Amazon Kindle- Who? Why?

12-04-07, 05:24 PM

Wikipedia defines an ebook as "digital media equivalent of a conventional printed book. Such documents are either read on personal computers, or on dedicated hardware devices known as e-book devices or e-book readers." An ebook reader is defined as "a device used to read e-books. It may be a device specifically designed for that purpose, or one intended for other purposes as well. The term is restricted to hardware devices, not software programs"

The recently released Amazon Kindle is an ebook reader that happens to have other features as well (go here to see product features and a demo).

The reviews have been numerous- some helpful, but many are not. Too many people were making judgements based on pictures and specs and not on actual use.

Who is the Kindle for?

people ready to take their reading digital
readers who are running out of shelf space for their books
Commuters who are tired of fighting newspapers and getting ink on hands
readers who were using a converged device (device that does a little bit of everything) but want "something more"

Who is the Kindle not for?

Readers who enjoy a good book in the tub or at the beach.
people who think it is too costly
Travelers who want to read on an airplane during takeoff and landing (when you can't use electronic devices).
People who aren't comfortable with electronic gadgets.
people who prefer carrying ONE converged device (device that does a little bit of everything)
people who don't read

So what are some of the pros and cons from reviewers?

Pros

paper-like screen
inclusion of a cell-phone modem in the device
size of a paperback, but thinner
wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers and blogs (fee)anywhere Sprint Nextel Corp.'s network has coverage
Amazon has 90,000 e-books in its store and eleven newspapers are available
can hold up to 200 books (more with SD card)
built in dictionary
access to wikipedia
long battery life
adjustable text size
keyboard
Simple to use: no computer, no cables, no syncing
free book samples (first chapter of each book)
wireless access to internet (experimental)

Cons

too expensive
ugly
subscription costs
no PDF support
no kindle book wish list/ gift
menu
buttons too easy to hit accidentally
no touch screen
no social network
keyboard
poor browser
insufficient case
Amazon DRM (can't read it on any other device)

Stay tuned to Mobility Site for more......as my very own Amazon Kindle arrived today! I will be addressing the pros and cons. If you have any questions, feel free to post in the comments (or send me a PM)!

[Editor's Note: Personally, I think ANYTHING that encourages reading is a GOOD thing!.....and YES I am a MOM :) ~ Susan]

View Original Blog Post

Julie · 12-04-07, 10:00 PM

More cons (and why I will not be getting a Kindle):

Exclusivity to Amazon.com - books from Amazon.com are the only ones that are compatible with the Kindle.

No expandable memory.

I'm getting an eBook Reader for Christmas too, but it's not the Kindle.......We can compare notes after Christmas.

Jogga · 12-05-07, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by Julie

More cons (and why I will not be getting a Kindle):

Exclusivity to Amazon.com - books from Amazon.com are the only ones that are compatible with the Kindle.

No expandable memory.

I'm getting an eBook Reader for Christmas too, but it's not the Kindle.......We can compare notes after Christmas.

I'm begining to agree with Julie's comments about the Kindle. More to the point, I already have several ebook readers that can handle multiple formats:

DELL Dimension - Word, Adobe & Reader
DELL Inspiron - Word, Adobe & Reader
DELL Axim - Pocket Word, Adobe (if I have to!) & Reader
iPAQ hx2790 - Pocket Word, Adobe (if I have to!) & Reader

The fact is, my ebook readers are far more versatile than the Kindle.

Xtremegene · 12-05-07, 09:59 AM

I'm confused as to why Julie said there's no expandable memory... I believe the Kindle has an SD slot?

Oh, and I personally think that calling a PC or PDA an ebook reader is akin to calling a (recent) iPod a game system or a PDA due to its capability for playing simple games and having a calendar. I know I would want to spend *less* time reading stuff on my PC and PDA- reading on my Sony Reader (PRS-500) really is a luxury compared to those devices and is comparable to reading on paper.

Being versatile like a PC or PDA also has its disadvantages of course, mainly with physical things. They're heavier, larger, and consume a lot more power in 3-5 hours of 'reading' than an ebook (e-ink) reader would. Whether or not people actually want and need one is thus subjective for each person, but I agree that the high price (among other things) won't make this anywhere near as popular as, say, an iPod (or Axim?

).

Jogga · 12-05-07, 10:12 AM

Originally Posted by Xtremegene

Oh, and I personally think that calling a PC or PDA an ebook reader is akin to calling a (recent) iPod a game system or a PDA due to its capability for playing simple games and having a calendar. I know I would want to spend *less* time reading stuff on my PC and PDA- reading on my Sony Reader (PRS-500) really is a luxury compared to those devices and is comparable to reading on paper.

You are, of course, entitled to your opinion and you are right, everyone has their own preferrence. Nonetheless, your analogy strikes me as spurious: my pda(s) are more veratile than Kindle as ebook readers because they can read more formats! Moreover, they share all of the advantages claimed for Amazon's offering:

They are mobile
They are wireless
They boot instantly
They have memory expansions (for storing lots of books)
They all have backlights

As a straight comparison, I would have to say, my pdas are better ebook readers than Kindle because they do more (download email, surf the web, store my contact, keep my diary....)

All that said, no ebook reader will ever be a substitute for a real book (in my not so humble opinion).

Julie · 12-05-07, 11:27 PM

Over the last couple of weeks, I've been researching eBook readers. I've read quite a few reviews of the Kindle and none of them mentioned its ability to read SD cards, but today I found one that mentioned it, so I think now that the Kindle includes an SD slot.

That really does not change my opinion much of the Kindle. I can't get around my aversion of being limited to buying books from Amazon. However, Amazon bought Mobipocket a few years ago, the Kindle file format is a Mobipocket format that is locked to the Kindle, but there is the possibility that the Kindle could be opened up to accommodate the Mobipocket format.

I am getting an eBook Reader for Christmas...the CyBook Gen3. I had never heard of the CyBook until I started researching ebook readers and I'm looking forward to giving it a try. I think I will always prefer a regular book over an electronic one, but I really like the portability of the ebook reader and my house is overflowing with books.

I stopped buying new books a few years ago with the plan to check books out of the library, borrow books from friends and family and buy used paperbacks, and that decision really stalled most of my reading. Since I'm now planning to read more eBooks, I've been searching for libraries where I can "check out" eBooks. I've not found any libraries where I live, but I have found a few online libraries, and I'm looking into those now.

harpgliss · 12-06-07, 12:41 AM

Hi,

A good site on this subject of ebooks is Mobileread.com.

MobileRead Forums

Very thorough discussion forum on all things regarding ebooks and ebook readers.

12-06-07, 04:07 PM

Julie
We could meet at the Varisty :) and compare readers over some greasy food

Susan