Design your own Kindle (and win it) with Engadget, Amazon, and Adafruit Industries!

Reading isn't just about the text that you're reading, it's an intimately personal experience in every sense of the word -- the way the book feels, the crease of the pages, the wear on the cover, it's all totally unique to your copy at the time that you're reading it. Put simply, it's an experience no one else will ever have. Between three models, dozens of accessories, and countless e-books, no two Kindles are alike, either -- but Engadget has partnered with Amazon and the DIY experts over at Adafruit Industries to hook up five extraordinarily lucky readers with truly unique reading devices. These guys are the laser etching experts -- see one of the Kindles they've done here!

Here's the deal: we're asking you to think of a design that would look great on the Kindle's brushed metal back -- something that means a lot to you, something that'll make passers-by drool with envy when you casually hold up your new toy while reading The Economist from the comfort of your train, plane, or bus seat. Draft up that design (seriously, make sure it's awesome, because you'll be facing some stiff competition) and send it to us. We'll post some of our favorites as finalists and hand the reigns over to you -- our dear readers -- to select five winners who will each have their designs laser-etched into reality on the backs of their very own Kindles!

The rules:

• Send your design to us by emailing it to contests [at] engadget [dawt] com with the subject "I want my custom Kindle!" (no quotes). Submissions must be in EPS or AI format, must be in black and white only, and must be composed strictly of vector graphics with all fonts converted to curves. We can scale your design as necessary, but keep in mind that you'll be dealing with an etchable area roughly five inches by seven inches. You can find a (very large) image of the back of the Kindle 2 here for your reference.
• We can't print anything you don't have the rights for, so to be safe, original work is the best!
• You may only enter this specific giveaway once. If you enter this giveaway more than once you'll be automatically disqualified, etc. (Yes, we have robots that thoroughly check to ensure fairness.)
• Contest is open to anyone in the 50 States, 18 or older! Sorry, we don't make this rule (we hate excluding anyone), so be mad at our lawyers and contest laws if you have to be mad.
  
• Five (5) winners will each receive one (1) Amazon Kindle 6" Wireless Reading Device customized by Adafruit Industries. Approximate retail value is $299.00.
  
• If you are chosen, you will be notified by email. Winners must respond within three days of the end of the contest. If you do not respond within that period, another winner will be chosen.
• Design entries can be submitted until Friday, July 24th, at 11:59PM ET. Good luck!
• Full rules can be found here.

[Gi Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:03PM]

ooh smooth

[Ryan Deen Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:38PM]

@ Gi

Nice graphics.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 1:27PM]

one for me

[FallenArms3 Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:02PM]

/leech

No love for those of us without Photoshop? :( I could draw you up a really nice illustration with pen and paper, but I can't do a thing on the computer without a graphics tablet...

[Gi Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:47PM]

Illustrator*
scan it in....live trace is your friend

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:04PM]

yes please

[Hckngrtfakt Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:35PM]

Yes please what ???

did anyone even bother reading the rules ??

LOL, morons ....

[ChrisAre Posted Jul 14th 2009 1:21PM]

@Makavre

The only reason I checked out the comments section was to see all the tools who thought this was a recession antidote. I didn't even have to scroll down. :-)

[Garst Posted Jul 14th 2009 9:27PM]

I did, but I'm not sure what is meant by "all fonts converted to curves."

[dardub Posted Jul 14th 2009 9:58PM]

It can't be editable text. You have to convert the text to outlines in illustrator. That way there aren't any missing fonts issues.

[nigra Posted Jul 16th 2009 9:21PM]

this shit is hilarious

the stupidity of these people makes me laugh but its also kind of sad

[shrimants Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:04PM]

oh come onnnnn

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:04PM]

nice

[nxaw91 Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:04PM]

yes please now i'm interested

[LAY Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:04PM]

ok

[Jonthomasdesigns Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:05PM]

Arghhh i cant figure out the rules .. i quit

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:06PM]

Oh.... I really want to win this time!!!! Please, oh please, oh please!

[NeoJew Posted Jul 14th 2009 1:13PM]

Are you gonna enter?

[Templarian Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:06PM]

Artists only contests hmm... I like how people just respond with the usually 1 word.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:08PM]

Never been this close to the top

[Templarian Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:09PM]

Really they post this right when lunch starts each day... pretty standard. Just this time it's a contest and not a enter a word to win.

[s3an Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:09PM]

For a sure win, just do a black and white image of ladyada:

http://api.ning.com/files/I2FWHwFJ1zcu7UFgd7OqjzpWSPYnUFechSte4MIQ2XaMixrkjyQR8bnD5NvrRYs9fbKorHkz3N0zB8To-5-8IXhLRc7umIzE/TheQueenOfOpenhardwareLadyada.jpg

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:13PM]

INININININININ!!!!

[HipHaupt Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:11PM]

Yeah! Kindle!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:13PM]

I really want this.

[htd Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:13PM]

I dont think the shape design is the major problem for kindle, I think the functional design is.

[eichin Posted Jul 14th 2009 1:47PM]

Exactly - I saw the headline and was very disappointed when I saw the article. It's more "draw your own bookcover". (And since I wouldn't carry the DX without the protective case, the etching is kind of pointless... custom kindle-is-turned-off images will get seen more often :-)

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 5:52PM]

Pick me robocop

[Alex M Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:15PM]

really close to top

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:18PM]

awesome contest!

[refractured Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:18PM]

"something that means a lot to you, something that'll make passers-by drool with envy when you casually hold up your new toy while reading The Economist from the comfort of your train, plane, or bus seat."

-- An Apple with a bite out of it. Done.

[Templarian Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:22PM]

The sad part is they will get like 50 submissions of just that. And each will think they are so clever.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:20PM]

I'll take it.

[maveric101 Posted Jul 14th 2009 7:14PM]

ok, but you have to enter the contest first. did you read the rules?

[Birunda Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:20PM]

Hey

[wobblyears Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:21PM]

I love reading books.
I like gadgets.
I never EVER win anything in any lottery or contest.

So, can I be the winner this time plz?

[Taylor Tay Posted Jul 15th 2009 1:12AM]

Sorry to break it to ya but this isn't a giveaway!

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:21PM]

They stole that idea from Microsoft with Zune.

Cheats.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 2:30PM]

Stole what idea? Etching the back?

My wife still has the etched iPod I got her for Christmas years before the Zune came out.

And I'm usually on here mocking Apple fanboys.

[jschubart Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:22PM]

Awesome!

[tophy2m Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:22PM]

any ideas for designs? i'm about to make one up...

[Zayn Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:22PM]

pleeaassseee

[WebOn Posted Jul 21st 2009 12:36AM]

please what?

[parachaz Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:22PM]

Alas, I am not an artist. Good bye Kindle.

[davidd334 Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:27PM]

http://i5.photobucket.com/albums/y189/davidd334/Untitled-1-4.jpg

[richb93 Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:46PM]

RTFM. Submissions must be in EPS or AI format, must be in black and white only, and must be composed strictly of vector graphics with all fonts converted to curves.

[mochaport Posted Jul 15th 2009 9:06AM]

well david.. the pic says " kindle coming your way"

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:28PM]

very nice

[LapsedUnitarian Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:28PM]

Would love to have one.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 14th 2009 12:31PM]

nice