Do I or don't I?
The Kindle......the thing that made me dance around my living room like a ten year old child! As many of you may (or may not) know, reading is my hobby and I spend an awful lot of my time and money on it. My current reading rate averages around 3 books a week so as you can imagine there are an awful lot of books hanging around my house, much to my husband's amusement (and dismay)! When the Kindle was launched I was hooked on reading all about its capabilities as well as people's reviews once they had purchased one. Was this finally the answer to my prayers? After reading and debating, reading and debating, I decided to hold fire (which I can assure you was not easy). Finally, the decision has been taken out of my hands and the new Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi was brought for me (hence the dancing).
What's it all about?
In a word the Kindle is like a walking library. Its an electronic E Reader so you download books onto the reader and have the capability to store them as well as lots of other things on it too (more on that below). Amazon has cornered the market as they are the only distributers of the Kindle, although you can purchase from John Lewis as well as the Amazon website. The one I have got is the Amazon Kindle with 3G + Wi-Fi and is better known as the 3rd generation of Kindle. This was released in July 2010 and is most recent release. The other option is to buy the cheaper Kindle which has Wi-Fi, but not 3G. The price is the most obvious with the Kindle Wi-Fi coming in at £111 and the Kindle 3G Wi-Fi being £152.00.
What's so special about it?
The Kindle is a little different from all the latest technology gadgets including PDA's and tablets because it doesn't use traditional LCD methods to display text and graphics. The Kindle uses E Ink which has many benefits including reducing glare, clearer text and images and is less of a strain on the eye as the screen looks more like `real paper' than if you were reading from a traditional screen. By the way the `real paper' line was their comparison, not mine! It definitely looks different to a traditional LCD screen, but I think saying it looks like `real paper' is maybe a stretch of the imagination.
One of the most special things about the Kindle for me is the weight of it. It weighs in at a mere 247grams which is a lot easier to transport and carry as opposed to the (sometimes very heavy) hardbacks that I get regularly. You get free 3g wireless and Wi-Fi which gives you the capability to download books and shop straight from the Amazon store via your Kindle with no additional connection charges. With this version you can also use and download to your Kindle all across the Globe, again with no additional charges.
The Kindle will hold up to 3,500 books which is pretty staggering. It's also not limited to books; you can download UK and International Newspapers, as well as magazines and blogs. The capability of the Kindle is pretty amazing. I realised it held books and publications but was surprised to realise that it also will hold quite a few other document types for you including PDF, HTML, TXT and a whole host of others. This can be done by simply plugging your kindle into your computer with the USB lead. It also has a built in dictionary, bookmarks and annotations as well as a `read to me' feature which translates text to speech.
So... I Opened the box...
When I opened the box to my new Kindle if I am being totally honest I was a little let down. All that was in the box was the Kindle itself, a wall powered charger and a USB lead. Then I realised that I was being silly, this is exactly what I needed. Something simple that does the job, no more books strewn across the house, no more being squashed on the train whilst trying to stand as well as read a huge hardback book. THIS I decided must be the answer to my prayers.
I charged the Kindle fully and then switched it on using the slide button at the bottom for the very first time. It loaded within a matter of seconds and the Wi-Fi and 3G signs appeared promptly at the top of the screen. On the Kindle, the majority of it is taken up with the screen and at the bottom you have a `keyboard' so to speak and it's pretty simple to work out. Aside from all the letter keys you have a Menu, Home and Back button as well as a square button with 4 direction arrows. In addition you have a button which says `Aa'. This is a simple button you use to increase the font size. This is such a handy feature for those that have difficulty with their vision. The Kindle was up and running and I was rearing to go!
So...Did I break it?
I have a tendency to not bother reading instructions and to steam straight in to `new' things. The upside is that you learn really quickly what not to do, and the downside is that occasionally (only once in my case) you could potentially break something. With the Kindle I would think (short of hurling it at a brick wall) they are very difficult to `break'. At the bottom of the Kindle is a button you slide which sends your Kindle to sleep. When it is sent to sleep a screensaver will appear and stay there until you wake it back up. The screensaver will be different each time you send the Kindle to sleep but you have no control over what the screensaver is. To shut your Kindle down completely you need to hold the button to one end for a few moments so the machine powers down completely.
With my Kindle wide awake and ready to use, I hit the Menu button and saw just how straightforward this was going to be. One thing to note is that when you buy a Kindle, it will automatically be registered in the name of the person who brought it. This is simple enough to change, you just de-register the device and re-register it (straight from the Kindle) and you just enter your own Amazon account details. Once I had done this my Kindle showed my account name at the top of my screen and I was ready to download my first book. Of course because this was my new play toy I just had to do it straight from the Kindle which was so simple it was ridiculous.
With the Wi-Fi capability you can access the Amazon store directly from your Kindle with no additional charges. Now don't get carried away, you cannot go surfing the net for hours at Amazon's expense, all you can do is access the Amazon store and search and immediately download all sorts of books or magazines for your Kindle. I instantly downloaded a few books and then stopped short when I realised I wasn't actually paying attention to the price (more on that...don't get me started). Once I had done what was needed to download my books, I chose to switch my Wireless off. The reasoning for this is all to do with battery life. With my wireless switched off Amazon claim that my battery life is one month, but with it switched on a mere 10 days. I have so far had the Kindle for two weeks and have got to around the halfway mark, so it seems that Amazon's claims are true.
But it's NOT real paper
Having read soooooo many reviews on the Kindle before buying it I must have read hundreds of people's gripes with the Kindle. One particular gripe had me chuckling, as the reviewer stated "turning the page produces an alarming flashing effect". I can only say that in my opinion this is not true. When you use the page turn buttons (back and forth), which are located on both sides of the screen (caters for both left and right-handed), it `flicks' to the next screen. If I am being honest using an E Reader is different to reading from a paper book, but in theory it takes less time to `turn the page' electronically than it does physically with a normal book. After reading the first few pages, and fiddling with the font size until I was happy, it was plain sailing and just takes a little getting used to.
What's the bad news?
Overall the good outweighs the bad in my opinion, having said that the down sides are irritating for me. Like I said before I can read up to 4 books a week and I pre-order maybe 60-70 books a year. When you search for books for your Kindle on Amazon, you will find that not all authors will be available. Not all publishers are signing their authors up for E Books but I am hoping that over time this will increase along with the Kindle's popularity. Even when I find authors that are available, it seems that I cannot pre-order months ahead like I currently do. I have found the best way is to check a week before publication of a new book and normally they appear.
The second issue for me is the price of the E Books. There are people that will probably correct me, or moan at me but to be frank I don't care. I have no idea who dictates the prices of E Books, whether it is the publishers or Amazon. All I know is that I think they are ridiculously high, especially when you consider Amazon/Publishers are saving on printing costs. I understand that they have to be marketed at the correct price to enable authors to make money but I think as they stand now they are over the top.
As an example, I ordered June Hampson's latest book Dirty Game from Amazon which was released on 17 March 2011. The current price for that book in hardback is £12.34, paperback is £8.44 and the Kindle version is £6.99. Normally I would have ordered the paperback version and as a Prime Member would have received free postage. I would have read the book by the end of March and then re-sell it for probably £7.50. This is how I read and the re-sell books. It means I can order new books, read them and re-sell them so the cost of that book would have been less than £1. Stupidly I ordered the Kindle version (this was the over-excitement when I first got it), and I am lumbered with an E book that once read I cannot re-sell.
I think the prices of E Books need to be reduced vastly and I am hoping that over time they will be brought down in price. £100 plus is a lot of money to lay out, to then have to pay £7 for newly published books.
My solution is that I will read both standard paper books as well as my Kindle. For newly published books I will purchase them in paper, and for the older books I will buy them on my Kindle as they seem to be more reasonably priced.
The only other bad news in my eyes is the price to purchase a cover! (Don't ask I am in a serious strop about this). Amazon wanted £50 for a Kindle cover with a light built in! YES I SAID £50! That's disgraceful pricing, especially when the light that is built in with their cover draws power from your Kindle. For those that really want to splash the cash there are covers that are in excess of that so knock yourself out, if paying that sort of money is no issue. For me it certainly is, I wanted something durable and reasonably priced. Thankfully, other companies got straight on the bandwagon and I managed to purchase a snazzy pink cover (which also has a stand in the back) and a separate light for the total sum of £24.
Finally
I know, I know it's a very long review, but reading is my `thing' and the Kindle is the latest and greatest in the world of E Reading. I know that some people have their I Phones glued to them at all times but I am not one of those people. Other people want the I Pad or other devices where you can read as well as access the internet. Quite frankly I am not concerned whether I access the internet or multi-task so that while I am doing one thing I can `check my emails' or something equally as boring. I am aware that people have different needs and mine is a book, nothing else on my travels but a book. If anything I don't want access to emails, the internet or anything else remotely related to work. My reading is my sanctuary and the Kindle is my perfect companion. Being the 3rd Generation, there will no doubt be a newer and better version along, but for now this is my must have item at all times. There are still plenty of improvements that can be made (I would love to see colour version of the Amazon Kindle Store) and no doubt we will see in the future but for now this fits the bill perfectly.
Customers say
Customers find this Kindle device to be a fantastic e-reader that is easy to use and read, with good battery life and portability that makes it convenient for travel. They appreciate its lightweight design and consider it great value for money, noting they can save on books. The device's reliability receives mixed feedback, with some customers reporting it works well while others say it stopped working shortly after purchase.
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4318 customers mention device quality, 4155 positive, 163 negative
...Still it's a great product, convenient and even fun to use. Love the quickness of the downloads and the many free or discounted books available.Read more
...Great device, worked flawlessly out of the box, and it was already personalized with my Amazon Kindle account that I set up when I purchased it....Read more
The Kindle is great. Light, easy to handle. Holds a charge for a week or more. Only two problems of note: (1) Light should be included internally....Read more
...I didn't think I would like this device so much. Great reader, simple to use...not all ebooks are text to speech enabled, finally figured that out...Read more
3851 customers mention ease of use, 3592 positive, 259 negative
Easy to use right out of the box...A Kindle is something you don't really think you need,but once you have it you don't know how you lived without it.Read more
...He says it has great battery life, is very easy to use. And the books are reasonably priced. I would reccomend it for anyone who loves to read.Read more
...Page turns were quick and w/o drama, navigation was logical and easy, readability was easier to stay with for hours than on my backlit alternatives....Read more
...The lack of "blue light" is easy on the eyes, so your eyes won't feel burnt out like they do when you stare at a computer screen for too long...Read more
2958 customers mention readability, 2676 positive, 282 negative
I have really enjoyed my new Kindle. It is easy to read, easy to navigate and when I want something new it easily connects to Amazon. Great product.Read more
...But I adjusted very quickly. The Kindle is very easy to read...it does not put stress on the eyes like when you are reading some books....Read more
My kindle 3G makes book reading more enjoyable and easier to read. I spend as much time reading books on my Kindle as i do researching on my computer.Read more
I am enjoying my Kindle! So easy to read and everything downloads in seconds! Wish I had this years ago because my bookshelves are so full!...Read more
2312 customers mention portability, 2245 positive, 67 negative
I love my Kindle. I like that it is portable, lightweight, easy to navigate and read. I appreciate the Whispernet's instant downloads - 3G or WiFi....Read more
...I love it. It is so easy to hold, it fits in my purse so I have something to turn to if I have to wait somewhere, and everything about it works well....Read more
...Other than ease of use and portability my favorite things are: the ability to sample any book before buying, the built in dictionary and the ability...Read more
...Kindle is the best thing yet.....goes with me everywhere.....is so easy to carry and easy to use......lots of options and saves money in the long run.Read more
2147 customers mention weight, 2012 positive, 135 negative
Light and very handy, long battery life. The only setback is it doesn't have a good filing system. I wish I can organize my books and pdf accordingly.Read more
...everthing I was counting on in an electronic reader; convenience, lightweight, rapid loading, easy reading fonts and reasonable prices for books.Read more
...I love how the Kindle is light weight and thin. It fits perfect in my purse. I've had it for more than a month and I haven't had one problem with it....Read more
...two months and it is awesome, it has everything good in a book but lighter and more fun the battery is really great too .. but you'll have to get it...Read more
2018 customers mention value for money, 1677 positive, 341 negative
...For this reason alone, the Kindle was worth every penny. The reason I did not give this product 5 stars is because of the battery life....Read more
This is my first e-reader and I love it great price and perfect conditions, the shipping was on time with no damages with my e-book order already in...Read more
...My daughter loves hers and says it is addicting. Well worth the money and I can buy a lot of books for the amount I saved by not buying the other one.Read more
...you can purchase with the built in light make this absolutely worth the money. This is by far one of the best purchases I have made in a long time....Read more
1727 customers mention battery life, 1270 positive, 457 negative
Light and very handy, long battery life. The only setback is it doesn't have a good filing system. I wish I can organize my books and pdf accordingly.Read more
Yep, all the reviews are true. It works great. Everything from the battery life to easy using menues, downloads...great option for those on the go.Read more
...books, you can't use the Amazon Prime book loans, and the battery doesn't last as long, but the thing is *vastly* more reliable overall than the...Read more
...like on my Fire, so I can read for hours when flying etc. great battery life no fingerprints from page turning no screen that ca...Read more
2125 customers mention reliability, 1174 positive, 951 negative
Yep, all the reviews are true. It works great. Everything from the battery life to easy using menues, downloads...great option for those on the go.Read more
...But, about a week ago, it glitched and stopped working. Though, for how many times I have dropped it and how long, it has been absolutely awesome. ^_^Read more
...The latest generation Kindle is beautiful, works well, and provides the best pure reading experience from all devices out there, and in my opinion...Read more
...The current one is acting the same way as the previous one: unreliable. I never know when it won't open to the book that I am reading....Read more
A Hop, a Leap, and a Bound from the Kindle 1!
I had a very good relationship with my Kindle 1 and was unsure if a newer generation Kindle would ever win me over. Sure the K1 had its quirks but the thing had stolen my heart so much so that its grievances hardly bothered me. It was not until I realized how many hoops the Amazon team jumped through to get the K3 ready for the dog and pony show that I was convinced. I then did the very hard thing of looking at my K1 with a critical eye and recognizing the innovations that had been made on its new cousin. Below is a summary of the highlights and the lowlights of Amazon's efforts with the K3... (To skip to the main points, simply read the headers of each section.) THE GOODS: Text as Crisp and Pristine as Ever- Book readers and K1 veterans alike will notice the sharpness of the K3's text. One side effect of the K1 text was the fact that the edges of letters had a slight fuzziness to them and were a little on the skinny side. This is certainly not the case with the K3's text...its big, its bold, and its beautiful. Funny enough, I even encounter the mythical "read faster" effect on the K3 because the font is so easy on the eyes. Ferrari Page Turn and Interface Speeds- The K1's speed could be best compared to that of turning a page on an actual book. Sure that may be decent but it is only natural to expect our technology to be more responsive than their real life counterparts. The duration of the classic e-reader flash is incredibly short on the K3 and should jar those who disliked it on the K1 much less. However, the star of the speed category should not only be awarded to the page turns, but the interface speed itself. I hardly notice any delay when moving the cursor around or using the menus on the K3. From a Respectable Middleweight to a Light as Air Featherweight- The K1 was hardly a brick in the hand even after outfitting it with a cover. However, the minute you popped the thing in your pack you would feel that you added on some undesired weight. The K3 has gone on quite the diet and rests like a feather on the hand. Covered or uncovered, you will not notice it at all in your carrying case. I swear one of these days I'll have forgotten which bag I put it in heh... Still the Same Great Selection- The Amazon store always manages to stock any book I'm looking for. While there will be a few select instances where one obscure novel or another has not had the Kindle treatment, pretty much any mainstream book in existence is still 60 seconds away. Also the great thing to keep in mind is all the free books at your finger tips. You're guaranteed to find almost any 100 year old public domain classic either within the Amazon catalogue or other great sources. The only irksome quality about the store itself is that it only sells the Kindle proprietary format, as that is the only type of ebook that can be read by the Kindle...I will cover more on this later. Wonderful Wi-Fi- While I did chuck up the extra dough to get the free 3G coverage, I knew I would primarily start utilizing the Wi-Fi feature. Hooking up to the home wireless was a breeze and many out there who settled for the $139 Wi-Fi only Kindle will not be disappointed. So far it doesn't seem to suck up the battery like the 3G might and the connection is as reliable as the Wi-Fi on my laptops. Enjoying Wi-Fi on your K3 may take a bit of tech-savviness though, especially if someone other than you set up your router and put a password on your network. Other than that, you should be hooked up fairly quickly after a simple brushing up on the basics of wireless connectivity. THE BADS: Memory Card Slot Axed- Some ebook/media hoarders will be angry that the memory card slot was axed. 3,500 books is more than enough for me but I can certainly understand that my needs do not reflect everyone else's needs. Memory cards also serve as a nice physical backup of content as well. I even know of some folks who categorized their K1 books via memory card to compensate for the lack of the K2/K3 collections feature. While those who took the plunge to purchase the K2 got over the demolition of this nice feature, I still believe in the future Kindle generations to come, a memory card slot should return. Lackluster Web Browser- The web browser on the K3 is still on the sluggish side unlike the other speedy interfaces on the device. I never bought the K3 thinking I'd use it for web browsing but several people still desire a Swiss Army knife quality to their gadgets. Those who are picturing their decent Blackberry browsers, neat Iphone/Ipad browsers, or similar things will probably be disappointed upon looking at this. As I said earlier though, this was never a biggie to me and at the end of the day the most use the browser on the K3 will get from me is for emergency internet access. PDF Viewing Still Leaves Alot to Be Desired- While I do appreciate Amazon's efforts to correct PDF viewing on the Kindle, its still not simple and snappy enough to leave me satisfied. The zoom feature is utterly essential and does great in a pinch but the fact still remains, that if a PDF is not properly formatted for the Kindle, it will look terrible. Thankfully I am aware of the techniques to easily accomplish this task or if I'm lazy can email a file to Amazon to let them have a go at it. However, many out there who simply want a device where they can pop a file on it and be done with it, will be quite disappointed. Another grievance regarding PDF viewing is that auto-rotation, while present on the Kindle DX, is not included on the K3...meaning that you have to open up another menu when you want to view something in landscape. Still No ePub Support- Though there are several programs which can correct the pitfall of no ePub support on Kindles (Calibre or Mobipocket Creator for example), the fact still remains that there is no native support for ePub. Even with software solutions, DRMs can get in the way in which case there is no chance at all for you to convert your favorite ebook to Kindle format (legally that is). However, it may not be fair to point the finger at Amazon regarding this issue. Most of the e-readers on the market are limiting the format of books they can recognize to their own proprietary formats. At the end of the day, this "bad" can pretty much apply to most of the e-readers on the market in general. Unfortunately there is only so much that can be covered in a review and the K3 bears other numerous improvements that I did not mention (TTS integration, quieter page turns, longer battery life, etc.) At the end of the day, the breakdown above should generally give you an idea of what was done successfully or unsuccessfully on Amazon's newest Kindle. Whether you are still an eternal lover of the printed page or a K1 oldie hesitant to give up on a good thing, the K3 will improve your reading experience and then some.
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 9, 2012
