Amazon Kindle is back in stock
By Paul Miller 
posted April 20th 2008 3:40AM
posted April 20th 2008 3:40AM
[Via GizmoScene]
posted April 20th 2008 3:40AM
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Who cares. It's shit...
I don't see any responses above that describe an actual user experience with this product.
I suppose they **did** make only 200.
Thats because ppl who read enough books to warrant purchasing one don't post on meaningless forums/comment sections. They are busy reading all them books
"I don't see any responses above that describe an actual user experience with this product."
That may have something to do with the fact that this blog entry has nothing to do with reviews of the unit, but instead the fact that it is back in stock. How many times do you want a user to repost a review of their Kindle?
Engadget has had a ton of entries related to the Kindle since its release. Go back and search and you can find the reviews.
uuuuuggggglllllyyyyy
I own one. Its fantastic. Its NOT a pda or an "eepc" or whatever. If you were into reading you would want one. The screen is so paper-like its a amazing.
Would I want it cheaper? Sure, but its by far my favorite gadget. I travel a lot so it gets heavy use.
Does it look bad? No its actually quite nice once you get ahold of one, but I tend to be looking at the book Im reading, not the border... so that complaint always puzzled me.
Is it the best reader out there? Oh absolutely. Best book selection, keyboard for full book-searches and notes, connection to the store at all times, built-in dictionary and wikipedia lookup.
So stop "slashdotting" the thing to death and actually do some reading about the device.
Oh well, it's still made obsolete by my library card.
Gotta love building artificial demand my making an extremely limited number of devices. Amazon is taking the Nintendo Wii marketing route.
Remember when people complained that $600 was too muck to pay for a PS3 (that among other things, includes a high-definition video player)?
Funny that so many people are willing to pay $400 for something that reads books...just a thought
Will it blend?
It's 420! I'm shocked that no one has made the obvious "Kindle" reference.
This things back, come on nobody reads anymore, wait, why did I read this article, damn you Amazon!
How conveninant. just in time for everyone to start getting their tax rebates back...
i actually was just given one. i was not too sure on whether i'd like it or find use for it and accepted it with a well-meaning smile..
well, in the two days i've had it, it's barely left my side.
*The display is absolutely amazing. I spend all day on the computer and this is 1000x better. After about 30 minutes of reading, you almost forget you are reading off an electronic device.
*There is only two fonts on it now that are not user selectable (although there are 6 text sizes that are pretty useful)
*It does have unlimited internet access with a not horrible web browser that is pretty useful for the less graphic-intensive websites.
*Whoever said it should be in color should think about how e-ink works.
I*t's actually *not* relegated to the proprietary formats. it can read txt and mobi (non-drm'd) out of the box and pdfs and ms docs can be converted to a usable format either through amazon or through some freeware programs...
*The size is amazingly correct... if anything, my complaint is that the thick side is too thin for my ape-like hands... oh, also i can complain about the page buttons being too easy to hit (i fell asleep reading and found myself a few dozen pages ahead of where i left off)
*it has a simple miniUSB-USB connector that mounts it as an drive on any system (even my linux box..)
*you can copy mp3s to it and play them in the background while reading (really nice feature actually)
*it can trickle charge off of the USB (eat it, proprietary connector)
the price *is* high.. but i bet through frequent use of its free internet connection (i was reading /. while in the car on I87 this afternoon) and the fact i am saving 50%+ for the books i've been buying (ex: Follet's "World Without End" normally $35, Amazon new for $21, Kindle $9.99) i'll make it worth it within a year or two
soooo... as a device, even with its flaws it's great. i'm surprised to admit that i expect i'll use it 50x more than my PSP... god knows how much i've spent on that.
As an actual Kindle owner, I can say that the
- The screen is the most important feature and is quite unlike an LCD screen. It looks so smooth and stable and feels so restful as you read it, unlike the screens of laptops, ipods, and phones. Yes, you could read ebooks on those devices, but it is much better on a device designed for reading. You also get 3 to 6 days of use between charges depending on you have the wireless turned on or not. Try that with an EE-PC.
- You are NOT locked into Amazon's bookstore for books. It is true that they have a lot of books and combining their bookstore with wireless delivery is the most significant advance they have made over other ebook readers. Still, you can get even more books from sites like fictionwise, Baen bookes, project gutenberg and others. The kindle directly reads txt, pdb, prc, mobi, and the amazon format (which is just prc with a drm wrapper). Amazon provides a free email-based service to convert the more complex formats such as doc, rtf, html, and pdf. You can then use the usb connection (yes, it is a mass storage device) or the SD card to transfer files to the kindle. You can also option for the convenience of wireless delivery for a small 10 cent charge.
- Of course, value is relative and personal. for the thousands of owner (see the estimates in an earlier post of up to 200K sold) it is definately worth the price and more for those who opted to buy from eBay in order to get them sooner when the production delays made for a long wait. Still, at $400 it is well worth it to a reader like me. Just as a gamer may be willing to pay $400 for an X-box or PS3. Not every gizmo is aimed at every tech head.
- I would not expect a price drop soon. The e-ink screen alone is estimated to cost Amazon between $80-$100. It has been production delays on that screen that have caused the kindle and most other ebook readers to be backordered in recent months. Supposedly they have doubled production of the screen which may help that.
- True, it is not the prettiest box on the shelf and the buttons can be too easy to press until you get used to it, but the whole thing works amazingly well. Remember that the ebook market is in its infancy. I would expect Amazon and the other vendors to bring out improved devices. In the mean time, my kindle with with me constantly.
As interesting as it is, the future of handheld gadgetry isn't in single-use items. I can already get a device that's a PDA, ebook reader, music player, phone, camera, internet device, and various other things, for the same price. Who the hell is wasting their money on a Kindle?
Buy a Blackberry, or a Treo, or an iPhone. I'm sure you can get ebook readers for all of them.
For casual, occasional use, any of those devices can be used to read ebooks, but they are nowhere near as good as reading on a dedicated ebook reader.
It is much like playing video games on your phone... you can do it and some games are suitable, but for playing a full featured game, you want a game console or at least a pc.
You can also use your phone camera to take impromptu shots, but if you need really good photos, you will bring out your dedicated camera.
Eventually that may not be as true, but we are nowhere near the point where convergence devices really rival dedicated devices. There are times when you want the real deal.
I ordered mine on the 25th, it'll be here on the 29th - damn UPS and no weekend deliveries. I read reviews on the kindle for months, happy it wasn't available. MOST negative reviews are from turds who've never actually set fingers on one. STFU!! Man... you're pathetic.
Now, the single use device is a real quandary. I bought my cell phone in great part because I wanted one with good mp3 support. Eh, it's got ok support, but will play my music if I want. It has an ok camera on it and takes not too crappy video. Frankly though, those features drain the battery too quickly. I'm not some entitled twit who happily throws electronics away after a year, so making my stuff last makes sense. I'v realized that single use items just tend to do the job better. My lappy doesn't have a powerful enough video adapter for heavier games, so I sought out some upgrades to a desktop so make a mostly gaming only machine with my spare parts. Now I turn it on for gaming.
I'll use the kindle for reading email and a little surfing, but I'm most excited about having a TON of books with me when I have spare time to just read a little bit and not worry about loosing my place or putting the multiple books I'd like to be reading in a safe place.
I'm already converting PDFs and other documents to the PRC format to load on when I get it. I may not like it, but from everything I've read so far, I can't imagine not loving this thing. A firmware upgrade eventually would rock, but as is, it just seems awesome.
Now, if only Amazon would cut a break on kindle versions of paper books we already bought through them.
Funny how REAL USERS of the Kindle all tend to love it, and the negative comments come from people that have seen a little picture of one on their f*ckin PC.
I got one in November, and love it. I use it everyday, even in direct sunlight (whoever that loser was who complained about that).
I love my Kindle. Unlike previous ebook readers, the Kindle's ability to let me buy new books when I want, where I want, at substantial discount over their physical counterparts is the real selling point. What other ebook reader gives you free internet and the ability to buy books right off the device without so much as the need for a wifi hotspot? Add to that, you can put any other ebook in your collection on there for free (or a $0.10 pittance if you want it to be automatically converted first).
Now if only the damn thing wasn't manufactured by genocidal Chinese bastards, we'd be golden.
Does anyone know if there are plans to sell the kindle in the UK?