 | | |
| Kindle: Amazon's Wireless Reading Device | 
 enlarge
| Buy New: $359.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  (based on 4451 reviews)
Sales Rank: 1
Category: Amazon Devices
Publisher: Amazon
Studio: Amazon
Brand: Amazon
Label: Amazon
Color: Bisque
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7
UPC: 892685001003
EAN: 0892685001003
ASIN: B000FI73MA
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 24 hours
|
| Customer Reviews:
 the future is now - be a participant December 13, 2007
35 out of 40 found this review helpful
Two pieces of advice - buy it, use it. I live in Motown (quickly becoming Notown). Kindle proves that there are still brains in this country but that the intellectual center of gravity has shifted west. I made a deal with my 12 year-old son. Cut back on internet computer games to 15 minutes a day and I'll buy you one. He kept his word and has read about 1200 pages in the last five days - all on the Kindle. He's happy. I'm happy. If people think this is a waste (or want to whine) they can stay in the cave and continue to watch reruns of Friends or play World of Warcraft - to each his own. This is one instance in which the technologies of the virtual have brought us back full circle to the real. Kindle deserves recognition as a cultural breakthrough which will lead to even better product. Amazon should team up with Nicholas Negroponte and put one in each child's hands.
Amazing! December 13, 2007
29 out of 46 found this review helpful
Basically I love the Kindle. There are a few things that I would like to see changed: (1) the ON/Off switch and wireless switch moved to the front instead of the back; (2) falls out of book holder frequently, (3) unless you hold it exactly as pictured by the model, you continually accidentally advance pages and don't know where you were reading. Would also like to see a low level backlight option when in areas you unexpectedly need a little light to read!
 DRM, or "Why you should not buy a Kindle" December 12, 2007
55 out of 180 found this review helpful
Imagine you walk into a book store and buy a new paperback. Now imagine the clerk telling you that you can't loan this book to anyone, you do not actually own it, you will probably not be able to read it again in 5-10 years, and the store can take it back at any time they wish.
That sums up DRM, or Digital Rights Management. It is a form of electronic copy protection that makes life difficult for honest folks. The pirates will always have a way around it and have been pirating things electronically for years. DRM does nothing at all to curb piracy.
DRM is why you can't use those songs/movies you bought on iTunes anywhere you want. As a result, sites have begun to sell DRM-Free MP3's. In fact, AMAZON has been promoting this consumer friendly format for their music store, yet go in the complete opposite direction here. WHY? By using DRM on the Kindle, Amazon is essentially saying they do not trust you and think you are a thief.
In a DRM-Free world, you could purchase a book and then read it on your Kindle, or on your PC, or even print out a copy. You could let a freind borrow it, like you can with a real book. You could burn a backup of your library to a CD for future reference. If the Kindle is no longer around in a few years, you'd still have ebooks that you could read on another device. With DRM, your money spent on purchases is lost when the device is no longer available.
Do not support DRM, or products that use DRM. If you buy something, you own it and it should be yours to do with what you wish.
Just what I was looking for December 12, 2007
54 out of 62 found this review helpful
I don't usually write reviews but I purchased this product and wanted to let people know that I love it. I read a LOT of the other reviews and felt it is only fair to post one as someone who has actually purchased this product.
I think by now, by reading about the product and past reviews, we all know what the kindle is capable of. I just wanted to say that I knew full well what I was purchasing when I spent the $399 for this item. It is what it is... an electronic book reader - exactly what I wanted. If I wanted a PDA I would have purchased a PDA. If I wanted an Iphone that is what I would have purchased.
This is a great product that I think will appeal to people who love to read but maybe don't want the extra clutter of books ---- because we all know how that can get out of control!
I hope that the price does come down so that the people who would like one but it is a little out of range will be able to enjoy it as much as I do ( and by reading reviews by people who have made the purchase-- do as well).
I also like that we are seeing Amazon continually add books to their selection. The price for the books is fair considering what you pay for a hardback these days. I did some research a while back and found that other Ebook sellers had prices that were about the same as the price of a hardback book. Many of Amazon's Kindle books are less than $9.99. So I have no problem with that!
Great Product, but problems December 12, 2007
66 out of 69 found this review helpful
I have had my Kindle for a week now, and here are my thoughts on the reader. I love the Kindle for what it is, an ebook reader. I have never had any other, simply because I needed a selection of books that would not make the purchase of a product of this kind senseless. As far as I am concerned an ebook reader is only as good as the infrastructure supporting it and in this respect, the KINDLE and Amazon gets my highest praise. Certainly I cannot download any book I want just yet, but the delivery system, and a library of 90,000 + titles is a great start and I doubt any other reader and ebook store will be able to match what Amazon has.
First, I LOVE the reader and the ease of use. I am not a power reader, but rather my reasoning behind the purchase is one of convenience more than anything else. I have no more physical room for books, and this seems to be as good a reason for me as any. I am a early adopter of technology, often opting to purchase early and take the hard knocks. This I am use to and often get products that has a few bugs in them. The Kindle is one of them.
Right out of the box, Kindle freezes up on me. NEVER got a chance to use it, and after pressing the reset button under the cover, it comes up sans the user guide. Guide is NOT even on the Kindle. Seconds after the Kindle starts up, it freezes again and again I reset, freezes up, reset. Something like 4 times.
I called Amazon Support, and they were astonishingly quick answering the phone and while they had no solutions, they researched it for several days while instructing me to keep the kindle turned on and plugged in so they could upload error logs. After 1-1/2 days in this state, they emailed me and told me I would have to wait for a replacement to arrive (but they are out of stock so that will be some time coming).
I have since been able to get my Kindle started and downloaded two books and have been reading off and on. The longer I keep my reader in the sleep mode, or have it turned off, the greater the chances of it freezing up again, which it has done a dozen times. This is OKAY BY ME. As long as I can still read, and use the kindle until the replacement comes, I will not ask for a refund. I will wait and give Amazon and the Kindle a fair shake.
I find the Kindle easy to hold, easy to read, and so far I have YET to accidentally press any of the keys that turn the pages by accident. One just has to pay attention to how you hold the reader. I find the Kindle to be attractive and while others complain about this feature or that, I say its design is as good as I would have expected and works great.
The Kindle is HEAVIER than I imagined it to be. While I knew what the weight was, having read the specs, what I did not realize is how "heavy" it would "feel" in my hands. Certainly its not so heavy as to be hard to hold for long periods of time (indeed it is quite comfortable), just I would have like it to be lighter than what it actually is. This for me is a minor thing. The display is sharp and easy on my eyes, and the contrast is just fine for reading, still, I find it a little harder to read in a dimly lit room, but this could just be me, as I DO NOT LIKE DIMLY Lit ROOMS PERIOD. More than likely, it would be just fine for others more accustomed to reading in this type environment. I love the fact that the text can be enlarged or made smaller to get more words on a page and I use it on the number 2 setting, while apparently the default is the number 3 setting. The larger the text, the less words will be on the screen, and while you may NEED a larger font size, be aware that there will be like only a dozen or so words on the screen at a time in the largest font setting and will make for many page turns as opposed to fewer page turns on smaller settings.
The wireless seems to be somewhat iffy in my house. Sitting side by side on my desk with my EVDO equipped cell phone from Verizon, my cell phone gets 3 bars while the Kindle only has 1 bar initially, but does increase the longer I have the wireless turned on. Again, a MINOR problem. I will keep it turned off mostly to conserve battery power anyways and only see a need to have the wireless turned on when I need to purchase and download a book, then its back off again.
Final thoughts......I LOVE the product and see myself using it quite often for my reading pleasure. Its perfect to consolidate my future reading material, and I find it easy to hold, easy to use and turn the pages. I do find I forget I am reading an electronic device and this makes it all the more enjoyable for me. Now, its just a waiting game. If my replacement works the way it is suppose to, and does not freeze on me I will keep the product, but if it freezes on me several times, I will return it for my refund and wait for version 2 to come out but I will morn the loss of my Kindle since it would probably be a couple years before a second gen product hits the shelves.
I do believe in giving this product every chance and Amazon every chance to make it right before making the final decision. I give it 4 stars because I have enjoyed my experience with it in between reboots.
Addendum:
Amazon came through pretty quickly with my Kindle replacement and I have been using it for a week now. My experience has been exceedingly nice. Its better than the first and that is a fact. So far, I have had NO problems with the replacement kindle. I have not had to re-boot the reader one single time. I have turned it on and off dozens of times (in between reading of course) placed it into sleep mode etc and not once has it rebelled and refused to either come on or wake up.
I would like to add to my critique of the device its self with one note I have not seen mentioned before elsewhere. While I stated in my earlier review (above) I have not had any problems turning pages by mistake, I have had to be pretty careful with the volume controls at the extreme bottom of the device. In holding the Kindle in a way NOT to turn pages, I sometimes find my fingers touching the volume buttons. Or resting the reader on my body instead of holding it out in front of me all the time, I have to place a finger on the bottom so as not to press the volume buttons against my person. This is not that big of a deal, but since Amazon wanted the Kindle to completely disappear in ones hand, this is certainly one way to keep that from happening. To end this review, I have to say Amazon was extremely nice and helpful and expedient in getting my replacement Kindle into my hands, and I have not had any problems in its use to date. My opinions are stated above and I just want to state for the record: I knew I would love the reader when I saw it advertised, and once I got it into my hands I saw nothing to make me change my mind. I have enjoyed it (much more so since I do not have to reboot it every hour). Its a purchase I do not regret making.
|
|
|
Included with most items on sale are editorial reviews and customer reviews | | |
