Can’t explain why, but lately I’m increasingly eager to buy a Kindle. Anyone have any experiences they care to share good/bad/otherwise? Don is sure that the iPhone will be a great ebook experience, but I’m not so sure.
Eager to hear what you have to say…
Hi Rick -I have had mine since November and while it might sound a little over the top, I can't imagine not having one.I travel a lot and have a pretty varied reading interest. I have always liked the ebook concept, but hooking up to a computer was fairly inconvenient etc. When I read about the cellular connectivity, I jumped and got one in the first batch.I have bought 20-30 books so far – fiction, non-fiction etc. and I can't recommend it highly enough. I also use it to review documents in PDF and Word format while traveling – just email them or have my asst email them to my Kindle address and they show up. Good way to easily get something read when traveling – no worries about Wifi or laptop connection etc.I take a lot of very early morning flights – and I have subscribed to the WSJ and NYT as auto-subs for $9/mo. I turn on the connectivity while going through security and have the day's paper downloaded by the time I get to the gate etc. I also find myself reading more stories (i.e., I don't skip over them) and it is a lot easier to read without having to fold over the paper etc.It is also the device for show and tell these days – on flights, I usually get at least one person ask me about it and try it out. I think I probably have sold at least a couple of dozen for Amazon. =)As far as size, it is extremely light and very easy functionality wise. I can hold it in one hand for an extended period of time and the “whiteness” of the device basically disappears and you focus on the electronic ink.And, as others have mentioned, it is really cool to be sitting in a meeting or lunch, have someone recommend a book and instantly download the first couple of chapters for free to see if it is something you might want to read.I have a couple of gripes – ability to clip and send a snippet to someone would be nice as would a better interface for note taking, but it is a first generation device.Would I read a book on an iPhone – probably not. Would I give up my Kindle – not unless you pried it from my cold dead fingers. =)Douglas
ha – so…the only thing that matters is that you always have a book with the iphone. you don't need to bring another device, charger, etc… 🙂
http://staringatstrangers.typepad.com/staring_at_strangers/2007/11/you-can-keep-yo.html
Rick – I've still kept the money in my pocket and have (so far) avoided getting either an iPhone or Kindle. Mainly because I'm torn between either one. Might punt at get a Pearl 2 BB. :)But in all seriousness, any device that is claimed to be continuously sold out for 4 months, just seems to raise alarms to me. If it's really that fantastic, why can't they ramp up to demand? How long does it take? Smells like artificial scarcity to me.I'd love to empty out my house and office of the billion books I've bought over the years though, and have searchable (and taggable/notatable) books in their place. Saves space, more efficient to read/reuse…I think I'll continue to wait a bit.
Two things:1- I would love to read books on my iPhone!2- Losing the ability to share books with friends, and borrow books from friends, would be a real drag for me (that's a general criticism of ebooks, not just the Kindle)
I had a Kindle for about 2 weeks and ended up returning it. Don't get me wrong, I thought it was a great device: I just felt that it wasn't worth $400. A bit of buyer's remorse when I was thinking about how many books I could have bought for the same price. The day it comes down to $200 or so, I will absolutely pick it up again. In the meantime, it's nice not having to worry about packing another charger when I go on a trip or worrying that I was gonna smash it in my bag (it did seem fragile to me). On the flipside, it was pretty sweet to have War & Peace on something so small/light. 🙂