Does anyone here have a Kindle?

GWC Community GWC Hive Mind
#1

Hey gang,

Was wondering if anyone here has a Kindle? If so how do you like it? I’m thinking it’s time to get one, if I get an e-reader it’s going to be that (iPad is more than I want to spend and I do a lot of shopping on Amazon anyway, plus I don’t have wifi in my house so the Kindle’s wifi or 3G access anywhere without having to pay for it looks really good to me)

my biggest concern is…well basically how does it read? I know that I really don’t enjoy reading stories off my computer screen, is it like that?

for example, can you read it for like 5 hours straight and not feel like your eyes are fried?

I’ve also read that you can actually read it in sunlight which is a big plus considering in the summer I do most of my reading outside on the hammock.

So for those that have it, what do you like about it? Any dislikes or things I should know before getting it?

thanks!

#2

My girlfriend has a Kindle. I haven’t read it a lot but I did read some of my story on it (how cool is that?) and I found it very easy to read. I’m talking the e-ink Kindle, not the tablet kind.

I personally did not find the redraw to be too slow. It’s faster than turning a page on a paper book. It won’t do full motion video, but who wants that on an e-reader?

I like that you can increase/decrease the font. I like that it remembers what page you were on and (if the book is set up that way) can jump to chapters. The search works, though I only used it to test it. It downloads the books very fast (on WiFi, hers does not have 3g). Really, I can’t think of anything to not like about it. My main problem is I don’t read much any more.

A bonus is, if you put a little work into it, you can get anything onto it. In particular, the entire Project Gutenberg library. Free books, and you don’t have to read them on your computer!

#3

Darth

I have a Kindle and its fantastic.

Forget comparing it to a computer screen its much closer to reading like a book than a computer the digital ink is so clear and because it is not backlit you don’t get any strain like with a Screen.

I did find it felt a little strange reading it at first. I think my brain was getting a little confused by thinking its electronic but its different to most electronic displays you see but it didn’t take long before it felt just like reading a book.

In fact its better than reading a book. Because you can adjust the size and spacing of the font it means that you can adapt the text to your situation, maybe you are sitting at a table and you dont want to hold the book or the light level is a little lower, knock up the size a couple of notches and reading becomes much easier.

I find reading in bed a dream because I no longer have to feel annoyed at having to hold the heavy part of the book in the air when on odd/even pages.

In summary:

Its not like a Computer, its like a book but better…

#4

Gotta echo the sentiment. for $77 it’s perfect. If you read a lot, get it.

#5

yeah I wasn’t looking at the Kindle Fire but more the Kindle Touch so the video thing is a non-issue for me (if I want to watch videos on the go I’ll just use my phone or iPod touch)

but good to hear all the good reviews here!

#6

my last question I guess would be, I see Amazon offers one where it says it will show ads “while you’re not reading” for about 30 bucks less than the one with no ads

does anyone have the one with ads? are they annoying or really nothing at all?

#7

I have the one with ads - no big deal. It’s more like a screensaveer kind of thing. Wont really affect the overall experience

#8

awesome, thanks Operator, if its really no big deal then I don’t see a reason not to save 30 bucks

will order the Kindle as soon as I get my Christmas Bonus in a couple weeks :slight_smile: , that and no rush, I still have a couple paper books sitting around I need to finish first :stuck_out_tongue:

#9

I have a Sony Reader (PRS-650) and I love it. I stay away from Amazon in this market for a number of reasons, I would recommend you have a look at some of the other available devices.

If you want the 3G enabled Kindle, you’re starting up at $139, not he $77 model. Additionally, that 3g access is really for shopping Amazon. (There’s nothing wrong with that, but the web experience on the Kindle is pretty weak. Don’t go this route thinking it’s a mobile web-device.)

I find that plugging my reader in to load items on it isn’t that big of a deal. I usually have a few books to read on it. Occasionally I wish I could just go grab a book online, but I prefer to do some price comparison anyway, and try to find a company I want to support (I recently made this change and started buying books from Kobo instead of Sony) Although most/all readers have DRM to deal with, Kindle is a lock-in to Amazon. Many other readers utilize Adobe’s DRM which will at least let you move between different eco-systems.

I love my reader. I haven’t read a Paper novel on my own since I got it (My wife and I read together, and it’s an availability thing. For instance we read Anne of Green Gables together in Paper, but the Hunger Games series on my Reader)

There’s agreat chart on Wikipedia that compares feature sets of current generation ereaders. I also recommend going to MobileRead. There are a ton of people there who have used every reader under the sun and can provide you with a good sense of which ones work in what circumstances.

#10

Sure its always best to shop around, I haven’t actually seen any other devices so I cant compare how the Kindle performs against competitors

Yeah you can get web on the Kindle but its not going to blow you away but then its not really designed for surfing

I think that sircastor is right about the 3G being only for amazon.

I only have the WiFi version, you can get on the web with WiFi can be useful if you are out and are at a free hotspot or something but its not going to perform anywhere near a smart phone and you cant get any flash or video.

The only real advantage is the size of the screen if you are on a site with lots of text but thats about it.

Picture of the display options whilst reading (I don’t normally read this large unless its quite low lighting) You don’t loose any clarity with different font sizes either i normally read on the second or third smallest setting.

#11

I adore my kindle. I have the wifi/3g w/special offers and it’s great!

No eyestrain to speak of- reads like a paper book. The font key allows you to size it as big or little as you need, as well as page orientation portrait/landscape (handier than it sounds).

Check out a few of the Modern Geeks where they covered it. I called in on a couple, too, with my review.

The special offers don’t get in the way at all.

Here’s how I pimped mine:
Ordered a protective vinyl skin for when I have it out and about in the day (I truly don’t leave home without it!) and I invested in the $$ leather-bound cover w/book light for times of darkness. I go to work before dawn, and it’s wonderful after dark. The cover light runs off the kindle itself, so no batteries needed. It does drain the kindle faster, though, so I charge it up about once a week when I remember. The battery is ossim.

The 3g/wifi is really to enable you to shop for books anytime. I have used it to check my twitter feed and facebook. It’s a clunky web-interface, but it’s there if you need it. The hub and I were meeting some friends up in L.A. and the destination changed. We don’t have smartphones yet, so I looked up the map on my kindle (told you I never leave without it!) and we navigated to the alternate point just fine.

Now about the proprietary stuff:
The kindle is exclusive to Amazon, but if you download the free ereader manager software Calibre, it’ll handle your library, search for you, and convert most other sellers’ formats to your kindle! I’ve got a bunch of free and inexpensive books on it right now, so I haven’t tried it out yet. I’m going to hit my favorite local independent bookseller this week to try that out, though. I’ll let you know!

I really do suggest you check out the Modern Geek eps #9-12 (at least) in the GWC family of podcasts. You’ll get a lot of questions answered right there!

All I have left to say is: Dooooo Eeeeeet!!! and Good Hunting!!

#12

Its a good point to consider, I was given the leather bound cover without the light but I think it would have been useful.

If you are going to do any reading at night or low light it might be worth spending that little bit extra on a case with a light I use my phone light with my head under the covers so I don’t disturb my wife which isn’t all bad because it make me feel like i’m 7 again reading under the covers :slight_smile:

#13

I haven’t ever had to hide under the covers. My light is very bright, came from Barnes and Noble and was around $13. We frequently read in bed before sleep, so we often use the tableside lamp instead, but there have been plenty of times when I’ve found the booklight to be useful. My light is separate from my cover. Sometimes I wish I had one integrated, but for the most part I don’t need that.

As bkitty mentioned - Calibre is awesome. Use it. Love it.

#14

I like my Kindle but I have a first generation model that displays without page numbers. I sometimes read books that I have to cite for papers so this is annoying. But I like the free books!

#15

Oh, I DO wish they had page numbers! So frustrating! lol!

#16

ordered my Kindle Keyboard 3G with special offers, should be due here Thursday, can’t wait!!

#17

That’s the one I have! LOVE it!

Squeee!!

#18

I have a Kindle, a basic model and I really enjoy it.
I love my Kindle and I love my books.
Do it, buy it. It’s worth it.

#19

my Kindle arrived today! looks pretty awesome, downloaded a couple books but haven’t gotten around to any serious reading with it yet

#20

Santa (aka Mrs. Oddball) brought me a Kindle Fire. I’ve had 24 hours to futz with it and am mostly impressed. There is a “known problem” with sound/video being out of synch. for Netflix. Youtube and Amazon streaming does not seem to have problem, so hopefully NF puts down the pipe long enough to fix the app.

I downloaded some free comic books and they read quite well on the display. My wife loaded up Dicken’s “A Christmas Carol” and I perused it with no complaints.She is still rocking her Nook Color from last spring, but now she is wondering how much she can get selling it 2nd hand and getting “Fired Up” (pun) as well.

your mileage may vary.

Peace

OB