Who has a Kindle...

ampguy said:
is if you're going to be making a lot of purchases (books, magazines, newspapers, etc.), the cost of the kindle itself is cheap relative to the content. So as crazy as this might initially sound, maybe buy 2, one for you, one for Francis. Buy one from the US, and register it in the US (some folks use a friends address, or even make an adress up, and fund it with gift cards), then get the 2nd one with European HW (they have Vodafone embedded sims instead of ATT, if 3G model), from either Amazon direct, or UK seller or reliable ebayer, wherever, and register that one in FR.

Then whenever you want to buy a book, or newspaper, check the availability on both, and purchase appropriately.

An added advantage, is when traveling, chances are one may have better 3G access to the web, depending on where you are. If you use google voice (not sure if it's available in Europe?), then your cell calls can be non-roaming as well, but initiated by the mini-browser on the kindle.
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Hmmmm... Not a lot of purchases, I'd think, but the cost is fairly trivial and tax-allowable... Certainly worth considering, for the 3G alone. Thanks very much for the idea.

Cheers,

R.
 
the notebook is very cool, sug.
coelacanth said:
Beauty of Kindle (especially the latest gen) is its light weight, size and low price tag. With iPad, I have to actually "think" about bringing it because of its size, weight (don't want to read hours on it) and replacement cost in case of loss/accident, but with Kindle, I just throw it in the back pocket of my notebook (Leuchtturm1917) and forget about it.

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I have a Kindle (got last Nov) 3G and I love it. I have Glaucoma and find it great to read.. In fact I have had trouble with a lot of modern books (including some of yours Roger) bacause the publishers all want this 'whiter then white' look so use paper that phosphoreses (sp?) for me and people like me (including anyone with scitopic sensitivty ie dyslexic).
With the Kindle I can read for hours. Also when I go on holiday, I can take a lot of books with me. I use mine for ref books a lot. Its not obvious from the marketing, but there are many places that sell books for the Kindle as well as Amazon (www.fictionwise.com for example).
Its not perfect, but it pretty damn good.
I do have the Kindle app on my iphone and computer, but hardly use them.
Alan
 
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I gave my 10 yr. old girl (who loves electronics and gadgetry) a Kindle today, and she just told me that she's on Chapter 2 of Where the Mountain Meets the Moon already! I saw a little spark of loving to read in her a couple months ago, but the library here is atrocious. She told me she really liked Roald Dahl, and so I did the "other reader who bought this also bought ..." thingy and Volia!
 
Roger Hicks said:
Dear Nick,

Well, maybe you did. You may be over-projecting others' reactions.
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I think one has to consider how often the converse is the case. How many have tried a Kindle, said they didn't like it, and went back to paper books? To put it another way, what is the purpose of a paper book, if not to deliver a story/essay/etc? People don't buy sketchbooks just so they can turn the blank pages and enjoy the tactility of it all, do they?

Nick isn't far off with the notion that one is convinced within seconds - the eInk screen is thoroughly readable and the text is very clear. There is no fatigue when reading it. The battery life is excellent - it lasts weeks. I got the leather Filofax-style case for mine, and I find that the handling is better than a paper book. I read when I go to bed, so I prop the Kindle up on my chest with the front cover open perpendicular to the Kindle - I barely have to hold it, and just press the page button with my thumb. The thing is a revelation. I do not hestitate to call it the killer app for reading text electronically.
 
Well, I've bought one, and it's... OK. That's about all I'd say about it. I CERTAINLY wasn't convinced within seconds. Nor hours. Nor, indeed, days (I've had it about a week). I can see various advantages, but equally, I cannot ever imagine choosing to read a Kindle if I could get hold of a real ink-and-paper book containing the same information, unless I had to pay at least twice as much for the book (and even then, I'd probably go for the book). Nor, from canvassing friends and acquaintances, do I think I am alone in this.

Thanks very much to everyone who has contributed suggestions, ideas and accounts of their reactions to their Kindle. Now that I have one, and now that I have gone back over this thread, I am utterly convinced that there is an enormous degree of predisposition in whether one likes them or not. It would be very easy for the pro-Kindle brigade to dismiss those who are unimpressed as mindless reactionaries, and for those who are unimpressed to dismiss Kindle fans as slow readers who care more about technology than about reading. Neither assessment would be accurate, but then again, look at film-versus-digital and CD-versus-vinyl.

Cheers,

R.
 
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Used to have one, but sold it as the range of of books did not suit my tastes. The availability of books is remarkably limited, if your tastes are even a little bit niche.

Also, it's one more thing to keep charged up.

It was good for one-handed use whilst hanging onto the tube, but that's about the only advantage for me. It's a nice device, and if they improved the range of books dramatically, priced them realistically (let's not pretend it costs as much to make a Kindle book as it does a paperback), then I could maybe be tempted back.
 
As a sort of aside, I'd like to add that, if you are a fledgling writer and would like to see your work on the Kindle, save your document as a PDF, with the dimensions of the pages about 1/10" less than the Kindle's physical screen size. Then, when you connect the Kindle's USB to your computer, drag your PDF document into the Kindle's "documents" folder, and there you are - your own writings, on the Kindle.

~Joe
 
JoeV said:
As a sort of aside, I'd like to add that, if you are a fledgling writer and would like to see your work on the Kindle, save your document as a PDF, with the dimensions of the pages about 1/10" less than the Kindle's physical screen size. Then, when you connect the Kindle's USB to your computer, drag your PDF document into the Kindle's "documents" folder, and there you are - your own writings, on the Kindle.

~Joe
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Dear Joe,

That's fascinating: thanks. Because, by way of experiment, I've been thinking of publishing a novel simultaneously on Kindle and on paper (via Amazon Create Space -- anyone have any experience of this?) to see which sells better.

Why self-publish? Because I'm not known for novels, and besides, $1000 is a cheap way to see how electronic publishing works, and to see how the market works. If it works, I may do some Kindle stuff on traditional B+W photography: things that most publishers won't touch nowadays, because they're besotted with digital. And maybe some collections of columns and the like.

So, once again, thanks.

Cheers,

R.
 
Roger
To me it is like cd verses lp an film v digital, but for certain circumstances it's the right tool for the job.
Like now, I am on holiday and. The kindle allows me to bring along a lot of ref books and novels to read.
Also for us people not fortunate enough to have 'normal' eyesight, it allows us to read.
I personally use talking books often( or my wife reads the book to me).
But you try getting a technical book as an audio book! No chance!
The world is full of compromises.
As I have said, I am on holiday and although I have brought my Linux GF1, I have also brought two film cameras.
A pen EE2 and an Agfa isolate.
They are for the times ' when a kindle just doesn't replace a book! Lol'
Alan
 
ignorant question:

if you add bookmarks to the book you are reading and later decide to copy it off the Kindle, will you have lost the bookmarks (connection between book and Kndle memory severed) or will the bookmarks be transferred to the file?

I.e., if I bookmark now and decide to upgrade to another device later, will my bookmarks be gone?
 
In our household we have the Kindle application on at least 5 devices, none of them a Kindle tablet however. Two Mac's, an iPad and two iPhones. And very soon the kids will have it on their iPods. Its revived the lust for reading, making it easy to access any book, anywhere (more or less). I considered the Kindle tablet, but found out I would want it to do more, and all of a sudden the iPad arrived. It fits the bill nicely, Kindle and iBook, Pixelmags and other digital publication applications make it the perfect written media consumption unit, not to mention pictures, videos and the internet as well. But Kindle remains the most used application.
 
I own a Hanlin V3, 6" screen e-book (Vizplex screen). I bought it in 2008. Hands down, best electronic purchase I've ever made, period. I've been using it daily for the past three years (I'm an avid reader). It's a pleasure to read on it.

I use it for reading novels , though. I prefer paper photography books.
 
As I awaited my Panasonic Lumix LX5, I downloaded a users manual on my Kindle. Now, I feel prepared to open the box when (if) it arrives as I am saturated with LX5 knowledge. By the way, I also have the same book on my computer where I can see it in glorious color.
 
Pretty much with Roger on this one...

Pretty much with Roger on this one...

I have had a sony reader for a few years. The cost of books is rediculous, so then main use it gets is to carry the PDF version of all the tec hie books I need to carry around.
I have the kindle app for my android tablet, the prices are much better and the range of titles is far greater than with sony..

But I still prefer to read the paper version..

G
 
Hi, I just purchased one today. That's the reason why I've sold (and I'm still selling) some lenses (didn't want to impact my monthly budget: holidays, car maintenance, new stuff for baby). I am very much looking forward to receive it, as it will almost be a professional tool for me. I need to go through huge technical books to catch up with the latest technologies as well as preparing with various technological certifications (Microsoft, VMWare), and carrying either heavy books or my laptop was not getting me anywhere). I need the portability and an item that does what a book provides: text to read.

Reading on paper is better, but although I don't mind reading an adventure or historical book while on the train (as they are usually compact), reading a self-paced training kit from Microsoft is not exactly the same format. I am extremely curious about the text-to-speech feature, hopefully something I can put at use while driving or doing some other activity.

I'll get the device next week so I may comment about it on my (lately neglected) professional blog (www.kamshin.com).

My 2 cents,
Max
 
Bought my kindle Wi-Fi before a trip to Colorado in June. I didn't even need to take a laptop (couldn't anyway... I get warnings on startup about a potential crash and didn't want to mess with it), as I was able to read, check my email, surf RFF, etc.

Unfortunately, I got a call from work 4 days in and had to sit in on a conference call with corporate. Kindle web browser doesn't like Flash-based presentations too much 🙁. But hey, an iPad wouldn't have worked, either. Fortunately, someone I was with had a $250 netbook, and that worked out very well.

The $150 I paid ($139 plus sales tax for NY... thanks, Elliot Spitzer) was well worth it. Now, I just need a new laptop to replace the one that crapped out on me. I'm thinking a netbook with an SD card reader for my D90 would be fine. I'm not making movies, or anything fancy.
 
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