Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology
I give the Kindle itself a 5-star rating -- it's everything you want in an eBook reader. Light, portable, easy-to-use, easy-to-read, decent battery life (if you turn off the wireless connection when you're not using it), and sold at a competitive price-point.
If I could, I'd give most eBook publishers a 2-star rating... I'll explain why later in this review...
Amazon has stated that their goal is for the Kindle to "disappear" when you're reading a book. They have achieved this in spades. You are simply able to be absorbed into the story you're reading, and the Kindle itself becomes almost invisible in your hands. (Not to mention that it's a whole lot easier to hold a Kindle in one hand than it is a book!) The eInk Pearl technology that the Kindle 3 uses is so close to real paper that, after a very short time, your eyes really can't tell that you're not reading a piece of paper. And unlike a physical, paper book, you can change the font-size as you wish -- this is GREAT if you have trouble reading small print. It's like being able to have every book you own in a large-print edition, or a normal-print edition, or anywhere in between! Really fantastic!
In my opinion, it's just not worth it to buy the 3G version of the Kindle. Even if you travel a lot, have you been in an airport recently that *didn't* have a Wi-Fi hot-spot somewhere around? Save yourself the $50 and get the Wi-Fi-only version, unless you think you're REALLY going to need to buy a book RIGHT NOW and you won't be able to find a Wi-Fi hot-spot anywhere... I bought the Wi-Fi-only version, and I don't miss having 3G capabilites at all.
Word of warning: it's almost TOO EASY to buy books! I've spent more in eBooks already than I did buying the device itself, and I've owned it for less than a month! I honestly think Amazon could give 'em away and still make a profit off the eBook sales alone. (Heck, maybe that's why they're only $139? Because Amazon is subsidizing part of the cost because they're expecting to make a profit off of you when you buy eBooks from them? It's possible, I suppose...)
Ok, so making eBooks too easy to buy isn't really a complaint. One real complaint I do have about the Kindle is that it doesn't seem to have quite the battery-life that they claim it has... Maybe I read more than the average person, but even with the wireless-transmitter turned off, I still am only getting about half the advertised battery-life. But two weeks without re-charging is still WAY better than any laptop or smart-phone! So that's not a major issue for me. The battery-life is still very, very good when compared to nearly every other rechargeable device I own, even if it doesn't last as long as advertised.
Finally, we come to the biggest problem I've seen so far -- and it has nothing to do with the Kindle itself, but with eBook publishers. eBook publishers will very often set the prices of eBooks themselves, rather than letting Amazon (and other eBook retailers) set the prices according to market forces. This often-times results in the eBook version being MORE EXPENSIVE than the paperback version of a given book! This is completely ridiculous! The publisher has NO costs when it comes to printing an eBook, and extremely low distribution costs (How much does bandwidth cost these days? Most eBooks are less than 1MB in size... Even if the book has to come from a server-farm halfway around the world, it can't cost them more than a couple of cents to transmit the eBook file to Amazon...) So why, then, do these publishers insist on setting prices that are equal to (or even greater than!) the prices of their paper books?! If the eBook publishers would simply allow all eBook retailers to set their own prices, market forces would take over and we'd all be paying what the publishers actually deserve for these eBooks, instead of what they think they can get away with.
Hopefully we can get these eBook publishers to listen to us -- Amazon.com has a HUGE presence in the eBook market, so at the very least they'll listen to Amazon. If Amazon has to stop carrying some publishers' eBooks because those publishers won't allow Amazon to set their own prices, I think we should support that -- send Amazon an e-mail telling them you'd be willing to live without certain publisher's eBooks if it would mean that they'd gain the freedom to set their own prices in the end. I certainly plan to.
At ay rate, even with eBook publishers behaving the way they sometimes do, I'm still thoroughly enjoying my Kindle. I highly recommend it to anyone who enjoys reading!
Product information
| Product Dimensions | 8 x 5.3 x 0.36 inches |
|---|---|
| Item Weight | 10.2 ounces |
| ASIN | B004HFS6Z0 |
| Item model number | D00901 |
| Customer Reviews |
4.5 out of 5 stars |
| Date First Available | April 11, 2011 |
| Manufacturer | Amazon.com |
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Customers say
Customers find this Kindle reader excellent for reading, with a crystal clear screen that's easy to see and operate. They appreciate its portability, noting it fits in purses and is perfect for travel, while also praising its lightweight design and outstanding battery life that recharges in a couple of hours. Customers consider it well worth the price and a must-have for book lovers.
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5573 customers mention functionality, 5127 positive, 446 negative
Great Product, Great for anyone who likes to read and great for kids to. Does not convert every PDF file yet but the company is working to improve it.Read more
...This way you would know they were coming and would have options. Great device, also the new 79 one does not have a keyboard, I like having a keyboard...Read more
Excellent product! The screen is fantastic! easy to operate, very small and lightweight. Fantastic to read all type of books, notes etc.Read more
I have had my Kindle for about a month now, no problems, works great, the only thing I am not crazy about is the keypad, and how you must do numbers...Read more
4073 customers mention readability, 3742 positive, 331 negative
...It is lightweight and easily portable. The screen is clear and easy to read. The battery lasts a very long time, especially with the WiFi turned off....Read more
...ink looked compared to paper and even in bright sunlight, it was very easy to read. Excellent product and eBooks are even cheaper than paperbacks....Read more
...it weighs nothing, the print is clear and so easy to read, the lack of backlighting makes it readable for hours without any eye strain, and in full...Read more
...is easy to use, books download in a matter of seconds, the screen is easy to read and as others have said you actually forget you're not reading a...Read more
3876 customers mention ease of use, 3614 positive, 262 negative
Easy to use, very compact, longevity of battery is exceptional, plenty of free books to chose from and more affordable prices for current bestsellers.Read more
I just love the Amazon Kindle. It is light weight and very easy to use. Books download instantly. I would highly recommend this product to others.Read more
...I would miss the bound book feeling, but I have to admit that the easy, lightweight and immediate availbility of books has put my bound-book worries...Read more
...the prices on the Amazon kindle store are very reasonable, and the ease of use of the Kindle makes reading more fun, comfortable, and highly portable...Read more
2807 customers mention portability, 2707 positive, 100 negative
...Its light, small, portable and usable in sunlight. And perhaps if you're like me, you'll still enjoy the feeling of good paper book from time to time.Read more
It's great. It's light, easy to carry, I can read whenever I want. I can read it literally anywhere, inside or outside, except in the dark obviously....Read more
This reader is wonderful. It fits in my purse, I don't have to figure out what to do with the books - as I live in a very small house, and I have a...Read more
...I have also read 2,000+/- pages of non-kindle material. The portability, ease of use, and ability to read via my phone, pc, laptop, and desktop pc...Read more
2746 customers mention weight, 2600 positive, 146 negative
Light, practical. Its like having thousands of libraries in your hand. Great design, and the WI-FI features make it even better. STRONGLY RECOMMENDED.Read more
The kindle is lightweight and I love being able to enlarge the print. You must get a kindle cover with the light option, another $60.00 but worth it.Read more
I just love the Amazon Kindle. It is light weight and very easy to use. Books download instantly. I would highly recommend this product to others.Read more
I do love my kindle, i love that is very light so it doesn't matter if i'm reading a book with 2000 pages, i love that it allows me to save trees, i...Read more
2664 customers mention value for money, 2282 positive, 382 negative
...I'll be getting her the "Special-Offer Kindle" at $114 - GREAT price, and some of the offers I've seen have been good enough to make me jealous and...Read more
...That alone is worth the money! I like the ability to increase the font and the lighter colored page makes reading easier. I require reading lenses....Read more
The product is well worth the money. You have many choices of books to read at a very low price. I would recommend this to anyone who loves to read.Read more
...several months since I bought that product, but I think if was worth every penny. Especially with all those local bookstores closing. Who knows?...Read more
2022 customers mention reading experience, 1948 positive, 74 negative
This device is great for reading. I have the new iPad, but for reading books the kindle is far superior. Unfortunately the screen is very fragile....Read more
the new kindle is a great way to read and store all your reading material..my wife never read that much because she didnt like to carry books...Read more
...All in all its AWESOME and perfect for reading, which is what I use it for. Hope this helps people looking to get into the Kindle market...Read more
...During the 3 weeks that it did work, it was great. It's just like reading a book except you can read it outside in the bright sunshile and you can...Read more
1993 customers mention battery life, 1693 positive, 300 negative
Good product. I really like the long battery life. The wireless could be a bit stronger. Navigation for books is good, but not so good for the web.Read more
...The Kindle beats the competition in pretty much every respect: battery life, weight, price, screen contrast, page turn speed, store selection......Read more
...Battery life is great, the display is wonderful, and I have had no problems since i purchased last month, I dont use it for the internet just reading...Read more
...lighter weight than most other devices. Great battery life! One drawback we did notice... There are several preset screensavers....Read more
I was a K1 user waiting for this (K1 vs K3)
So I had the first gen Kindle (I know, I know, I should have waited for the kinks to get worked out) Anyway, I loved loved loved my K1 and was heartbroken when it recently died on me (I literally used it everyday) So now I have the K3 and there are some considerable changes from K1 to K3 so I will do the rundown for those who were a K1 thinking about upgrading: Contrast: amazing when comparing the two, it almost makes the K1 look a little blurry. Battery: well, I haven't had it the month but I've been using the WiFi almost non stop and have used only a quarter of the battery. K1 would be dead in about oh 2 days. Text to speech: got to tell you this is pretty cool K1 doesn't have this feature at all and to have it now is neat (think like reading you a bedtime story) I will say this that if you use it on the default and not a slower speech it seems to skip words or breaks in paragraphs kind of jolting to me but I still enjoy the feature. Page turning: Mega fast that's all I can say. Sleep mode: on K1 you press Alt and the font size button to put to sleep a little annoying but not terrible however, on K3 it's a very easy slip of the slide button. Memory: okay no SD slot but 4 gigs is plenty really. Digital time: need I say more? Page Buttons: it takes a little getting used to I wish they were a little bigger but there is absolutely no accidental page turning and they are on both sides which is great because I'm a lefty. Downloading books: WiFi is faster than Whispernet not that it was ever slow unless you have a lot of content to download. Internet: it's a great feature but I didn't have my hopes up about it mainly because it's not color which is fine but with e-ink it makes it hard to read right off and it's a bit slow to navigate the zoom in feature but it wasn't a deal breaker. Buttons: ok they are smaller but easily navigated, I do however miss the number buttons you have to hit Sym now to access on screen. Wheel: no more wheel! I love the cell phone type button square (so sorry I don't know what to call it) it's so easy to use, there is also no silver strip and I don't even miss it! It shows that it's working up in the left hand corner with a moving circle. Nice! Size: it fits well in the hand and is considerably thinner than K1 which also takes a bit of adjustment. I like it though I can fit it into any of my purses now. Overall feel: it doesn't feel like it will slip out of your hand (neither did K1 because of the rubber like back but K2 is slippery I tested a friends) Color: I got the graphite after having the white for so long it's a welcome change and won't look dingy in a year. Folders for your content: I so wished for this on K1 and now it's here I love that I can sort my collections into groups of my choosing, it makes finding your faves or the new stuff you haven't read yet easier if you group it that way. Password: you can password protect, I like it because if God forbid I lose it or it's stolen I can protect my account till I can deactivate or just keep out the nosy. Overall I really love the new device and I can gush about it till the cows come home and then some. But what I really want to say is that the Kindle was the best money I ever spent when it was $359 and it's the happiest and best ever spent at $139. Enjoy.
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