Top reviews from the United States
5 out of 5 stars
Simply the BEST!
Reviewed in the United States on January 24, 2011
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First let me start out by saying I am 52 years old and have been involved with computers all my life... yes there were computers before IBM came out with a PC.
Anyway I have been looking for a book reader for a long time. I've tried several and even along with some engineer buddies built one from scratch.
I just got to the point where I said the technology just isn't there yet to support battery life of a screen big enough to actually read like a book.
Then I started hearing about the nook and the kindle. I took a look at the Nook and loved the color screen. Unfortunately or fortunately as the case may be. I tried reading it in bright sunlight and it was terrible.
By this time I was at the point where I knew the technology was here, it was just a matter of finding who had it. I am an old time Amazon customer so I actually read the advertisement there about it.
I downloaded over 300 of the free books. Then used the computer reader to look at them. Then I downloaded the blackberry ap and in a pinch i could read from the phone but it just wasn't much of a screen for reading.
Well I am back in college now and will be pursuing an MBA and a PHD in Computer Science. So I logged onto Amazon and was pricing my text books. If you are not in college you can't believe the price of these text books. Saving 25% at amazon amounts to usually 3 or 4 hundred dollars a semester.
Well I saw that 2 of the books were available on kindle. They were both in the range of 30+ dollars for the kindle version and well over 100 bucks each for the regular books.
Needless to say I decided that if I bought the kindle version of the books the worst case scenario was I could read them on my computer and best case was I would like the kindle and just start using it.
I know with amazons return policy that i could return the kindle so I didn't feel like I was taking a risk at all.
Well a few days later it came. All I can say is that it is great and unless something is not available in electronic form I probably will not be purchasing the regular book ever again.
So if you are on the edge of the fence and like to read my advice is go for it. It is an awesome reader and with the leather case with the pull out light you can read even in the dark.
The PROS are:
1. Light weight
2. Reads and feels like a book.
3. Extreme battery life even with the wireless turned on all the time.
4. Ability to have the next book in the series even at 3 am in the morning in less then a minute or 2.
I did find a few Cons too.
1. The first couple books I bought had a nice savings over the regular copy of the book. I was looking today and saw that most of the kindle books were at 9.95 and not the 1.00 or 5.00 they had been before. In no case should the price of the paperback be less then the kindle charge and I saw that this morning when i was getting some pricing. Come on Amazon, talk to your publishers... why would an electronic book cost MORE then one that needed to be printed and distributed. Someone better take a look at how things are priced here.
2. For a 59.00 leather case you would think there would be at least a small pocket in it to at least hole the charging/USB cable.
3. I still haven't figured out how to save an image from the book or a short passage and move it to MS Office, or any other program, to include in a report. I was told there is a way to do it but I haven't found it yet. For use with college text books this would be a really awesome feature.
4. I would like to see an easier way to change the battery other then sending it back to Amazon or tearing the whole thing apart when it finally fails, however I suspect this isn't a valid complaint because by then there will more then likely be a color or updated version out there by then.
So if you read a lot, and need something that will hold a lot of books. If you are a student who is tired of carrying 20lb books with them everyday. Then the kindle is for you. Although they say it holds 3500 books i imagine if you save to your pc all the books you can probably hold a lot more then 3500 and then just download 1000 or so you may want or need to the actual kindle.
Anyway I give it 5 stars, I have been using it everyday since I got it and its awesome.
5 out of 5 stars
A near perfect reading experience
Reviewed in the United States on December 5, 2010
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I thought long and hard about purchasing a Kindle. After all, I'm in Australia, so how good will it really be and how hard will it be for me to manage anything that goes wrong? I read a lot of reviews, did a lot of research into other e-readers, waited for the Aussie $ to hit an all time high and then, jumped. And boy, am I glad I did!
I've now had my latest generation 3G WiFi 6" Kindle for about 3 weeks and have read 5 books and downloaded many samples to read, all without a single hitch in the download and reading process. Overall, I would say I'm completely happy with my Kindle so, although I've decided to detail the pros and cons from my perspective, please take on board that the "cons" are pretty minor in the grand scheme.
Pros:
The device is light weight which means you can read in bed without fear of hurting your wrists holding it up or breaking your nose when you fall asleep while holding it aloft
The device fits into a normal sized handbag but looses no functionality due to it's compact size
Clear, high resolution, non glare screen makes for easy reading in bright light situations. I have purchased a Kindle Cover with Built in light for reading in bed at night or low light low light reading, so I make no comment about other reviewers low light reading experiences
You can alter the font size - this is a big plus to me as I am in my 50's and my eyesight is not what it used to be. You also have a choice of a few different font styles (not important to me) and can even use "text to speech" functionality if you wish (not a major pro in my opinion and definitely needs work)
You can grab free samples of most books and then purchase only if you like it enough to read the book. This is a far better option than spending hours loitering in bookshops reading lots of first pages or buying a book sight unseen because you like the author or the title. If you see something you like, grab it there and then and save it to a "to be read" folder to read at your leisure - simple!
Brilliant battery life but do turn off your WiFi when not using it to prolong it's life. It's really simple to turn the WiFi back on when you want to download another book.
I have listened to a few songs but this function isn't a big plus for me as I really like a quiet environment when I'm reading. However, others might like to know that the speakers are OK to good but the actual music function is a bit clunky and needs a bit of tweaking to make it a good selling point
Browsing the Amazon web site from Kindle is a breeze but I still prefer to do it on my PC
The instant Dictionary is fantastic - I didn't know how many words I didn't really know the meaning of! I haven't been able to find a "back" function when using the dictionary, so this function is a bit clunky as well but still, it's great to have at your fingertips and I will continue to use it
Highlighting passages makes it easy to save something for future reference. This function is particularly helpful if, like me, you belong to a book club as it provides an instant memory jog about what you liked or disliked about a book!
Cons:
Some of the books are too expensive and some are simply not available to Australia (due to Licensing, I suspect)
Lack of colour resolution or "backlighting" might put some people off - it's not a "pretty" read
There are still a few kinks to iron out in the software. Navigating between books or collections is a bit clunky and there is, as far as I can tell, no easy way of finding a book in your collection. You can't do a "search" by author or title and that would be a bit of a plus if you have a large collection
I find that the page turning buttons are too high for me, so one handed reading is a bit uncomfortable. Universally though, the positioning of the buttons on the side of the Kindle is good
I don't like that I am restricted to Kindle format books. I would like the option of choosing whether I download in another format. After all, many Public Libraries now have ebook sections and, as one of my cons relates to the cost of books, this would be a good way of marketing Kindle to a cash strapped crowd. However, I do understand why Amazon have restricted the format to Kindle format.
I'm sure there are plenty of other reviewers who can give a more technical review than I so I'll sum up by saying I love my Kindle and, with a bit more work by the Amazon guru's, I'm sure it will provide me with a perfect reading experience. If you want a simple, cost effective, no frills e-reader, you can't go past the Kindle - go ahead, you know you want to....do it! You won't regret it!
5 out of 5 stars
Surprisingly outstanding.
Reviewed in the United States on December 28, 2010
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After a long time thinking about this purchase, I bought the Kindle. I am very happy and surprised by its ease of use, quality and fun quotient.
Pros:
1. Ease of Set-up: This was the most impressive quality, frankly, of the item. I purchased the item and when I turned the Kindle on to Wi-Fi, it immediately found my wireless network and immediately downloaded my requested books and was ready to go within a few minutes.
I typically do not read the instructions when receiving a technical item such as the Kindle, because I believe that the item should be as intuitive as possible. Frankly, most of the features were easy to locate and easily found within a few minutes of use. This is the mark of an impressive machine!
2. What's in the box?: Besides the Kindle, you receive a quick-start guide and a USB cable that comes along, with a power plug adapter for your electrical outlet.
3. Screen: WOW! I seriously cannot believe the quality of the image received. This e-ink technology is truly stunning. Yes, it is not color. However, it is truly like reading a printed page. I was truly surprised by the clarity and sharpness of the image.
4. Kindle books: I tried a few free books (classics such as Mark Twain) and a few purchased books. I received these items within a few moments and they were ready to go. This is truly impressive.
As I opted for the Wi-Fi version only, I can only say that connection to my home network was easy and fast.
5. The reading experience: I was a skeptic of all the positive reviews. After all, I keep believing that I am the special snowflake that must have the feeling of the book in my hands. The paper, the smell of the ink and the inevitability of the coffee spill or food smudge on some of the pages. Well, I have to tell you that although I hopefully don't spill anything on my Kindle, I was literally forgetful of using a machine to read after a little while of use.
Yes, the pop of the page turn is jarring at first (in the sense that you notice it often), but after a while I adjusted and I don't really notice it unless I look for it. Secondly, the ease of turning pages is nice with the small buttons on either side. I am no longer a skeptic.
As used to be said, "50,000,000 Elvis fans can't be wrong." No, they aren't! 50,000,000 Elvis Fans Can't Be Wrong
While I miss the intuitive feeling of the pages falling away from my hands and the acceleration of the back cover coming as I excitedly read through a good book, the reading experience is nice and comforting. I like it.
Neutral:
1. Color: Okay, I wish that there was a way to have color. Perhaps it doesn't matter for the book itself, but I like seeing the color covers of hardcover dust jackets and the presentation of the softcover with the glowing snippets of how this book will transform my life. This is missing! Argh. The smell of the ink is missing! Argh.
2. Touch-screen: Again, I perfectly understand that a touch-screen will transform the device into something else, but I have to say that sometimes I feel that the device is sort of backwards because touch screens have become so ubiquitous these days.
Cons:
1. Book pricing: Yes, this is not totally Amazon's call here. Publishers set the prices. However, some of the books are surprisingly expensive and more than the price of the hardcover book. I hope this situation changes. I can understand a premium for a new book, but paying just as much as the hardcover price makes it tempting to get the physical book only because I can sell it or loan it out. So, I am not one of the crusaders that feel compelled to post comments everywhere about this issue, but it does irk me a bit.
2. Internet browser: Okay, if you want an all-around machine, I wouldn't get the Kindle.
The browser is mediocre compared to a laptop or even an Iphone. So, don't buy this item if you're going to use it as a cheaper mini-computer. You will be disappointed. The browser is like going back to AOL circa 1998. It works, but you know it could be better.
3. Text to Speech: Again, if you're a fan of hearing William Shatner sing Jimi Hendrix, than you will love this feature. I found it cool at first, but it does become depressing in the sense that you believe the computer from 2001 A Space Odyssey is almost human compared to this voice. If you want the voice from your GPS reading Shakespeare - I think you get the idea. After a while, I began to lose my mind. It's not something that will replace books on tape, but in a pinch it is still a pretty neat. I imagine as a learning aid for a student learning English it could be a very useful feature.
Longevity:
As with any electronic item, I have to remain concerned about the quality of the item. I hope this will last a while. If it doesn't, I will post a comment here.
Overall:
Believe it; I lingered over this purchase for a LONG time. I am an avid reader. I love books. I love going to bookstores. I love buying books. I also love buying things from Amazon. And, I am very happy with this purchase. My family members love this thing as well. The ability to look up words with the included dictionary is awesome.
The quality is truly surprising. The screen is easily watched for hours without strain, unlike a computer monitor. This is not a computer. This is a device for reading. And at this task, it is probably the most revelatory experience I have had since I picked up a book as a little child in my parents' house. It is cool and easy to use.
I don't think it will supplant printed books. But, I do believe that it is a awesome supplement to have. I am happy with this purchase.
Bravo Amazon!
5 people found this helpful
4 out of 5 stars
A good reading device and probably the best current one
Reviewed in the United States on December 11, 2010
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I personally love the kindle, bought it a month ago, and made me read again, it is especially great with technical docs, online magazine. And even if others device are as much or more hyped than the kindle, I really think that the kindle is the best you can buy in e-book reading device.
The Thumbs up (loved):
- battery life, never really noticed if it really goes bellow 50% as I plug it in every 1-2 days to load online magazine.
- Display and readability, I find the screen refresh speed acceptable as it is faster than I can turn a page without riping it so it is really a non issue for me, and it is eclipsed by the screen quality and is really resting for my eyes (I am one of the guy working 9 hours a day on a computer screen, and then surfing 3 hours a day at home, and though LCD screen are not as eye hurting as CRT screen were, there are still tiring for me), And for colors well let's say I don't care about it right now.
- physical keyboard is very nice to have ( I am still not that much convinced by touchscreen keyboard,even if I owned a tablet PC since a long time now), and not that much eating on the screen space, and Appat from the browser and book collection navigation I see no point in having a touch screen.
- PDF support (but the screen size can be a problem for PDF formatted for A4 pages)
- form factor and design, feels pretty solid in my hand, and rightly weighted too, and I could buy/store more book at home without have over-sized bookshelves.
- text to speech support, which is handy if your eye should do something else than reading.
- USB cable + small power adapter (although I am not sure if the usb port on the kindle is a standard one ), which mean that carrying the power adapter is not a burden like it would be for others small device I own, and USB charging mean for me that I don't have to choose between my computeror my kindle.
- pretty good wifi for such device
- Book sample from amazon are great and offer a seamless experience
The awesome (great):
- Could read it anywhere you want, well in my case in the bath, where a book is acceptable I you like it soaked, a simple zip-lock bag can make your kindle water resistant (I am not advising to do the same, as I'm not sure that is covered by the guaranty, and water resistant is different from water-proof, as the zip-locked kindle should be ok for a splash or a fast soak, I would not try to do some scuba diving with it )
- the 3rd party software Calibre is pretty much like iTune for the kindle (but you can still use the kindle without it), and should be recommended for every kindle user.
The average (no big turn down, but annoying):
- a poor webkit browser is offered as an experimental feature, though it offers a great experience I would love to see the kindle use opera mobile instead ( probably better memory usage, and better user experience)
- Document collection navigation, which look great with 10 books or so but with a huge list this can be tiresome, and using collection does helps, but is not correlated with folders structure of your document folder.
- the default screensaver is nice, but I would love seeing more customization, or something more useful like a date /time clock .
- mp3 support, but it is lacking some key feature to make it a decent mp3 player (something less dumb than the ipod shuffle), although not the primary function, a nice addition.
- Reading books, I know it is quite a paradox, but After reading books I already owned physically I think that some book are designed with some pace of reading, and any e-book reader that allows you to change the formatting is altering the rhythm of reading.
- device Synchronization for reading is pretty much ok, but since I own a kindle I don't see the point in using other device for reading.
Missing feature (wishlist):
- A Note taking application ( I am currently using the annotation feature on a dummy pdf I created, and it is nice for note taking on the go, but I would love something more dedicated.
- Calendar
- Todo List
- Voice recording Application ( I am pretty sure I read somewhere that the kindle have a microphone )
- International Input method, for searching book, articles in foreign language like Japanese.
not tried (pointless) :
- Document conversion via the kindle email address as I convert the doc myself to PDF.
- Social network integration, as I don't see the point in spaming my friend about my readings.
The thumbs down (Very annoying):
- Book that are licenced to you, which mean that you only rent a book (for a long time and a one time fee), but there is no current way to lend, give away, resell your kindle ebook and find a cheap second hand book (the lending, gifting part should be possible considering the DRM restriction on the books, and amazon/ the publisher/the author could still make money albeit smaller amount on the resell), I know that the content of the book is not owned by me, but this is pretty much a step back from a physical book.
- Another issue with reading books is the location thingy, no actual pages as you can reformat on the fly but I find it somewhat annoying not having the physical connection to a paper book.
One person found this helpful
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent Device
Reviewed in the United States on December 27, 2010
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I love the Kindle. I am an avid reader and did not believe I would every give up books almost entirely. However, you convinced me. Here is what I think of this product:
I have the Kindle 3 WiFi.
I love the size. It is just the right size for reading. I have small hands but have no trouble holding the device. The size enables me to put it into my handbag and take it almost everywhere. I travel with it everyday.
The weight is perfect. Again, I have small hands and this is so lightweight that I do not notice it before long. I donate platelets every two weeks and that requires me to sit for two to two and a half hours at a time with a needle in one arm. I am able to read the entire time without dropping the device, or without my free hand and arm tiring.
I love and appreciate the e-ink with NO back light. I am photo sensitive and staring at a screen with a back light for hours (which is how long I usually read) causes my migraines to appear. I read using the Kindle everyday. I forget it is not a book after a few minutes. That is a very good thing. Please do not make a Kindle with back light or color. For those of us who are avid book readers, color would ruin the experience. Because of the e-ink, which is the same quality of printed materials, I am actually reading faster then with traditional books.
I love the forwards and backwards tabs on the sides. I am able to read using either hand. I like having a slight lag when I turn the page. It assures me that the page is turned. Sometimes, I do not apply enough pressure on the turning tabs and having the lack of the page turning lets me know this.
I like having the graphite matte frame. It is easy to grip and shows no fingerprints or dirt.
I greatly appreciate the resident dictionary. Clever idea. I use it frequently.
I like being able to convert my PDF documents to .azw or .mobi format. I have done that with about 100 and counting, of my documents.
I do not care about the web browser and social networking. That is not why I bought the Kindle.
I do not care about playing mp3s. I have an iPod for that purpose.
I love the Text-to-Speech feature. I understand that it is experimental. It could use a little tweaking, especially after you have a period and punctuation, such as ." when the reader runs into the next word without a pause. However, for now, overall, I love having it. It reads to me on long drives or when my hands are occupied. It is very convenient.
I have appreciated being able to create folders for my collections. However, I wish there was the ability to keep books in order, especially in the case of books that have a series. It is not always easy to remember which book is first or fifth in the series or to remember which were published in which order. I would appreciate that ability.
I like being able to charge my Kindle, both by usb and by wall outlet.
I appreciate the long battery life. I also appreciate that the device does not heat up when it is charging or in use for hours.
I like being able to plug earphones or external speakers to listen to the text to speech feature.
I have not needed to change the font size or the orientation of the screen, but it is nice to have the features.
I love the size of the keyboard and love having the five way controller.
I appreciate it that when I have purchased a book, Kindle remembers and does not allow me to repurchase the book. I did this frequently with traditional books.
I like having my books stored at Amazon.com, so that they can be retrieved at anytime.
I like being able to read samples of books before making my purchase.
Customer service for Kindle is excellent. I called twice, because I made two mistakes. They were patient and courteous and I appreciate it.
I know there are other things about the Kindle I am yet to discover and use, but I am very pleased with it.
However, since I have discovered the value of the Kindle in my life, I would like to make my usual request:
I would like to be able to read Hebrew on my Kindle. I do not need to keep 3500 books on my Kindle, if some of the space is necessary for me to be able to read Hebrew. This is a very important feature to me. Even though I let the publishers know I would like to read the books with Hebrew in them, on Kindle, it is useless if Kindle does not support it. I do believe I can make such requests because I have purchased 3 Kindles thus far, this year. It makes an excellent gift.
5 people found this helpful
5 out of 5 stars
Excellent low cost e-book reader
Reviewed in the United States on April 22, 2011
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As many have already written, the Kindle works as advertised. The battery life is excellent, the screen is very good, the controls fall readily to hand, the weight is acceptable for long reading sessions. While there is no slot for a memory card, there is enough storage space to keep a huge number of volumes immediately available. And, of course, books may be removed from the device itself and archived in one's Kindle library. Note that the publisher may have placed a limit on how many times a book may be downloaded!!! One might want to download the books at least once to one's computer, rather than the Kindle directly, so as to always have a backup copy available.
The device (reportedly) uses power only when the Wi-Fi is enabled or when pages are actively changing. I've read (but cannot confirm) that more power is used in turning the machine completely off and powering back up uses more power than leaving it in standby mode.
One receives an email address with the device, so that one may send files wirelessly to the device. I've sent .PDF files to my Kindle using the mailbox and it's worked flawlessly. (No SPAM can get through, as the Kindle mailbox will accept mail only from email addresses that the owner designates).
One caveat on books - technical books with schematics do not always do well on the Kindle; the lack of a color screen inhibits their value. The same holds true of some magazines, photography books, etc. One might want to download the "trial" chapters available before spending one's money. I purchased an SQL Server technical book and the hard copy is much easier to read and understand than the Kindle monocolor copy.
Since so many others have weighed in on the Kindle there is not much to add other than to reinforce the good reports of the device. That being said I will digress from a straight review of the Kindle and offer a few recommendations:
I would advise factoring in the price of a case or cover for the device - there are several available and I found that the safety of the screen is a concern when carrying the device without a cover, especially in a briefcase or messenger bag.
Since the screen is not back-lit, if one reads in low light areas one might want to also purchase a book lamp. One should take care that the clamping mechanism of any lamp does not extend so far as to actually touch the screen of the Kindle, to avoid possible damage to the screen.
I would also recommend that anyone purchasing a Kindle browse the free books available in the Kindle bookstore; one can sort by price, least to most, and see a number of books and magazines that are of no cost. Public domain books include some by Mark Twain, Arthur Conan Doyle, Melville, etc., and since there is ample room on the device one can populate collections without incurring any cost.
There are also "apps" available, such as an excellent note taker that uses the built in keyboard, and a calculator that does likewise. One can browse Amazon and find the apps with the best reviews; there are a number of applications available but not all are good ones. Be sure to read the reviews before spending any money. I've loaded the note taker and the calculator on my Kindle for 99 cents for each app; I doubt that they will see much service, but when one needs to make a quick note to oneself it's a matter of seconds to exit the book one is reading, open up Notes, enter the note and go back to the book. One use I'm making of the note taker is to list the reading order of series (such as Edgar Rice Burroughs' books) since the Kindle does not sort books by publication date. Once a book is finished I can check the note taker to see which is next in the list. (The calculator I've found no practical use for, but it's neat and it was 99 cents...). Edgar Rice Burroughs books are also available (not all of them!) for free in the Kindle book library.
A note to new or prospective Kindle owners - Amazon does not have complete control over what books are available in the Kindle library, nor the cost of books that are made available; those parameters are set by the publisher. So if there is a book, or series of books, that you want to see on your Kindle you may have to contact the publisher with a plea to make the item(s) available on Kindle. A number of books that I would like to have on my Kindle are simply not available.
I've been reading e-books since the release of the HP95 "pocket computer"; that goes back to the days when DOS was king; the Kindle does a fine job as an e-reader device (technical and photo books not withstanding). I cannot comment as to it's use as an MP3 player, but other reviewers have touched on that.
I'd recommend this device.
6 people found this helpful
3 out of 5 stars
Worth the money. Not perfect, but very very good for start to finish novels in good light
Reviewed in the United States on August 31, 2010
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The Kindle is my first e-ink reader. I own an iPad, an iPhone, and have owned a Windows-based phone in the past that I used as an ereader.
My overall impression of the device is good.
The good:
I'd honestly rather read linear (read from page one to the end, one page at a time) fiction from it than a book, because I can't always get comfortable with a book. Hardcovers are sometimes a bit heavy, and paperbacks don't always lie open easily. The Kindle is incredibly light and thin. I can hold it in one hand easily. The page turn buttons are conveniently located. Page-turns aren't instant, but they're probably quicker than turning a physical page in a printed book (there are just a lot more page-turns unless you choose a small font). The contrast is better than other ereaders I've seen. There is zero eye strain in good light. My eyesight isn't the greatest and I like being able to increase the font size and read without glasses. I love being able to browse the Kindle store and read samples before deciding to purchase. The "experimental" browser is surprisingly usable, but isn't great. It is useful for browsing wikipedia and blogs. The biggest drawback to the browser is the awkward pointer navigation, using the 5-way pad. It syncs your furthest read page over the internet so you can pick up where you left off using your iPhone or iPad.
The so-so:
The kindle store could use more categories and sorting options. You can't sort by "top rated," and there is no category for "alternate histories," for example. Finding a very-specific type of fiction relies on keyword searches, which don't do a great job. The wifi sometimes doesn't connect before it times-out. You rarely need the wifi, but it is annoying if you change a setting, answer "OK" to the prompt to connect, and the thing tells you it failed to connect two seconds later (the exact moment it indicates that it did finally connect, then you need to go back to update the setting again). Most settings don't require a connection, but it is a minor annoyance. Most of your time will be spent reading, and of course your books are stored on the device and a connection is not required. Part of me wishes I'd bought the 3G model, because the browser is good enough that having lifetime free 3G wireless would be worth the extra money. Magazines don't look very good and are not very easy to navigate. There is minor glare in some lighting conditions, mostly when a lamp is positioned behind the reader's head.
The bad:
The contrast is fair to poor in dim light. It is much easier to read a printed page in dim light. In good light, contrast is on par with a pulp paperback. In dim light it feels almost like reading from an old Palm Pilot (resolution is better than an old Palm, but contrast is bad in dim light). The screen is small enough that the frequency of page turns is pretty high. Even in good light, the light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page. You must tell it to sync before you switch it off, if you expect the feature allowing you to pick up where you left off using other devices to work correctly. The copy protection prevents you from using the files on anything other than Kindle software or devices.
Vs iPad:
IPad is a lot better for magazines, reference materials, and illustrated materials. Kindle is worlds better for reading novels. IPad is pretty heavy, making it more difficult to hold in your hand or carry with you everywhere. Kindle is much more portable and easier to hold. IPad has some amazing children's books and magazines, which take advantage of its multimedia features. IPad is unreadable in sunlight and glare is bad in bright light. Kindle is as good as a printed page in bright light. Ipad serves as a creative tool, a computing tool, a gaming tool, and a communication tool. Kindle is only a novel machine. I don't regret buying either one of them. An iPad won't replace books, but a Kindle can, if the book is text-only.
I highly recommend this device at its new low price if you are a frequent reader of novels. I love my kindle. Just don't expect it to be more than it is. Leave the magazines and such to the tablet computers.
11,665 people found this helpful
5 out of 5 stars
Battery life, and the previous "old fogies" review.
Reviewed in the United States on October 13, 2010
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I leave the previous review below (it discusses Wi-Fi for the technologically challenged).
I have nothing to add to the excellent reviews by others of screen quality except to point out the ease of the font size change option. There have been comments that the K3 becomes hard to read in dim light - and other comments about having to "page turn" too often. The single button (Aa) call to the font size change option is a god-send. I set my font size to about the equivalent of a normal paperback - but if the ambient light changes while I'm reading I can change the font size without going through menu options, sacrificing words per page in favor of readability in dim light. The fact that the change is instantaneous, and the page being read reflects it immmediately in background, makes it easy to adjust the display to the lighting conditions without a significant break in one's "chain of thought" while reading.
As to battery life, I had a bit of a problem with that as I became addicted to the "Every Word" game that is included on the K3. A couple of hours of play and one sees the battery charge indicator dropping. I wrote the techs on this, wondering if I had a problem with my K3. I think they might have misunderstood my question as they emailed back that I should call and they would "walk me through". My assumption was that the game was a "power eater" - and I think that is confirmed by a review I read tonight.
This is worth a new paragraph, just to get your attention <g>. The reviewer took note of the fact that there is no power draw with the e-ink until the page is changed. As the game is continually changing the display as one types in each letter of an answer - and the game is searching its data base (I note some significant delays at times in response) - the game is definitely a "power eater" (no problem, the K3 wasn't designed as a game player - but it's nice to have a simple game when one wants to kill time). But the significance is that apparently the e-ink display has no "refresh". That could mean that there is little difference in battery life when "off" versus on "screen saver" - I'll have to ask about that. It also means that a slow reader might have longer battery life than a fast one <g>. Seriously, if the e-ink page draws no power when stable then two people could have different battery life experience depending on their usage - even if they both had the same amount of "on time".
*Previous review*
I think Amazon should include in its product descriptions a primer on Wi-Fi and 3G.
Now that I know how to use it I'm very pleased with my Kindle Wi-Fi. My complaint is the "pre-information". I am computer savvy, a retired consultant, but not "into" Wi-Fi (or cell phones). Being a bit the home-body I chose the Wi-Fi with the intent of downloading through the USB connection on my computer. It works well that way, but one loses some abilities (including the display of the registration on the Kindle page, a one time download on first making connection).
Being an old fogy I wasn't aware that Wi-Fi was very short range - I was able to connect through Wi-Fi by driving to a transmission tower nearbye. I considered returning the Wi-Fi and buying a 3G - but then learned a bit more. Finally I discovered that Wi-Fi and 3g are apples and oranges - not different levels of the same thing. I bought a $35 Wi-Fi router (there are more expensive ones, but not needed for just the Kindle) and put it inline with my cable modem and computer. It works perfectly (and my Netgear router provides a free Wi-Fi net). As I have no need for "roving downloads" I find this the proper solution, if I'm away I could use a Wi-Fi hot spot, which I now understand is a good saloon with a Wi-Fi router and a computer connection.
This review might seem trivial to the younger folks among you who are familiar with modern communications equipment, but might be of use to others. Apparently Wi-Fi is a short range local wireless interface to the internet that requires a physical connection of a Wi-Fi router to the internet (i.e., my cable modem for example), whereas 3G is a cell phone type interface over the airwaves. That suggests that the short range wireless connection from Kindle to router will be more stable than the roving 3G connection.
Having made my complaint I'll now compliment the product. Clear and easy to read, I was concerned about paging (it is quick) as I sometimes read ahead of myself and have to go back. The ease of changing type size on the fly makes changing light conditions easy to handle. The "collections" feature of the library makes it easy to sort one's "back reading". I bought the Amazon "cover", it enhances the product. (Some reviews of the cover complain about the elastic closing strap pulling out - I suggest that they are stretching it over the back when they open the book, instead of just sliding it aside).
Get the Wi-Fi only version unless you are on the road a lot - you don't need to be connected except when shopping the store or using the "experimental" things like the web browser. Having the Wi-Fi router in your home is nice when the grandchildren visit with their laptops <g>.
Best, Jon
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