16
Dec
2009
Kindle: A Review & A Reminder (Contest ends Friday!)
I’ve had the opportunity to play around with the Kindle. And if you haven’t entered to win one yet, be sure to do it, because there’s only a couple days left!
I read The Uncommon Reader on the Kindle. I downloaded it for about $8, which is about the same price I’d pay on Amazon, and it came immediately.
Instead of having page numbers, it tells you what percentage you have read.
I probably should have read something with chapters, because I wonder if it’s possible to see how much of a chapter you have left.
Also, because the Kindle I used was potentially part of the give away, I didn’t take it out of my house. I was too scared to. So I don’t know how it is on the bus–if you would get car sick.
So, here’s the good:
- Fast download
- extremely lightweight–lighter than most books.
- sleek design–unlike the bulky original Kindle
- no eye-strain, unless you are reading for hours of course
- lots of books, or collections of books for free or $0.99 (like all of Jane Austen’s Books in 1 file)
- Pretty easy to navigate
- You can look up the definition of a word just by putting the cursor on it and you don’t even have to leave the page–it comes up at the bottom
- Very very very long battery life
And the Bad:
- Part of the reason that I didn’t take it out of the house was because I was afraid of it getting scratched. I don’t know if it scratches easily, but I didn’t want to take the chance. Moral of the story is that you should get a case for it. The ones they sell online are about $30. Maybe there’s cheaper ones, I don’t know.
- I also get nervous because it’s so thin. I heard this sort of horror story about about someone who had a Macbook Air (the super thing Macbooks) and his wife through it out with a bunch of newspapers.
- Because the screen isn’t backlit like a computer or TV, you can’t read in the dark, so you still need a reading lamp.
I haven’t had any personal contact with the Sony ereader or Nook. But here’s a really good review of the Nook comparing it to the Kindle (basically it says that it has great potential, but there’s a few things missing in the Nook).
One thing I love about the Sony ereader though is all of the colors it comes in! I know that that is kind of lame, but still! And they might show dirt less, too.
Eeek! Throwing out a MacBook Air! That has got to hurt.
I have a Kindle and love it. The lack of a backlight is what makes it so easy on the eyes. I checked out a Sony Reader in Target and was amazed at how slow and laggy it was.
I have a Kindle and like it a lot. I knew it wasn’t backlit and that was ok. I read in the car, when we are driving at night, with a light a lot anyway. It was supposed to read like a book with a similar feel of words on paper and I like that about it. To avoid scratching it i purchased a skin for the case, film for the screen and keep it in a case when it is not being read. If you can read a book in the car without getting sick, I see no reason you would get car sick while reading a Kindle.
Thanks for the review. MacBook Air in the trash! UGh…she must have been out of it with lack of sleep. Its thin, but its still heavier than paper!
I got my own kindle using the service at http://www.amzpricesniper.com. It watched the Amazon inventory and the moment Amazon received fresh inventory at the regular retail price this obnoxious alarm went off.
I love my Kindle … and I did buy a case for it and I keep it in a special place so it doesn’t get thrown out. And you don’t see how far you have in a chapter by the way.
I’m SO SORRY. I actually ordered from Amazon and FORGOT to go through your blog. I feel so bad that I just had to write.
However, I am making a mental note to remember to do this next time. I buy a lot of my books on Amazon.
I would also LOVE a Kindle of my own. My assistant at work has a Sony Reader and loves it. But to me, Kindle started it all.
Kindle has just been launched here in Canada, my wife is seriously considering purchasing one. We are both avid readers and take great pride in our collection.
I love the insights that your blog provides people like me with regarding the Kindle or Sony. I believe you have swayed me toward a Kindle and by the way I;d love to win one for my wife as a surprise.