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Gadgetell Quick Review:

Amazon Kindle

What is it?

The Amazon Kindle is Amazon’s electronic reading device. It uses E Ink technology and is available for $359.

Pros:

Easy to use, lightweight, lots of storage and free wireless service.

Cons:

The included cover needs improvement.

First Thoughts:

As an avid reader, I am a fan of both traditional and ebooks.  For years I’ve enjoyed using the eReader software on my Palm devices, but the small screen and even smaller selection of ebooks available has always left a little something to be desired.  When Amazon came out with their own ebook reader, called the Kindle, I was thrilled! 

So were thousands of others, resulting in many waiting 3-4 months for theirs to be shipped.  I wanted one but the price at the time ($399) was a bit prohibitive for me.  It dropped to $359 and I was sorely tempted, but then Oprah had it on her show, declaring it her favorite gadget and offering a $50 discount code.  That did it for me and I am now the proud owner of a Kindle!

Specs:

There’s a lot to love about this little gadget.  It uses E Ink technology, which means the screen looks just like paper.  It uses real ink that’s been electrically charged. There’s no backlight (E Ink screens are opaque making backlighting impossible), or color (the technology to make color E Ink is still in the early development stages and likely to be quite pricey) but you really don’t miss them. 

There are plenty of lightweight reading lights available and let’s face it, most books are black and white anyway.  The device holds 200 books, with back up storage provided via your Amazon account, and has an SD slot for even more storage.  The battery lasts a week or more with Whispernet turned off and is user replaceable, which is a big plus.  Recharging only takes two hours.  It weighs a mere 10.6 ounces and has a 6 inch screen with 600x800 resolution.

Features:

The Kindle offers a full QWERTY keyboard, The New Oxford American Dictionary, access to Wikipedia and the Internet, and the ability to create bookmarks and make notes about what you’re reading.  You can also send photos, text, Word and PDF documents to it, and it even plays audiobooks or MP3’s.  The font is also adjustable up to 20pt.

Content:

The Kindle’s true strengths are in the large selection of books available for it (190,000 at this writing) and its built in wireless network, called Whispernet.  Whispernet is run on Sprint’s EVDO network and it’s free.  With it, users can download books in seconds, and can subscribe to electronic versions of an ever increasing selection of newspapers, magazines, and blogs.  The Kindle’s keyboard makes searching easy.

The newspapers and magazines are much cheaper than the newsstand price (for example the Wall Street Journal is just $9.99 a month and Newsweek a mere $1.49 a month!  Blog subscriptions run between .99 cents and $1.99 a month).  Books can also be downloaded via a PC with the included USB cable.  Whispernet also provides sample chapters, access to Wikipedia and even has a built in browser so you can surf the net and check email. (Note: Whispernet is not available in Montana, Alaska, or outside the U.S.)  Don’t be fooled however, being an electronic reading device is what the Kindle does best, and the browser is rather primitive, even with sites that are mostly text.

Cons:

Its drawbacks are few.  It does take a bit of time to get used to the page turning buttons but the automatic page turning feature helps quite a bit.  The included leather cover is a real disappointment.  It doesn’t hold the Kindle well at all, although wrapping the attached elastic band (which holds the cover closed when the Kindle is not in use) around the bottom right edge does help, and many Kindle users report attaching Velcro to the back also helps.  Fortunately, there are many third party covers available.

Final Thoughts:

So what makes the Kindle better than traditional books?  Nothing really—it’s the form factor that’s superior.  You can carry your entire library on a device the size of a paperback - a real boon for those who travel a lot or like me, just don’t have anymore space available for books!  Ebooks also cost a lot less.  Amazon offers most new releases and NYT best sellers for just $9.99, and many other books are available for even less - some are even free!

There are even some textbooks available and you aren’t limited to the Kindle Store.  There are many other sites offering Kindle compatible e-books.  If you are an avid reader, I can’t recommend it enough!  If you’re outside the U.S., you’re out of luck for now, as Amazon requires a U.S. address and credit card for purchase, but don’t fret.  There is a U.K version in the works!

Buy The Kindle