jan.). I was an ebook reader anyway on my laptop but the Kindle is so much better in many aspects. First, it is lightweight and a smidge bigger than a paperback but not so thick, it’s easy to hold and hit the “next page” button without any of hand movement. Second, the e-ink technology for the print or typeface is great, easy on the eyes, can be read in direct sunlight, enlarged and has no backlight flicker like a computer screen which tires the eyes.
So physically I find this device a lifesaver as I have arthritis in my hands… I can hold it and read for hours with no problems or pain.
But the truly amazing thing is the ability to download books, magazines and blogs in an absolute instant with no computer hook up required. The transfer rate is so fast, no kidding a book downloads in a few eye blinks and you’re ready to read. I am a huge fan of the sample chapters – you can get the first 20 or so pages of any book for free. That’s usually enough to hook you – or not.
The thing arrives registered already to your Amazon account – in just a few minutes out of the box you’re downloading and reading, I’m no geek but this thing is simple to use. Yes, you are more or less committed to Amazon but I was anyway…I’ve shopped Amazon for books for a long time so this was not a big leap for me. I still have and use my Fictionwise account as some books there are Kindle format and you can convert pdf files to Kindle. But I find the Amazon price is usually the same or lower as Fictionwise on most books. I’ve only found a few books that I’ve looked for not available on Kindle and I think in the near future most every book will be released on Kindle anyway.
Bottom line – I do believe this may be the future of reading. I carry my Kindle(in a lovely red leather case – so the white plastic is not a problem for me) with me always. I’ve got hundreds of books stored on it, can get something new to read in an instant and it’s no bigger in my handbag than my checkbook and wallet combined. As my hands or my eyesight deteriorate due to aging…I am comforted to know that my #1 hobby will still be #1 due to the advantages of Kindle.
No kidding, the damn thing is plain amazing.
PeggyP – Thanks for the thoughts. Looks like I might be doing the Kindle shuffle before long. I’m going to let the price get a bit lower before I commit, I think. That sucker is ‘spensive.
Anne – doncha love red gadgets? Soo pretty.
Heh – when I first saw red I thought all of you meant (RED) and I got so excited. Ah well – some day.
Gwen – I’m seriously considering getting a kindle as well, to eliminate a lot of the problems I have currently with ebooks. However, I think I’m going to work for v2 – and I’m hoping they come out with it soon! [Haven’t heard anything about it though so sad.]
Hello Gwen! I’m the Kindle lover of whom you linked to.
Like Peggy, I’ve found that the e-ink is very readable without tiring your eyes. I’ve read for hours on my Kindle during the weekends and been quite happy and headache-free—they got the contrast and anti-aliasing right.
The Kindle is very light. It’s lighter than most books—definitely lighter than hardcovers, lighter than many paperbacks it feels, even with its cover.
I’ve found that the Kindle is easiest to handle when it sits in its cover; the open cover is more book-like, with a good grip on the outside, and also you still have free access to the big Next Page button, which is at an angle so you can easily push it. For hours, quite happily. I don’t have arthritis, but I do spend hours during the day typing (and staring into monitors…) so the easy handling of the Kindle is so wonderful. People complain about its weird shape, but it makes turning the next page a snap.
Generally I keep the Kindle in its cover. That seems to keep it clean too.
I find that the keyboard is very handy. You can search through all the eBooks on your Kindle, search the Kindle store, search the web as well (though the browser is veeery veery slow). An eBook reader without this little keyboard can’t do what the Kindle does in this area.
An interesting thing to note—the Kindle’s software is automatically updated by Amazon for bug fixes and things. There have been at least three updates this year, but you’d never notice unless you looked at the software version number under settings.
The prices will probably come down later this year, or at least that’s what the gadget people think. There’s talk of aiming the Kindle at colleges, too—one little Kindle is way better than a bag full of textbooks that you can’t index and search.
Hey AJ – your post cracked me up, as well as informed! What more could you want!
Thanks for more info on the device. I’m still on the fence, but I’m leaning over a bit now. Still wish it came in more colors… Demanding wench that I am.
I’m still using my handy-dandy, reliable Palm Zire 31. I have the Adobe Reader, the Palm Ereader and Mobipocket on there, so I can read basically any format there is. I thought a few months ago I was going to have to replace it and started looking around at other devices, the Sony and Kindle among them. But turns out everything is fine and now I’m glad. I like my smaller device. It’s easy to handle anywhere, especially when reading in bed, and it fits in my pocket in the flash of an of eye (like at work!). I love the backlight on it, the weight of it, and it’s easy to download books to. It cost me about 150 bucks five or so years ago. So I’ll be using it until it dies. Then I’ll probably go crazy trying to figure out what to buy next. But until then I’m as happy as can be with my little Palm.
HI Gwen, I’ve been reading ebooks for five years now, always with a PDA/Pocket PC. Since Jane over at DearAuthor introduced me to the µBook reader, I’ve found I am in seventh heaven. It is adaptable in font size, type and lots of other things – and nevertheless easy to use. Costing only 10$ it is very cheap and so far the best reader I’ve come upon.
I personally don’t support Amazon, especially not their “ebook way of thinking”, mainly because I am a big believer in not letting one company become too powerful. The cheapest e-books I find either at Books on Board or Fictionwise. With a handy device you can convert lit files into html files – and voilà, the µBook reader can read it (besides rft, txt and unsecured prc).
As to the device itself. As I use my Pocket PC only for reading and nothing else, I give attention to battery power, and screen. The Siemens Pocket Loox I currently use, would probably be a nightmare for every PDA freak, but I am happy, headachefree, and it only cost me about 40€. And believe me, I read a lot of ebooks.
I have an SD card on which I store all my files. With one move I have the SD card connected with my laptop, drag and drop the files onto it and start reading.
Thanks for the feedback Katharina. Do you have a url for the reader you use?
My standard Kindle comment: Check your coverage area. There’s a link somewhere on the Kindle page on Amazon. If you’re in or near a fairly large city, you’ll be able to do the amazing high-speed downloads. Otherwise, you’ll be downloading at a much slower rate or not at all. Not directly to the Kindle, anyway.
I’m in a ‘not at all’ part of the country, so if I were going to move up from my eBookwise, I wouldn’t bother with the Kindle. I would have to download to my computer and transfer via USB cable anyway, so I would pick something a bit cheaper. As they say, YMMV.
Yes of course, why didn’t I think of this. Here we go
µBook Reader.
Thanks, Kat!!!
The one thing that might make me get a Kindle (I’m a paper snob, I admit it!) is that there are books on Amazon that are unavailable in paperback or hardcover (or grossly expensive) but are available for cheap on Kindle. That’s tempting for me.
Gwen,
I have to put in a huge plug for the kindle, too. I’m shocked by how much I love mine. I received it as a gift for my birthday last December and after waiting a couple of months I finally received it. I’ve been hooked ever since.
It was something I NEVER would have bought for myself. I firmly believed that I was a “paper” person. I hate reading on the computer and print out almost everything. But it took me all of a few hours to become a convert. It is nothing like reading from a computer (no back light). It’s more like an etch-a-sketch. 🙂
I take it to the gym all the time and hold it in my hand without the cover (easier to keep a grip on when I’m exercising) and it’s still stark white–no dirt at all.
I could go on for hours, but much has already been said. You really can’t believe how fast book transfers are–literally seconds.
I use their service to transfer my mansucripts and friends manuscripts to read all the time (cost of $.10 to convert, free if you do it yourself).
I also want to plug that many of the classics (which are out of copyright and being converted into electronic forms by various organizations) are free from many sites. I have the entire Jane Austen collection on mine for free.
Oh Monica! Don’t say things like “the whole Jane Austen library on it”! I might cave.
Darnitall! Looks like I’ll have to put the boob job off a while longer. 😉
Gwen, with a 1 or 2GB SD card which costs about 10€ you can store THOUSANDS of books. You can go over to project Gutenberg and directly download all files onto your PDA. No converting nothing, because the files are available in .txt and html. And the µBook reader offers a great library system where you can browse easily through your treasures. :-)) If I may say so, stuff like free books, and storing SHOULDN’T be the reason why you buy a Kindle!!! You can manage that without any problems with any PDA/Pocket PC. What they can’t offer you is this one click and your book is on your device. It takes a wee bit longer, but is neither very complicated nor difficult. The difference between Kindle and a (used) Pocket PC/Ebookwise is about 200$, that’s a lot of ebooks for a couple of more clicks, especially if you use a rebate program!
I don’t have a kindle…but I’m about to bite the bullet. With the amount of romances I read and the speet at which I read them, I’m starting to feel really REALLY bad about all those trees.
BUT…there are murmurings in the tech community that Amazon is releasing a new version in the fall, so I’ll wait until Christmas to take the plunge.
I’ve been thinking about getting a Kindle for quite some time now. I have so many books now that I’m running out of room.
I think you should get a sony now. And a kindle at the end of the year and than give your sony to sybil.
See perfect plan.
Sybil! What an idea! Now why didn’t I think of that first?
*snort*