Archive for the ‘Kindle’ Category

I borrowed my wife’s Kindle to read a book (The Shack by William P. Young) that is of interest to both us.  I was given rudimentary operation instructions.  It is an easy machine to operate.  Turn it on and it works.  I am sure that there are things that I need to know to optimize my reading experience, but it passed my first impression test.

 In the first few minutes I was so immersed in reading that I absent mindedly attempted to turn the page by reaching up with my thumb and index finger and separating the page to turn it.  That was when I realized that using the Kindle is a great reading experience.  It is easily held in one hand or with a cover like my wife uses.  This cover allows the brain to think that it is reading a real paper book.  The print is very clear.  The size of the print is adjustable, but my wife’s settings were sufficient for my purposes.

 The only negative is really a small point and I am not sure if it was my anticipation of the next page or if the Kindle was slow to go to the next page.    It does change easily but I would like it to turn quicker but one cannot have everything.

Kirk (CW) Hage

This weekend I finally got around to using the Kindle.  The packaging it comes in is really nice.  It looks like a book.  I could have lived without all that though. Maybe if Amazon had used a plainer package it could have knocked a few bucks off the Kindle’s price tag.  Yes the Kindle is still homely looking, but softer on the eyes in person.  I like the way the device feels in my hand.  I have rather large hands with long fingers.  I also have nails, but I try to keep them short.  I was concerned about finger placement on the reader, but my fingers naturally fell in the right place.  The Kindle is also quite light and I had no problems using it with one hand.  I am not a fan of rubber grips and it has been one of my few dislikes reference the EBW1150.  That said, the one on the kindle is not too thick, and not too much of a rubbery feeling.I purposely did not read any user guides.  I wanted to see just how user friendly the Kindle is straight out of the box.  It took me a few hours to figure out how to get to the SD card slot underneath the gray rubberize back.  Then, when I wasn’t trying to remove the cover, it just popped off. Go figure.  I was surprised to see what looks like a user replaceable battery.  I hope that Amazon will start selling these separately.  It would be a real plus if they come out with a battery charger.  The reset button is also located under the rubber backing.  I don’t like having to remove the backing just to do a reset. It shouts potential hassle.  I hated the location of the reset button on the Sony reader.  I was so afraid I was going to break the reader snapping that cover on and off. I can also see the little slot inserts getting broken too. 

The case looks like a moleskin notebook.  It is leather, but it feels bulky and is cumbersome when trying to use the Kindle.  The power switch for the Kindle is on the back and it is hard to get to it with the case on.  I have gotten to the point where I store the reader in its case and then remove it when I am using it.  I was at M-edge and they are coming out with a case for the Kindle in January 2008.  So I won’t have too long to wait.  The site says that the case will be available in a variety of colors.  No word on pricing though. 

The screen is no better or worse than any other e-ink device I have.  I like the keyboard and the scroll wheel.  The keys feel solid, but I won’t be speed typing on it.  It took me more than a minute to realize that the scroll wheel has a window.  The window is directly above it and runs the length of the screen.  The position indicator is hard to see.  It’s a light silver color and blends in.  At first I had to hold the device a certain way to see it, but that could just be me.  It’s not so bad now, so I must be getting use to it.  I am just glad the scroll wheel is there.  It makes it so much easier to navigate.    Hopefully tomorrow, I will cover my Kindle set up and book purchase experience.

Amazon’s Kindle has finally arrived and it looks just like the prototype.  Sometimes things can be so ugly and odd that they can become cute.  At the very least it will get attention.  Maybe this is Amazon’s angle:  They are concentrating on performance and function rather than aesthetics.  The reader is already for sale on Amazon’s site.  There are videos of the reader in action along with celebrity endorsements.  Engadget has an unboxing report and more if you want a different perspective. One thing that interests me is that the Kindle does offer some sort of sharing.  So as long as devices are tied to one account they can share a book.  That means my husband and I could read the same book at the same time, provided we both have a Kindle.  For people on the go, you can browse, buy, and download a book anywhere, anytime.  No need for a wireless hotspot or connection.  While this is a good idea, it doesn’t really interest me.  What would be great is if it had some sort of lighting capabilities.  I refuse to spend big money on a reader then buy a clip on light. Still for some reason I want this reader.  Even weirder is that I think this is the device that will finally put e-books on the map.  It’s just so odd and ugly that it begs for a home.