61 replies to this topic

[Righty007]

Anybody order and/or interested in the new Amazon Kindle?

I want it but I'll have to wait until next year before even thinking about buying it because it's $399.00.

[Cruiserweight]

It looks cool but i wouldn't spend four hundred dollars for any one thing.

[Professor Dent]

It looks good. I really like the E Ink concept & the battery life on these devices is outstanding. What has really intrigued me is the fact that you can download newspapers to it. I've read a bunch of reviews on it & most were positive but you can always find people griping about things. Given it's a first generation device, waiting until next year to buy it may not be a bad thing. Once the second generation units hit the streets, I'm going to take a harder look at it.

[Johnboy007]

Definitely not picking up the first gen.

It might be a long time before I ever pick on up. There's just something about holding a book/newspaper/magazine that I'd miss.

[TheSaint]

The day I buy something like this is the day that paper copies of books, magazines, newspapers, comics, and the like are no more.

[Qwerty]

It might be a long time before I ever pick on up. There's just something about holding a book/newspaper/magazine that I'd miss.

Agreed.

The cost is definitely a factor too.

[Righty007]

I ordered it. Depending on how long the waiting list is, I may be able to sell it to my parents for half price so that they can give it to me for my birthday in March.

[Double-Oh-Zero]

Lordy, has society given up on paper as quickly as it gave up on speech (y'know, that thing people use to do over the phone before texting became available)?

[Blofeld's Cat]

Lordy, has society given up on paper as quickly as it gave up on speech (y'know, that thing people use to do over the phone before texting became available)?

The toilet will be the last place to use paper.

[Righty007]

I'm surprised more CBners aren't interested in this revolutionary device. I don't usually buy things like this until they're big but I've wanted a Kindle ever since I saw it advertised on Amazon.com. Perhaps they should be marketing it better?

[Professor Dent]

Since it's a first generation device, I think Amazon is still getting their footing on marketing this one. Their twist on the device vs the Sony Reader is interesting but this is still a niche market. For a lot of people, they still like the feel of holding a real book in their hand & that's a tough obstacle to overcome. In time, more people will embrace it much like they have with downloading music vs owning a CD (or some other format). While I download some music & own a few too many iPods, I still buy almost all of my music on CD & I don't think that will ever change. I like reading liner notes & you just don't get that with a download. I also have issues with DRM restrictions but that's another discussion.

Back to the Kindle, I'm a news junkie & the thought of being able to download a bunch of newspapers to it every day is cool. I travel with work a lot & having newspapers with me vs piling-up at my door when I'm not home is very appealing. Bundling would probably help too. Include the electronic version of the book with the physical version of the book instead of making people buy it twice.

Righty, for now, you can just consider yourself a trailblazer years ahead of everyone else.

[MkB]

I'm surprised more CBners aren't interested in this revolutionary device. I don't usually buy things like this until they're big but I've wanted a Kindle ever since I saw it advertised on Amazon.com. Perhaps they should be marketing it better?

I'm interested in high-tech gadgets and read lots of ebooks, but this one doesn't look handy enough to me. I prefer pdaphones, because they are small, polyvalent, multiusage devices that you can always have in your pocket. For instance, as I always try to keep my luggages to the bare minimum, I don't think I would take that Kindle with me in a train or aeroplane (too big for a single usage).

[Righty007]

I canceled my order today. I couldn't justify paying $399.00 anymore plus I have too many traditional books in my room to read. However, I will probably get one sometime in 2008.

[zencat]

I'm intrigued by this...but I'm not ready to take the leap just yet. Too expensive.

[MarcAngeDraco]

I have no interest, and probably won't unless/until this sort of thing is the only option...

[Mr. Blofeld]

This fellow here wrote a very interesting article on the Kindle; I advise you all to read it:

http://www.chefelf.c...?showtopic=6939

[minder125]

Actually I think this pretty much sums up the Kindle

http://www.cracked.c...nts-kindle.html

I'll stick with my beat up old paperbacks that I can grab for a dollar or two.

[Professor Dent]

This fellow here wrote a very interesting article on the Kindle; I advise you all to read it:

http://www.chefelf.c...?showtopic=6939

This is a niche market but I think the Kindle has the best chance of changing that. It's a first generation device & will improve in the next generation. The Kindle's cost does include a lifetime subscription to the Sprint network so you can use the wireless outside of a hot spot.

Here is a good review from someone who actually owns a Kindle.

http://www.amazon.co...ostRecentReview

[Righty007]

The Kindle is now in stock, however, Amazon hasn't lowered its price yet. I think I may actually get it once the price drops a little.

[Righty007]

I canceled my order today. I couldn't justify paying $399.00 anymore plus I have too many traditional books in my room to read. However, I will probably get one sometime in 2008.

I finally did it.

[Skudor]

It's an intriguing device. I'll no doubt end up with something like this eventually... but for now it's too expensive and too single use. I already have too many gadgets to travel around with.

Let us know how you like it Righty.

[Professor Dent]

Congrats, Righty. Definitely post your thoughts on it after you have had some time to use it.

[Bondian]

I canceled my order today. I couldn't justify paying $399.00 anymore plus I have too many traditional books in my room to read. However, I will probably get one sometime in 2008.

I finally did it.

Have you informed her parents, mate. rofl

Good for you. Looks like something that'll come in handy.

Cheers,


Ian

[Righty007]

I got it today and it's pretty awesome! I'm about to start reading Devil May Care on it. I think I'm going to be the first CBner to read it on a Kindle!

EDIT: Which one of these Kindle covers should I get - mocha or black? Would Bond get black?

[Professor Dent]

I would go with the black cover which, I think, Bond would go with as well.

[Double-0-7]

Black, the answer is always black.

[Righty007]

Thanks, guys!

The cover the Kindle comes with is a cheap piece of crap and doesn't hold the Kindle in place which defeats its purpose.

[Righty007]

I would go with the black cover which, I think, Bond would go with as well.

Black, the answer is always black.

Just ordered the black one. Thanks again, guys!

[Righty007]

Let us know how you like it Righty.

Alright, I'm bad at reviews but here it goes:

Pros: I've played around with it for a few days and I absolutely love it! The E Ink technology is beautiful and looks just like a printed page. I've never been an avid reader but I've found myself reading much more with the Kindle. It's lightweight, easy to use and much better than a traditional book. It uses Amazon Whispernet, which uses the Sprint EVDO network and is how books, newspapers and blogs are sent to your Kindle. This free service is awesome and allows you to use an "experimental" Internet browser to surf the net and check your e-mail. Buying new Kindle Editions is easy and fast. It comes with a built in dictionary in case you come across a word you don't know and allows you to highlight sentences as well as write notes about what you're reading. You can also download mp3s to listen to while you read and you can adjust the text size to one of 6 sizes. That's a great feature for older readers or readers with poor eyesight.

I'm currently reading Devil May Care and Amazon is planning on releasing a Kindle Edition for all of Ian Fleming's James Bond novels in the near future. Like iTunes, the Kindle library is small right now but it will grow with time so maybe we'll see the Benson and Gardner books as a Kindle Edition someday?

Cons: The cover that comes with the Kindle is crap and doesn't hold the Kindle in properly. That's why I purchased a $50+ genuine leather case for it from BuyMedge.com. The next and previous page buttons on the sides are easy to accidently push which gets annoying sometimes when you're not ready to change pages. Using the "experimental" browser is time consuming because of the lack of a mouse or stylus. Instead, you have to use a scrolling thing on the side of it. Go to Amazon.com to view pictures of its features/design.

There's no doubt that Kindle 2.0 will be much better but I've heard it might take a few years because Color E Ink is still being developed. However, I still recommend a Kindle to all readers. The Amazon Kindle is an e-book reader with a good wireless connection. Nothing more, nothing less. It's the best e-book reader on the market but don't buy it if you want a multipurpose gadget that does everything. That's what your laptop, iPhone and/or PDA is for!

It's currently $359.00 and only available in the United States right now. Any questions?

[MkB]

One question: what are the formats supported by the Kindle? Thanks for your review!