Gadget!!!!!!!!

[Tattoo Bradley]

Wouldn't e-books hurt your eyes after awhile,\? I mean it is a screen that you are looking at.

That's part of the beauty of the device. It uses "e-ink technology" with no back light, so it's essentially as if you're reading paper.

[Tattoo Bradley]

[Tattoo Bradley]

Sooooo.....

I've had the Kindle for just over 24 hrs now.

Initial thoughts:

The flaws others have noted are certainly there.
-The book cover doesn't have a great holding mechanism
-finding a natural resting position for the hands, without inadvertantly bumping the next/previous buttons is a little odd at first. I quickly found a comfortable postion for my hands/thumbs using the bookcover
-The bookcover inadvertanly engages the scroll wheel clicker function. I'm planning a trip to Home Depot in search of "felt pads" (the sort of thing you place on the bottom of lamps, electronic appliances, furniture to prevent scratching of wood surfaces ie. tables and flooring) from the advice of a previous consumer. It looks like it will work nicely.

These are the only flaws I've found, and they're all related to the physical portion of the cover. The only flaw not related, is just more of an "annoyance" to me rather than a flaw. The first book I purchased was a $0.99 Kindle version of The Complete Works of Robert Burns: Containing his Poems, Songs, and Correspondance. I'd been meaning to order the print version, and will now. However, I couldn't help myself, and at that price?? Anyhow, the way this particular edition, in it's e-book form is laid it does not allow the reader to navigated easily through the material. For example, I can't point the device at To a Louse and be sent there. From what I can see it's all done via page turns. This isn't the standard, as I've found the navigation better in other e-books. I think the conversion was flubbed somewhere, thus the $0.99 price tag. Were it a novel, the problem wouldn't be a problem at all. But being a collection, I would certainly like the ability to jump from poem to poem at will.

I also immediately signed up for a Kindle Edition subscription to The Boston Globe. One of the things I most looked forward to was being able to have this paper "delivered" to me each morning. As Amazon boasts, The Globe was there for me bright and early. I was anxious to see how it held up to the print or online version. In my opinion it hit right on the mark. I want the news, and the news is what I got. There are some pictures, but all of the advertiements and other unwanteds are not there. Brilliant. I was also happy with the way the newspaper navigation is set up. By use of the wheel the user has the option to see the full article list, the sections list, make clippings of interesting material, bookmarks etc. It's fantastic. It's a morning routine in the making.

I'm currently reading a hardback edition of Stephen King's The Stand. I had told myself I would NOT by a novel on the Kindle until I was finished with that. However, I have been using the Kindle's option to receive a free sample of whatever I please (generally the first chapter or two.) I've never read Hemingway, but have always been fascinated with his legendary status. So, I pulled a free sample of The Old Man and the Sea. After reading the first chapter, it looks like I may become one of those readers with two or three books going at once after all.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the Kindle. In less than a full day I was competely captivated with it. The beauty, as many others have stated, is that you forget it's there. It does it's job: it allows the author to take you into their world. Fantastic.

I'll also be the first to admit the $400 price tag is pretty high at the moment. However, all the data useage is figured into that, so it's really all in perception. I'm happy with the money spent. But, you all know my stance on electronics and/or media.

[Yaish]

Again for me, it's just too damn big. It won't fit in a pocket, it won't fit in a sporran, and it looks like you ideally need two hands to hold it. Not really conducive to long term reading.

The wireless feature doesn't really appeal to me either. My PDA holds hundreds of books, so I never find myself in the middle of nowhere without a book to read. Usually I will have seven or eight books on tap to start reading as soon as I finish one.

I'm glad you like it, but until it becomes as convenient to read as a real paperback and is more moderately priced it will never take off with the general public. They'll get the early adopters and techie crowd, but it won't expand much beyond that.

[Tattoo Bradley]

Again for me, it's just too damn big. It won't fit in a pocket, it won't fit in a sporran, and it looks like you ideally need two hands to hold it. Not really conducive to long term reading.

The wireless feature doesn't really appeal to me either. My PDA holds hundreds of books, so I never find myself in the middle of nowhere without a book to read. Usually I will have seven or eight books on tap to start reading as soon as I finish one.

I'm glad you like it, but until it becomes as convenient to read as a real paperback and is more moderately priced it will never take off with the general public. They'll get the early adopters and techie crowd, but it won't expand much beyond that.

It's the size of MANY paperbacks, and lighter and thinner. So, the size is not an issue. I don't carry my paperbacks in my sporran, so the fact the kindle won't fit there is not an issue what-so-ever. It absolutely does not require two hands. Actually, I've been using it one handed most of the time. Again, the PDA's backlight, for me and others, is not ideal for reading for long term. Also, back to the size, the PDA screen is also much too small for real reading, IMO. Which points back to why the size of the Kindle. Also, until this past week, it was sold out since November. That tells me there's some interest. The wireless is not simply for shopping of books. The big part of the EVDO as opposed to WiFi is the push method of newspaper delivery along with blogs. We just don't look for the same things in a device it seems.

[Yaish]

I'm glad you like the Kindle, especially after spending so much.

I've read about 400 books on my PDA and the backlight never gave me any problems, but that may just be me. The thing I like best about carrying ebooks is that I can carry it with me and read wherever I may be. Long line at the bank? Whip it out.
Waiting for lunch? Whip it out.
Early for your doctors appointment? Whip it out.

Hmm.... maybe telling a bunch of guys in kilts to "whip it out" isn't such a good idea.

[McFarkus]

Sooooo.....

I've had the Kindle for just over 24 hrs now.

Initial thoughts:

The flaws others have noted are certainly there.
-The book cover doesn't have a great holding mechanism
-finding a natural resting position for the hands, without inadvertantly bumping the next/previous buttons is a little odd at first. I quickly found a comfortable postion for my hands/thumbs using the bookcover
-The bookcover inadvertanly engages the scroll wheel clicker function. I'm planning a trip to Home Depot in search of "felt pads" (the sort of thing you place on the bottom of lamps, electronic appliances, furniture to prevent scratching of wood surfaces ie. tables and flooring) from the advice of a previous consumer. It looks like it will work nicely.

I'm absolutely thrilled with the Kindle. In less than a full day I was competely captivated with it. The beauty, as many others have stated, is that you forget it's there. It does it's job: it allows the author to take you into their world. Fantastic.

I'll also be the first to admit the $400 price tag is pretty high at the moment. However, all the data useage is figured into that, so it's really all in perception. I'm happy with the money spent. But, you all know my stance on electronics and/or media.

Thanks for the review - you've convinced me and they're now in stock. There's a review of the book cover here (the first one on the list) http://www.amazon.com/o/ASIN/B000I6P...E99B0V8C058BG2

It says, in part

The Kindle cover is completely, in my opinion, misunderstood by the majority of Kindle owners. Rather than a single star rated piece, I think it is pure genius, and frankly, I use it all the time flawlessly. It is made of leather and has a soft inner gray liner that is easy on the hands. It is very firm and rigid, not at all flimsy. It has a perfect locking system with the gray plastic tab. The corner pieces truly do not hold the device inside, it is the gray plastic middle spine tab that locks without issue on the back of the Kindle. As some have written, you might need to bend the tab on the cover up slightly to get it to engage, but once it clicks into place, it is foolproof. I would have no issues reading the Kindle in the bathtub or on a plane once the tab system is properly engaged; it is a pressure sensitive holding mechanism. Locked properly, pressure from the back cover against the tab and the corner holds the device....

Don't even understand why some write about the rubber band turning on the scroll wheel--the rubber band can easily be wound around either corner, not the entire Kindle cover, and the problem doesn't occur and the cover stays shut. I believe this is the way the Kindle cover band is intended for use. And also, once the Kindle is in sleep mode (Alt-Aa), then hitting the scroll button does not affect the Kindle, waste power, or do any actions anyhow. Admittedly, I do not wish to overhit the scroll buttonj click wheel because of its potential fragility: for this, a small self-adhesive spot of felt on the inside cover (not on the Kindle) has kept the scroll wheel intact and unclicked even when closed....

ADDENDUM: coolreviewer1 says:
Another breakthrough: As you read above, my Kindle, although engaged in the cover as described above with pulled tab, began to fall out more frequently than it did in the past. I needed a solution, and noted that the K sits in the cover, held by the tab, against the leather corners. As I owned the device for just over 2 months, the inner corners stretched slightly and the K would fall out now, esp when I lean it forward to turn wireless on and off.

Solution: I went to art supply store and bought a pack of 3/4 inch round, self adhesive cushions like the type you;d stick on the bottom of a flower vase or something so it would not scratch your tabletop. The one's I purchased were fairly thick--thicker than I thought would work, frankly--and then I scissored them in half (thus, had two half circles) and stuck them on the inside of each of the two inner leather corners. Does that make sense? I stuck them on the inner "wall", if you will, the one by the fold in the overall cover. The Kindle cover is fixed! You cannot see these when the K is in it;s cover, and it again keeps enough pressure that the K stays in the cover well. Frankly, it is a "tighter" feel than even when the cover was new. Key is that the outer (fatter) portion of the Kindle is tapered front to back, and thus what I thought was a relatively thick self-adhesive piece--oh, I don;t know, maybe 1/8-1/4 inches thick, works like a gem. Also, the pads that I bought are actually rubber rat5her than felt, which I think too helps keep steady pressure in the area of need. Give it a whirl.

It's in stock now, and I think I'm going to take the plunge. I tend to read hardbacks anyway, so the fact that it won't fit in my pocket isn't a big deal. One of my biggest problems is the sheer number of books I have and continue to acquire - anywhere from 5 to 10 or more per month. They're stacked everywhere. Having them available digitally would simplify my life no end. I'll probably never give up paper books entirely, but I incredibly intrigued by the Kindle.

[McMurdo]

I just wish this was available in Canada, to me it is very interesting.

[Tattoo Bradley]

I'm glad you like the Kindle, especially after spending so much.

Absolutely. I researched it in GREAT DEPTH before making the move.

Like I stated in my review, I myself will be the first to say the price is "inflated." But, I knew what I was getting and what the price tag was. The price for early adoption. Call me a sucker or what-not. But, I saw it, saw a use in my life for it, and didn't want to sit around waiting for a possible price drop. Gotta pay to play.

[Tattoo Bradley]

I'll probably never give up paper books entirely, but I incredibly intrigued by the Kindle.

Same here. The Kindle just fills a space for me.

....off back to my hardcopy of The Stand.