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There's a lot of talk out there right now about Amazon's new device, called Kindle. I love me some gadgets, so I was really excited to check it out and read the reviews.
You see, media storage is a big problem in my life. Those CDs took up too much physical space, along came the iPod and I got rid of those horrible plastic boxes. Much celebration ensued. Books, well, some I want to keep and hold and refer to time and time again, but most of them I don't want to keep. I read it and pass it on to a family member or friend. The promise of not having to get rid of a book after reading it is very tempting to me. I really wanted to love Kindle so much that I could justify the $400 price tag...
I couldn't.
First off, the physical design. White plastic = dirt magnet, period. It's kind of clunky looking, like it is straight out of 1992, and that dated look isn't helped by the purely grayscale screen. There are only 2 fonts (but with six sizes). Two. (I know what you're thinking, but no, PDFs aren't supported.) You can subscribe to magazines through Kindle, but why would you? No color. There are a few magazines out there where color could possibly be lost without a huge experience hit-- The New Yorker comes to mind -- but photography, typography and color are critical to most magazines.
The costs are also a little weird. To subscribe to a blog is about $2 a month. For content that's free on the web. And in color. I don't get it.
The interface even has me distressed. A scroll and push wheel? Gigantic buttons for turning pages? Actually - they don't bother me so much, I guess. But after the simplicity and elegance Apple uses in the gestural interface for the iPhone, I'm just let down here. (Yes, yes, I know, a touch screen would be disastrous to a reading device. All those finger oils would render the screen unreadable in seconds. Which brings me back to wondering about that white plastic choice again.)
I still want it to succeed because if I can get rid of more books at home, well, that just makes me happy. But I want it in color, and I would want it to have a sexier design, the cost structure would have to be a little more attractive, and it could at least support PDFs.
Maybe I'm being harsh. Could be all that stress getting ready for Thanksgiving. Maybe this really is the "iPod for books" that some are claiming. So-- is Kindle the next big thing? Check out the reviews and see what you think.
ZDNet Amazon Kindle Review
Engadget - Many details about the Kindle
Boing Boing - 15 Things I Just Learned About the Amazon Kindle
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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 1)
Posted at 9:05AM on Nov 21st 2007 by Peter Rivera
Sigh... where to begin? I guess with the good.
Yes, a remote service for getting your content to you. Great. Keep the service, turn down the costs.
Yes, fairly solid eBook software that allows you to annotate what you're reading.
The bad is glaring.
All of Milissa's comments are on the mark. Let's add a few things.
How many people need to type into their eBook every moment? Right. So why keep that dorky keyboard exposed? Sheesh.
While eInk is neat I'm unlikely to return to B&W. Color is necessary... and this unit isn't even as crisp as the Sony eBook reader, which, once held is truly coveted.
Why can't we all get along? How about an eBook peripheral that lets you quickly drag-and-drop your own stuff into it... for free.
eBook software as a whole is still lame. Does it compend your notes or organize them across your own keyword themes? No. So, it's not nearly as good as the color-coded post-it system I use (old school is still a great school).
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It's funny... I already use a tablet PC on the train and it's pretty sweet. I scan through work PDFs and drop on my annotations with the stylus... works reallllly nicely... though I dearly wish for a resume time that's quicker (the tablet Mac will probably solve that). There are several UMPC (ultra-mobile PC) units that are also stepping stones toward the future as they combine the extremely portable size with a full tablet OS.
Products like Kindle represent baby steps toward the development of meaningful digital content and experiences. iPhone represents language.
”
Posted at 9:33AM on Nov 21st 2007 by Mike Costantino
I heard about the device a while back and the most practical side of it that bothered me was DRM.
From what's obvious and some tidbits about it from the web:
1. You cannot buy a book and give it as a gift.
2. I would be paying $400 for a device that is really just another Amazon storefront.
3. You can't even lend the books you bought (without lending your entire library of books by loaning out your Kindle reader).
4. You're also stuck with a few formats that, again, you also need to run through Amazon's DRM. You can't read other ebooks.
5. I think you can't even read PDF files on it, which to me is a big minus for business users
6. I found out later that you can share it, but only with 6 other people at the most (correct me if I'm wrong) each of whom has to have the expensive ebook device of course.
The device seems antithetical to my concept of owning a book, let alone spreading knowledge or sharing experiences through it. As for blogs and short web reads, I still have real computers for that. I think that it's against the geek's ethos to pay for something free (an exception would be products within the perimeter. It's almost as bad a video DRM.
The other thing that makes me skeptical about these devices is that even if I assume this ebook reader is perfect, it competes with the emotional attachment to real books. And I think the keyword here is "emotional". There is something about a dog-eared, bunny-eared copy of a novel you've read several times. The filth and wear of a certain book may remind you of the time you spilled coffee on it on your plane ride home. The smudges of a new book can remind you that it was a gift from a loved one for Christmas.
So to me, it's a niche product at best. It will probably serve those whose lifestyle demands storing volumes of books while traveling, but with its draconian limitations and its homogenization of the reading experience (in b&w for that matter), it's only a small step forward for a digital reading experience.”
Posted at 11:01AM on Nov 27th 2007 by Marvin Carlos
Related: f you want to highlight something what color would it be in? (may be that you can't highlight at all due to bw, not sure).
The thing that always gets me on any device like this though (even the ipod and especially the iphone) is that the BATTERY INEVITABLY RUNS OUT ON YOU WHEN YOU LEAST WANT IT TO. I have so many devices that need constant energy it makes me want to scream. When will they make these things SOLAR POWERED already? ”
Posted at 2:46PM on Nov 27th 2007 by Peter Rivera