Kindle

[Malcor Sylverwood]

I know this will sound like heresy to many people...but if something like Amazon's Kindle comes down in price a fair amount...I may not buy real books as a habit any more...

-Malcor "Not sold...yet" Sylverwood

[sir archely]

I think i'm in the same boat as Malcor on this one, and i'm curious to hear what people think of this thing. Here's linkage for the sub-rock dwellers.

On one hand, i'm a total bibliophile. I love the feel of a book, the smell of a book, etc. I read books over and over, and just having them in hand is highly enjoyable to me.

On the other hand, i loves me some good technology, and i've been waiting for something of this nature to come out basically my entire life. The idea of being able to hold 1500 books (enough for an exceptional private library) in the palm of my hand makes me downright giddy. Honestly, it makes me think of this. oddly enough, the add showing for me on that page is of... yup, a Kindle.

I think i'm probably more sold than not at this point, but i'd love for some competition to bring refinement and pricing down.

[Buck]

My brother has one, and he's always trying to get me to get one or use his. The obvious pros and cons aside, I'd highly recommend actually finding someone who has one and asking them to lend it to you for an afternoon. Personally, I loath the button layout and the way the Kindle feels in my hands. It's far too delicate and if you don't hold the sides gingerly, you'll hit the next page button along the side by mistake. The Amazon logo across the front of it really distracted from whatever I was reading. I can do with adverts, but I am just not used to seeing them while I read a "book".


I'm extremely biased however. I enjoy the weight of a proper book as well as the satisfaction of clutch a closed book after having finished reading it. You will have to pry inked up tree carcass from my cold, dead hands.

[Malcor Sylverwood]

It's far too delicate and if you don't hold the sides gingerly, you'll hit the next page button along the side by mistake.

They say that with the new model, Kindle 2 (how's that for an original name?), that this should be less of a problem. Until I get my hands on one though, I can't say if they mean it or not.

The Amazon logo across the front of it really distracted from whatever I was reading. I can do with adverts, but I am just not used to seeing them while I read a "book".

True, it would be better if it said "Don't Panic"...

-Malcor "Arthur" Sylverwood

[Amos]

Hmm. I know I want one, but I don't think I want this one. The 3G is useless to non-Americans for a start, and it does look pretty awkward to handle. Also it doesn't say whether or not you can use usb flash drives, so I'm guessing not. No slots for memory sticks either. Some sort of screen cover would also be good, to keep it from being damaged, and speaking of the screen, it's friggin black and white. Since when were we living in the Dark Ages again?

There's already a few alternatives, so finding one that's better shouldn't be a problem. Sony's PRS-700 looks pretty awesome, despite also lacking colour.

[Malcor Sylverwood]

No, no memory slot. You can transfer files from a pc or mac through USB though. The protective case is, of course, sold seperately. And 3G isn't a problem here...

Otherwise, technologically, the don't seem much different. The difference looks to be the library, at least what Amazon claims to have. And I know that they keep track of what you've purchased so you can download it again.

Anyway, it's all still above the price range that I'm willing to shell out at the moment...heh.

-Malcor "Poor college student" Sylverwood

[sir archely]

and speaking of the screen, it's friggin black and white. Since when were we living in the Dark Ages again?

... despite also lacking colour.

I would guess that the lack of color has to do with the way text is rendered. This is not your average LCD screen, but in fact electronic ink. This is what makes the display much more paper-like than a typical LCD screen, much easier on the eyes, and helps with the elimination of glare, allowing you to read in the sun much as you would read a normal dead tree page in the sun.

The limitation right now is, of course, that you are limited to a black or white showing.

[Buck]

The main advantage of electronic ink is that once the screen has been refreshed to the next page it requires ZERO power to keep it showing. Power is only expended when you change the page or if you are surfing through the index or catalog and the CPU is active. Color isn't an option. The background is a dull grey and text and pictures are black, it behaves a lot like a hi-resolution Etch-a-sketch.

Not sure if there is a back light or not, I'd assume there is, but you don't need it to read the pages. It's like reading paper... (albeit ugly gray paper within an oddly shaped plastic shell).

They say that with the new model, Kindle 2 (how's that for an original name?), that this should be less of a problem. Until I get my hands on one though, I can't say if they mean it or not.

Kindle 2? Pffft, how sad. Even if it was perfect I wouldn't buy it out of protest for the name alone.
I really can not emphasize enough try-before-buy for this sort of device.

True, it would be better if it said "Don't Panic"...

-Malcor "Arthur" Sylverwood

I said the same thing to my brother. I even offered to whip it up on his label maker, but he got wide eyed at the thought that I'd tarnish his precious Kindle (with the Amazon logo...).

*shakes his head*



Does the Kindle have any competition or is it a unique beast?

[sir archely]

Not sure if there is a back light or not, I'd assume there is, but you don't need it to read the pages. It's like reading paper... (albeit ugly gray paper within an oddly shaped plastic shell).

nope, no backlight. I don't think it works with the e-ink. you have to have a separate light source just like a regular book.

Does the Kindle have any competition or is it a unique beast?

i didn't know of any competition, but the link amos posted is one i guess. that one has a "built-in LED" which doesn't sound like a back light.


And i forgot to mention the thing that has me the most uncomfortable with these things, and that's the fact that we really haven't come to a consensus on any sort of realistic DRM. buying a real book allows me to lend the thing out. obviously lending/copying is going to be some sort of issue.

[Eyreplenh]

You will have to pry inked up tree carcass from my cold, dead hands.

This is where I stand to. I loves my books.

Unfortunately this is where I stand on movies and music as well. Probably things like this (as well as downloadingn music and movies) are way more energy-efficient in the long term, and really I should be pro that. This deficiency does make me the most popular guy on the block whenever someone wants to borrow something though.

Also, any bad jokes from the creators/publishers (aka iTunes you cannot buy this cuz... you're in the wrong place!) will make an eventual purchase even more far-fetched. I'll perch on this lovely, if pointy, fence a while longer.

[Amos]

i didn't know of any competition

eSlick Reader
jetBook
iRex iLiad

And i forgot to mention the thing that has me the most uncomfortable with these things, and that's the fact that we really haven't come to a consensus on any sort of realistic DRM. buying a real book allows me to lend the thing out. obviously lending/copying is going to be some sort of issue.

The foxit reader (first of the 3 links) seems more geared towards opensource, running on Linux. In any case there's bound to be programs to strip eBooks of DRM just as with other media, so I doubt sharing would really be a problem (unless your friends didn't actually have eBook Readers of their own, which is far more likely given how expensive they are).

What I would also like to see is a non-portable version of the same thing, with a larger screen and more harddisk space, to replace my sleepy old bookcase. As much as I love bookcases and lovely big libraries full of real books... well, I can live without them.

[dark fuschia]

OOOOOH I really REALLY like the idea. I am waiting though until time has ironed out the kinks. I am like arch, I think I have been waiting for something like this since the first day I could read. Although I imagiend something more like a projection on my cieling, which I could control with the blink of an eye, or perhaps even the merest thought of "Turn the page". I was a science fiction afficionado at the age of five and didn't even know. All thanks to my inherent laziness.

I do think there will be really annoying quirks about it for quite some time. I have a nightmare of a time with my sony mp3 player, which is awesome on the hardware front, making a great sound, but nightmarish on the software side of things, to the point where I dread changing my music selection because of the ridiculous ammount of time it consumes. All this, I imagine, is because I am slowly being driven towards purchasing one song at a time online. But I like buying cds and converting them. I actually purchase all my music as cds, and it pisses me off that I should still be subject to ridiculous hoops to jump through to encript my music when I want to put it on my mp3 player. I paid for it already! The future was supposed to make things easier, not harder that way it has. (Don't even get me started on artists who protect their cds so you can't rip from them. I have unknowingly purchased a number of these cds when I had no cd player at all and only relied on my mp3 player. We HATES you Missy Higgins and Cat Empire) I miss the drop and drag days so much. Anyway I percieve similar problems with the Kindle and all its spawn...

HMMM I have to add with pride, Australia has a kick ass 3G network now... not only America. It's the Telstra in me, I just can't let that one slide... *grin*

[Amelia]

I dont think I will buy one, firstly becuase its too damn expensive, plus you have to buy the "books" seperately and second and most importantly, I love the feel, touch, smell of books, like most comments here and thirdly I lose my cell phone often, I cant imagine losing a kindle. eeesh!

I do think that if I knew somebody who had one I would ask if I could borrow it just to see what its like but I dont know anybody who does.

[Buck]

So, you don't want a Kindle b/c you'd lose it. But you're ok with borrowing someone else's Kindle and losing theirs?

Sheesh, remind me to never lend you anything. Silly goose

[Amelia]

So, you don't want a Kindle b/c you'd lose it. But you're ok with borrowing someone else's Kindle and losing theirs?

Sheesh, remind me to never lend you anything. Silly goose

Shnookums you really need to listen better! **toussels buckys hair**

I wouldnt mind borrrowing somebodys kindle to see what its like but I would be so worried of loosing it, I prolly wouldnt. If I had one I would worry about losing it because i seem to have misplaced alot of phones of late.