I have wanted an Amazon Kindle for ages. I have also been operating with an incorrect piece of information regarding access to content for the Kindle. I was told by someone who bought a Nook that the full amazon.com store was not available on the Kindle to Australian-based users. We, as people outside America, would have our own list of books licensed for viewing in Australia and that list was limited. We couldn't get everything everyone else could get.
Seems the Barnes and Noble rep put my friend with the Nook crook. Shame really because she really wanted a Kindle at the time and made her purchasing decision with this inaccurate information.
The other week, I discovered this was informatin was, in fact, bogus and we Australians can download anything and everything for Kindle from the amazon.com.au store. So I added one to my Amazon cart and received the e-reader a few days later. That's right: ordered it Monday afternoon, received it Friday afternoon. Super fast. Super awesome.
And it is super awesome.
Right out of the box it was charged and had my name on the screen. How cool is that?
Easy to use, amazing to read from, I have fallen head over heels in love with this bit of kit. It has way more functionality than I imagined - it's even internet capable! I loved seeing thejamjar.com in glorious black and white :) I don't think I'd use the Kindle to access webpages that often, but it might come in handy to answer a question etc. I can purchase Kindled books right from and to the e-reader. For instance, my first day with it and I was at the pub waiting for Mars to finish work. I asked Fox what our book for the UXMelbourne book club was this month, plugged that title into the Kindle and two minutes later, it was on my device and I was reading it. Another thing I didn't think of was that I can read PDFs on the Kindle.
I can drag PDFs from my computer onto the Kindle, or use Reability/Instapaper too. I can also email PDFs via my Kindle email address and they sync right onto the device. I can imagine using that quite often - I'm doing that now with web content to my phone and back to home base from work.
My home page on the Kindle includes the same books Amazon recommends to me on the website, and I have access to my wishlist and I tell you, the price of US$9.99 for a book (average price) with no postage fees is very attractive to me.
It downloadeds via 3G - which came with the device, already set up, and no visible cost to me and also has wireless capabilities. I didn't have to get a SIM or set up an account, it was already attached to my amazon.com account and used the payment details there to process the payment of the book. I guess the cost of the download is absorbed in the price of the book. Well, the books. I put a few on the reader, including the paperback I was already half way through!
Another pleasent surprise was that I can download audio books via a wireless connection (rather than the 3G) and listen to them and, by the way, any MP3s, through the headphone jack at the bottom of the device.. No, really, very happy with all the added features when I was completely over the moon with just being able to read a book!
Mostly when I'm reading on the Kindle I'm forgetting that I'm on a an electronic device, and have been known to try and 'turn' the page from the top right hand corner as you would a paper book. The screen is just like paper; crisp contrast between the letters and the background is great on the eyes.
Highly recommend the Kindle even if you love books, this doesn't distract from that, but actually adds to it. I can't imagine not buying books anymore but I will be able to spend my money on more beautiful books, rather than soft covers. I don't think that's a bad thing - the publishing industry have factorised the pulp paperback industry and I don't think we're always the winner in that situation. They cut out hardbacks and trade paperbacks quite some time ago and have been serving us low-end qulaity paper books for some time now. These books may have great content, but don't appear to be meant for storing for too long into the future. So hello gorgeous hard covered books, and good bye cheapo paperbacks I'm just after your content. I'm sold!
Read Engadget's proper review.
This is Not the End of the Book by "The internet has returned us to the alphabet. The computer returns us to Gutenberg's galaxy; from now on everyone has to read. In order to read, you need a medium."
This is Not the End of the Book by Umberto Eco
