Friday, December 07, 2007

Amazon Kindle

Okay, who amongst us has tried a Kindle?

Disclaimer--I know this is no longer new news but remember I've been away in babyland. So it was news to me. And yes, I'm casting about for Christmas gifts. Various news outlets covered it--Newsweek among them. Here's a Cnet review of Kindle vs. Sony eReader.

I saw in the comments that people were bummed they couldn't check out library books to them.
That makes you feel good, huh?

The video makes it look really appealing.



They are backordered now, and for $399 I might think about an iPhone instead. But I heard all kinds of grief about the iPhone because you can't feel the keys. So it is hard to text while you drive, have the phone in your pocket, etc.

But texting while driving. I can't condone it but I can't say I haven't done it, either.

It also randomly reminds me of something I heard the other day--that advocates of the blind don't like the Prius because it's too quiet!

4 comments:

jdscott50 said...

The readers are bad because you can only use the books they permit you to use. There should be an open device that uses the technology. I just implemented overdrive at my library and I am puzzled on the amount of devices that don't work with it.

You shouldn't mention the texting while driving. Not sure how that relates. There was a news story recently about a girl who caused a headon collision because she texted while driving. The sad part of the news story was that she was mourned over more because she had a myspace account. no one mentioned the person she killed.

cfw123 said...

Wrong, Wrong, Wrong. I got my Kindle 5 days ago, and I love it. Amazon has really gone all out. It is an entirely open device. You can send Amazon any document, and they will format it for the Kindle for free, and send it back to you for uploading using the cable they provide from your USB2. Or they will send it direct to your kindle for just 10 cents no matter how big. Many many other things are just super. Obviously all the hate email comes from people who do not have one, or who probably have never even seen one.

Anonymous said...

I've had my Kindle for a week and have had no problems converting my txt and html ebooks that I already had for viewing on the Kindle. Text files look a little ugly without going through Amazon's conversion, but Amazon-converted HTML files look spectacular.

Everyone around me is quick to laugh at my purchase, but they never cease to be amazed when I let them play with it.

Alice said...

Good to know that Amazon is working hard to support your purchase! And great to hear there is a way to view downloaded library eBooks on your Kindle. I wonder how the DRM works there?

And yes, texting while driving is definitely bad. Kids: don't do it.