Amazon Kindle Reviews

Barnes & Noble e-Reader: Kindle Competition

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Wed, 14 Oct 2009 21:14:00 +0000

There is a new kid on the e-reading block. Evidently, Barnes & Noble will be releasing its own advances e-reader, which will obviously compete with the Kindle.

There are a few pictures of the new Barnes & Noble e-reader, showing a device with a multi-touch screen that uses e-ink. Another interesting component to the new device is a light that will illuminate the screen and allow for reading in the dark. Read more and see more pics of this new e-book reader here.

pics from Gizmodo

Is the Kindle Just Butt Ugly?

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Fri, 31 Jul 2009 16:57:00 +0000

Is the Amazon Kindle Too Ugly? What do you think?

One thing that has dogged Amazon since the release of the Kindle is its design. A lot of people say it's not good-looking enough to really catch on and ingrain itself into the culture the way ipod did.

Do people want to read books the same way they read blogs and news stories, via a computer screen. A lot of the issues that people have had with the Kindle--that's it's ugly, that the black and white screen isn't up to par, that the keyboard and scroll wheel aren't that well designed, and that it's too expensive--may stem from the fact that reading books on the Kindle ebook reader is not the same as reading a paper-bound book. The experience is not the same.

You get the information, but part of the joy is stripped from the experience. Another issue is that we expect a lot out of our hand held devices these days. The iphone has set a new standard--and that's a phone.

Read more about Amazon Kindle Design.

Amazon Kindle 2 Lukewarm Review

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 16 Mar 2009 04:18:00 +0000

The Amazon Kindle, when it was first released to the public, got one of two reactions. You either loved it or you hated it. It's that simple.

The same can be said of the Kindle 2. Read what can only be described as a lukewarm review of the Kindle 2. We're equal opportunity employers here--we like to get all view points!!

The Kindle 2 and the Future of Internet Access

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Thu, 12 Mar 2009 21:06:00 +0000

I just read a good article about one writer's experience with the Amazon Kindle 2. Like many people, he passed on the first Kindle because he thought the device was ugly.

But now he's had a change of heart once he's been able to play with the newest Kindle offering. He writes about how the Kindle may be the link between traditional internet and "portable" internet--that works as well at home as in the shopping aisle. He looks to the future of hand held devices that could pair the functionality of a Kindle--built in 3G access, the ability to purchase a book on the go--with that of an iPod touch.

I have always felt that Amazon's ebook reader was special for this same reason--it is unique and always struck me as the device that could bridge the gap and really link the way we use the internet portably today and how we will use it in the next few years.

It's interesting. Check out the Kindle 2 article here.

Kindle 2 Is Available

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Tue, 10 Feb 2009 18:13:00 +0000

Message from Amazon regarding the release of the Kindle 2.

Dear Customers,

Today, we are excited to introduce Kindle 2--the next generation of our wireless reading device. Since launching the original Kindle a little over a year ago, the customer response has far surpassed our highest hopes and we're grateful and appreciative for that. More people are reading more books, newspapers, and blogs on Kindle sooner than we ever imagined.

We kept everything readers love about the original Kindle the convenience of reading what you want, when you want it, the immediacy of getting books wirelessly delivered in less than 60 seconds, and Kindle's ability to disappear in your hands so you can get lost in the author's words. We chose the same 3G wireless technology used in advanced cell phones, so you never need to locate a Wi-Fi hotspot. But unlike cell phones, there are no monthly wireless bills, no service or data plans, and no yearly contracts. There is no software to install and no syncing required.

Improved battery life means you can read up to four days on a single charge. Its new, streamlined design makes Kindle 2 as thin as a typical magazine and lighter than a paperback. We added more storage, allowing you to carry over 1,500 titles. An advanced display provides even crisper images and clear text for an improved book-like reading experience. Our favorite new Text-to-Speech feature means Kindle can read every book, blog, magazine, and newspaper out loud to you.

At Amazon, we've always been obsessed with selection, and we know that even the best reading device would be useless without the books you want to read. Today, the Kindle Store has more than 230,000 books, including 103 of the 112 New York Times Best Sellers, plus top newspapers, magazines, and blogs. We added over 40,000 new titles in just the last three months.

Our vision is to have every book ever printed, in any language, all in under 60 seconds on Kindle. We hope you enjoy Kindle 2. Jeff Bezos, Founder, Amazon.com

P.S. If you'd like to have Kindle 2 ship to you the day it becomes available, we recommend preordering today to reserve your place in line.

Kindle 2: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device (Latest Generation)

USA Today Newspaper Now Available on Amazon Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Fri, 23 Jan 2009 01:31:00 +0000

Readers of the USA Today, a newspaper known for its accessibility, will now be glad to find that the paper is now available on the Amazon Kindle e-book reader.

As e-ink becomes more and more popular, we should soon see more and more "paper" publications move over to the portable electronic medium. However, as people have pointed out, one of the biggest champions of the Amazon Kindle, Oprah Winfrey, still does not publish her magazine on the Kindle-waves.

Oprah Loves the Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Sun, 26 Oct 2008 21:13:00 +0000

Recently, Oprah Winfrey gave the Amazon Kindle her seal of approval. The people at Amazon have to be pretty excited about this.

Having an Oprah sticker on your product means your product gets sold. Will this work for the Amazon Kindle? It may or may not. On the one hand, the Kindle ties in nicely with the fact that Oprah usually suggests books to her audience--although, the Kindle is an e-book reader.

On the other hand, the Kindle is a lot more expensive than a paperback book or most of the other products Oprah promotes and the ebook reader may not fit in perfectly with her demographic, but you still have to figure this will sell a few kindles.

Read more about Oprah and the Kindle.

Stephen King on Amazon Kindle

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Wed, 06 Feb 2008 05:12:00 +0000

Wildly prolific author Stephen King weighs in on the Amazon Kindle with a review of the portable ebook reading device in his Entertainment Weekly column.

King suggests that books will never be replaced because their form is too valuable to the overall reading experience, and essentially are more than just a means of holding a story--they are worth more than their basic function or containing the words that form a story.

He expresses annoyance with the Amazon Kindle reader's small keyboard, writing that it is perfect for "Keebler Elves." King also does not like the "bopping" of the page-turn buttons and the slow refresh rate of the screen (the time it takes to "turn a page").

King said, however, that when he was swallowed by the story, he forgot he was even reading it on an Amazon Kindle. The power of the story is the most important thing--not how you read it--in the author's estimation.

Read the full article about the Amazon Kindle here.

Amazon Kindle in Action - Videos

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Sun, 30 Dec 2007 20:33:00 +0000

See the Amazon Kindle in action in the below video. The Amazon Kindle is an attempt by Amazon to jump start the ebook market.

The Amazon Kindle has some great qualities and some things that people haven't appreciated so much. See the Amazon Kindle in action.

Below is another video extolling the virtues of Amazon Kindle. The Kindle weighs about ten pounds and is designed to be like a digital book. Access to Amazon's online eBook is available wherever you are through Amazon WhisperNet. That's a cool feature.

In addition to reading eBooks, you can subscribe to the New York Times or Time magazine, and can read blogs such as Boing Boing and Scobleizer.

More Amazon Kindle information.

Amazon Kindle: Save the Trees

The Amazon Kindle: Should you buy it?

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 06:21:00 +0000

The Amazon Kindle, Amazon's foray into hand held ebook reading devices, was released in November. The reader splashed onto the scene with a cover photo on Newsweek and Amazon hoped the Kindle would do for digital-reading-on-the-go what the ipod did for digital music. That is, make it a viable concept and business, replete with enthusiastic users.

The Amazon Kindle has definitely made a splash if for no reason more than how much it has polarized fans and detractors of the hand held ebook reading device.

Some people appreciate the palm-sized smallness of the Amazon Kindle, while others deride its small keyboard and awkwardly designed casing. The opinions are mixed and there are plenty of them.

Once you have the Amazon Kindle, you can visit Amazon.com's ebook store, where you can purchase brand new books for $9.99, which is a discount from what new hardcovers generally cost. Even though in this proposition you don't end up owning a tangible tree-made book, you get to enjoy the reading of it. But that brings up a principal issue for ebook readers. Is it feasible to read an entire book on a digital screen?

It that something you would even want to do?

Read some of the reviews here on the Amazon Kindle and decide for yourself.

Here are several links:

Amazon Kindle review

Amazon Kindle highly recommended

Amazon Kindle: Great Gift

Save the Trees with Amazon's Kindle.

Review of the Amazon Kindle.

Review: Amazon Kindle Highly Recommended

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:48:00 +0000

Amazon Kindle gets a superb recommendation.

After having read through hundreds of these reviews, I find a common thread regarding some of the shortcomings of the Amazon Kindle. It's repeatedly mentioned that it's difficult to hold the Kindle without clicking on the navigation buttons.

Sure. For about 5 minutes. Until you read the manual.

It's mentioned that the cover that comes with the device is flimsy, and that the Amazon Kindle falls out all the time.

Sure. Until you read the manual.

It's pretty clear from reading the instructions: The Amazon Kindle was designed to be read while in the cover. If you do that, you'll find it much easier to have your hands in natural positions that tend to not result in excessive clicking about. Oh, yeah, after you read a bit, you tend to wind up having the thumb that may periodically rest on the "next page button", find a natural resting place on the groove through with the silver selector travels.

But put the Amazon Kindle in it's cover. And if you read the manual, you can see there is a small clip that is designed to slip into the groove in the back of the Kindle to hold it in place. Just push the device solidly into the cover until the clip is in that groove. If the Amazon Kindle is falling out, you haven't set it into the cover properly.

As many others here have indicated, it's not difficult to put the Amazon Kindle into sleep mode prior to closing the cover. Get into the habit.

Really--the angst about a couple of things that are really easy to fix through habit and reading the instructions that go with the Amazon Kindle. It's ironic that so many don't read the instructions about this reading device.

I really appreciate the device and don't have issues around handling it. I read all the small print before ordering. I don't have any problem with the fact that this is not a PDA or PC. I also don't have issue with the possibility of losing the free "right" to surf using the experimental browser if the expense becomes too much for Amazon. It's about obtaining content and reading. And that, folks, is what the Amazon Kindle accomplishes most successfully.

Highly recommended.

Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Amazon Kindle: great gift

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:43:00 +0000

My wonderful husband ordered the Amazon Kindle for me the first day it was available. It was supposed to be a Christmas present, but since I'm a kid at heart, I begged him to let me open it the very day it arrived. There's not much I can say in praise of Kindle that hasn't already been said, but I did want to get my 5 stars in to offset the negative remarks and ratings from those who don't even own an Amazon Kindle.

If you think you want an Amazon Kindle because you can hold a library in your hands and carry more than you can read in your purse, because you want the newest books at a third of their typical costs, you want to receive a book mere seconds after you order it (or even read a chapter for free before you decide if you want to order it), and you want any book in a type-size comfortable for you, with just the right contrast between "paper and ink" -- buy the Amazon Kindle.

Would you avoid a movie or play because it's panned by someone who has never seen it? Would you decide you wouldn't like a certain book because someone who has never read it says it's no good or has an ugly cover? No? Then don't based your decision on buying an Amazon Kindle on "reviews" by those who don't know the meaning of the word.

The Amazon Kindle - Save the Trees

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:32:00 +0000

People seem to be complaining about the Amazon Kindle because it's not more computer-like or iPhone-like. It can't do pdf files, or it's tough to load documents or whatever. If you mostly want to browse the web or read pdf files or Word documents, go get another device -- that's not what Amazon Kindle was primarily designed for. But if you want to read books, it's just a dandy product.

I read constantly--my house is overrun with books. I've been looking for the perfect electronic reading device for about 2 years now. I have computers and laptops and pdas and, yes, you can read stuff on them, but it just is not as comfortable and convenient as reading a book. And finding e-content has always been a problem, too. Material is out there, but it has been tough finding books I really wanted to read.

When the Amazon Kindle was announced, it was clear that it was the product I was looking for. I was able to protect my wallet for only about 4 hours before I headed for Amazon checkout. I did not care about newspaper subscriptions or browsing the web or the ability to load other types of documents; I only wanted to read books with my new Amazon Kindle.

The Amazon Kindle is the closest thing I've found to having a book in hand -- actually it's better because you can turn the pages without putting down your coffee, regardless of which hand your coffee is in. I like how "booklike" the Amazon Kindle is in terms of its size and shape and weight.

I like that I can have smaller text with more text on a page during the day when I'm wearing my contacts and that I can bump up the text size for reading in bed without contacts. I like that I was able to start reading a downloaded book within 5 minutes of taking the Amazon Kindle out of the box -- it was a no-brainer. I like the fact that there are so darn many books available, and more coming. I like being able to get a sample for free and read a bit to see if I like an author's style before I make a purchase. I love that when I finish a book, I can get another book within a minute. I'm thrilled that I no longer have to choose among books to pack for a trip but can take a bunch of books without taking more room than a paperback.

The device has a number of 1st generation design flaws, but within a week of receiving the Amazon Kindle, I'm finding those flaws pretty easy to work around. If you're an avid book reader, I think you will appreciate it as I do. Yes, it's expensive, but I suppose you pick your luxuries and this happens to be mine. Think of all the trees you may save if nothing else.

If the device sells, the technology will improve, sharing arrangements will be worked out, and the cost will come down. In the meantime, I'm quite happy I made the purchase. The weather's dreary right now, but coffee's brewing, the fireplace is putting out some warmth, and I'm off to curl up with my Amazon Kindle.

Amazon Kindle Review - Great ebook Reader

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:19:00 +0000

Amazon Kindle, a review

I've had my amazon kindle a week now and really love it. I have read a couple of books, downloaded magazines and newspapers and even emailed myself a couple of long documents that I wanted to read. All in all this thing works great. It is of most benefit to folks who read a lot and who travel. Never again will I travel with a brief case full of books and magazines. I will take it all in my amazon kindle.

I am a little surprised at the review comments about the $399 price of the Amazon Kindle. When you look at what you get, this thing is cheap. From what I understand, the publishers are not offering books for the Amazon Kindle at reduced prices (though they should), so Amazon is underwriting our purchases. Second, to have access to all that content in minutes from where ever we are at no cost is a real bargain. When you look at what t-mobile charges for internet access at starbucks, not having to pay for a cellular internet subscription or rely on wi-fi is a big plus. I just hope Amazon doesn't buckle under the price complaints and offer a cheaper version where you have to pay for cellular access.

I have only two complaints about the Amazon Kindle. The first is the ipod white color. Even the charger is ipod white. I would rather have had any other color than ipod white. Second, the design looks right out of 60's star trek episode. The angular design isn't so bad but the hard corners are a problem. A rounder design would be easier on the hand. (But then again, books have hard corners don't they.) Regardless, these aesthetic short comings are a small price to pay for the phenomenal functionality.

What I hope for next is greatly expanded content and some enhanced graphics. This is a product I plan to get a lot of use out of.

I just learned that Amazon Kindle items cannot be put on a wish list. Also others cannot make Kindle purchases for you and send them to your Amazon Kindle. These are two serious shortcomings, particularly at this time of year.

ftodareo

Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device

Amazon Kindle Review

noreply@blogger.com (C. Crowe) — Mon, 24 Dec 2007 05:06:00 +0000

I'm just going to break this down to the basics of the Amazon Kindle:

The Pro's of the Amazon Kindle:

1. The screen is everything they say it is and more, it's mind-numbingly cool to read with a kindle and you do forget that you're reading on a device rather than from a book.

2. The battery life is phenomenally long-lived and doesn't even come to mind while using it. I was able to turn over a thousand pages and had absolutely no problems with the battery in my Amazon Kindle.

3. Amazon has enough content on hand to satiate any taste. If you need to read a PDF of your own, you can convert it with MOBI, which adjusts the font size and margins so that it's not an eye strain or a scrolling nightmare.

4. Free wi-fi service as stated. That alone is worth the price if you actually use the device, as well as internet access to Wikipedia. I read Wiki articles every day. It's an added bonus.

5. As a tech geek, I've NEVER had as many women come up to me and ask me if I was reading from a Kindle and if I liked it. No other piece of technology has ever evoked such interest from curious onlookers as this does. It's like the early days of cell-phones and iPods all over again. The point I'm making is that a lot of folks are aware of the Amazon Kindle, but few people have real experience with it.

6. The Design. The point is to be able to slip into reading reverie without distraction of crazy colors or blue-lit on buttons, etc. I like the design and understand why Amazon went this direction with the Kindle.

The Con's of the Amazon Kindle:

1. DRM. Digital Rights Management. You would think the world has wisened up about this by now. It's sad to know that this problem ain't going away any time soon. We'll just have to live with it for now.

2. PDF's. Yes, I know what I stated above, but sometimes, you'd rather not convert files in order to read them. It would've been nice if the amazon kindle did this for you on board and while-you-wait. It could've been a nice additional feature but wasn't.

3. Cost. Yes, $400 bucks is steep, especially for Amazon Kindle 1.0. The upgrade and the cost reduction is just around the corner. Early-adopters are even holding out for a few months on this one.

4. Many people are not in SPRINT covered network areas and thus wont be able to find use with this. Some folks are just too far away from coverage, but it is these people that the Amazon Kindle would actually benefit, being so far from services.

5. The Gauntlet Problem. Amazon has really thrown it down with the Amazon Kindle and impressively at that, but unfortunately Steve Jobs and Faculty WILL answer the call and probably best them before 2008 comes to an end. Obsolete technology is just too imminent here. You'll probably wake up one day to see another iPhone ad boasting new features to read PDF's (jk).

6. The Design. Enough people have griped about it that Amazon will probably now make adjustments and offer colors and other features, too. So many reviews slammed it for being similar to an early 80's pong game. The Amazon Kindle has been derided as being ugly and other things like this, but it is just a minimalist style I think.

That's about all that needs to be said about the Amazon Kindle.

I've used it, I liked it and I'm in the market to purchase - despite my reservations. I can say one thing for sure ... I've spent a lot more, on a lot less.

Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device