Q. I'm thinking about purchasing one. Is it worth it? The one for $114? Also, is it the kindle 3?
A. Some cons: the Kindle is a black and white only and it doesn't have a backlight. I still find the placement of the keys very inconvenient--if you are sitting nicely in a chair things are good but if you're trying to read in bed or on laid out on the sofa, etc., you're inevitably going to hit some other key(s) and will waste time trying to find your place again. I have found the way the Kindle keeps track of where you are (perhaps by the word rather than the actual page number) to be cumbersome--since I read the same book from 2 different Kindles (one is gen 2, the other is gen 3) and also on my computer, finding where I left off on the various machines is impossible (was it 40165 or 41563)--but I hear Kindle/Amazon is fixing this in the next generation (maybe the next upgrade). I also don't like the way that the books don't start on the front cover, they open automatically to the first page of text so you skip over the cover, that page where the copyright info is, maps, other stuff I liked to see before I get to the text. A big con is that the price of Kindle books seems to be increasing so for some books you are only paying $1 less then the hardcover version. Kindle books seem to go through a conversion process where they need to be cleaned up a bit and with almost every book I've found someone didn't clean up as well as they ought to have; and I've read some reviews where the writer says the conversion is done in such a lousy manner it's not worth trying to read the Kindle-ized book. Not all books are available in Kindle format either. Amazon offers some free books but not enough; a friend who bought an e-reader from somewhere else (not a Kindle or iPad) says she can download any book in the library for free (hopefully it's not one of those libraries that is deciding which books to ban).
Some PROs: I love my Kindles. I can take it with me and have that secure feeling knowing you at least have something to keep yourself amused should things get boring wherever you are (delays on the commuter train now only mean I have more time to read--who cares about work?). I tried playing a few of the simple games (Minesweeper, some word game) but find it just too hard to play as fast as I normal would with the Kindle keyboard. I love not having to deal with "what do I do with the book after I've read it and don't want to keep it?" question. I love that you can increase the size of the font. And although I have never liked things being read out loud to me, as I get older and my vision gets worse, that audio read out thing might come in handy. Supposedly you can do very limited web searches but I haven't figure out how and I do not want my battery used up doing web searches. If I remember to turn off the wireless feature after downloading, I usually only have to recharge my Kindles about once a week and it takes less then an hour to fully charge each of them. I don't find ANY of the available reading lights designed for the Kindles usable. And compared to friends who got an iPad (which is backlit and in color), their iPads are only good for maybe 5 hours max before they have to recharge, the screen on the iPad gets a LOT of glare so it's impossible to use in bright sunlight or strong overhead light. I'm also getting tired of those pictures of authors on my Kindle when it is off (aren't they costing me battery juice?).
For the price, it was well worth it for me to get a couple Kindles. You might want to do some research to see when Amazon intends to upgrade next (no use buying a gen 3 of the 4 will be out in a matter of weeks) and what the upgrades will be--color perhaps?
Is the Kindle DX better then the Sony Daily Edition Reader?
Q. I getting a e-book reader and I was wondering which one is better. I heard so much about these to readers. I look and hard and lowered my search to just these to readers. Which one to you like better and Why? Which one would you recommend?
A. Kindle DX Wireless Reading Device
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002GYWHSQ?ie=UTF8&tag=0610-20&linkCode=as2&camp=1789&creative=390957&creativeASIN=B002GYWHSQ
Review: I have owned both Kindle 1 and Kindle 2, so I'm already committed to the basic idea: e-ink reading in a slim form factor with excellent connectivity to a large selection of books and subscriptions. I have come to rely on my Kindle experience, and it has seriously enhanced my reading.
The DX was not an obvious upgrade for me, but two features put me over the edge: the larger screen, and the native PDF reader. I now have the DX in my hands, and can report PROS, CONS, and NEUTRALS:
PROS:
-- the larger screen is a definite plus. I use the larger type size on my Kindle 2 (older eyes), and at this type size I get far more text per page on the DX. This makes the whole reading experience more book-like (and should be a boon to people who buy large-print books.)
-- the screen is also sharper and crisper than my Kindle 2 in a side-by-side comparison: the text is darker, and the contrast is much better, making for better visibility overall.
-- on a side note, the larger screen also makes it possible to read poetry on the kindle, even at large type sizes. On earlier Kindles, the smaller screen cut off lines, so that you would lose the sense of when the poet ended the line. On the DX, you can see the whole line exactly as the poet meant it, with the cut-off in the right spot.
-- the PDF reader works as advertised, and is extremely convenient. PDF documents appear on the DX exactly as they do on a computer screen. Moreover, you can drag and drop your documents directly to the device using the USB cable (or use the for-a-fee email if you absolutely must.) The only downside: at least for the documents that I've used so far, I cannot adjust the type size as I can with native Kindle documents.
-- screen rotation also works as advertised: it operates as a mild zoom on both graphics and text and offsets slightly the downside of not being able to adjust the typesize on PDF documents. One nice design touch: the four-way navigation stick introduced on the Kindle 2 is rotation-sensitive, and will move as expected relative to the screen rotation.
-- more of the device space is devoted to the screen, while the white plastic border around the screen seems to have shrunk, both in general and compared to the proportion of screen to plastic on the Kindle 2. I like this (but see below about the keyboard).
-- storage: I like the increase in storage space, and don't mind the lack of an external storage card. I can see some people having trouble with this, but only those folks who either a) must regularly carry around PDF documents totalling more than 3.5 GB of space or b) must have nearly 3500 books regularly at their fingertips. I fall in neither category.
CONS:
-- price: it's expensive, as you can tell pretty quickly. If you value the larger size, and the native PDF reader, these features may justify the roughly 30% premium you pay for the DX over the Kindle 2. In truth, the DX SHOULD cost more than the Kindle 2, and a 30% premium isn't unreasonable. But, for my money, Amazon should drop the price on the Kindle 2 to $300 or so, and charge $400 or a little less for the DX. Still, I bought it, and will keep it at this price.
-- one-sided navigation buttons: all of the buttons are now on the right side, and none are on the left. I'm a righty, so I shouldn't complain, but I found myself using both sides on the Kindle 2. Lefties have reason to complain, I think.
-- One-handed handling: I often read while I walk, with my Kindle in one hand, and something else in my other. Because of the button layout, this will be more difficult on the DX.
-- metal backing: I miss the tacky rubberized backing on my Kindle 1. When I placed my Kindle 1 on an inclined surface, it stayed in place. Not so my Kindle 2 and now my DX. This is not a complaint specific to the DX, but it's still there.
That's all I can see. Overall, the pluses outweigh the minuses for me, and I'm satisfied with my purchase. I can now think of using my DX for work documents on a regular basis, because of the PDF reader. The screen size and screen rotation make the overall reading experience more immersive.
Overall, the DX feels more like text and less like device and comes closer to the stated goal of the Kindle: for the device to disappear, leaving only the joy of reading.
New kindle fire or Nook color?
Q. What do you think? I have a 10 month old and I think one of these would be great for the long car rides...
Which one is better?
A. Hi, CASEY, I can really recommend neither Kindle Fire not Nook Color when Nook Tablet is around. While Nook Color is scheduled to get an software upgrade soon that will bring it Netflix and Hulu apps for video streaming, it won't be able to match Nook Tablet's performance. Nook Tablet comes built-in with a redesigned and optimized for it Netflix app and with the best on the market fully laminated HD screen that provides the greatest movie experience. It has twice the space of Kindle Fire so you're not dependent on Wi-Fi when on the go.
Double the RAM of Nook Tablet will definitely have a lot of performance impact when more than one app is open. Everyone who actually held Kindle Fire and Nook Tablet in their hands noted that Nook's screen is much better and brighter besides being laminated for reduced glare (not on Kindle or iPad). Nook Tablet is $224 if sign up for Barnes & Noble membership. 16 GB Nook's content capacity plus 32 GB via microSD card vs. 8 GB capacity of Kindle Fire with no expansion slot IS a big deal - and don't start with that Cloud talk, it won't be available while traveling or where Wi-Fi is not available. Portable tablets are all about doing things on the go. Cloud is way overrated - good for an occasional backup but not for content usage on Wi-Fi-only tablet on the go. Reading 11.5 hours battery life and 9 hours of video playback time vs. 8 hours for reading and 7.5 hours of video playback on Kindle Fire (even that 7.5 hours will? not hold trues in tests, video playback drains battery much more than reading). Silk browser of Kindle Fire will not have any noticeable performance boost over Wi-Fi (may be over 3G it would) and the device is Wi-Fi only; also this browser is a privacy hazard.
More, Nooks (since Nook Color) are the darlings of the root'ing community especially because they have microSD slot (not on Kindle Fire or iPad) thus Nooks can be rooted by burning OS image on the microSD card and booting off it without rooting the actual device and voiding the warranty. On Kindle, once you rooted there's no coming back.
Check out what pros say about Kindle Fire after playing with it for several days:
WIRED:
Silk...sounds great in theory, but throughout my five days of testing, I found that total web page load times took anywhere from 100 to 300 percent longer on the Fire relative to an iPad 2. And, yes, I made every effort to mitigate testing variables. Machines were restarted, caches were cleared, unused browser tabs were killed, and more. I even tested both tablets just two feet away from my WiFi access point to reduce signal strength as a variable. Besides poor load times, the Fireâs browser lurches in fits and starts when swiping through already loaded web pages. And sometimes the browser doesnât react to touch gestures at all, requiring that oh-so-annoying second tap or swipe instead. Pinching in and out of magnified views is also a test of oneâs loyalty â this action looks like choppy stop-motion video on the Fire, whereas on the iPad 2, itâs fluid and seamless.
NY Times:
Most problematic, though, the Fire does not have anything like the polish or speed of an iPad. You feel that $200 price tag with every swipe of your finger. Animations are sluggish and jerky â even the page turns that youâd think would be the pride of the Kindle team. Taps sometimes donât register. There are no progress or âwaitâ indicators, so you frequently donât know if the machine has even registered your touch commands. The momentum of the animations hasnât been calculated right, so the whole thing feels ornery.
The built-in Web browser...itâs not clear what all of that gains you: nytimes.com takes 10 seconds to load, eBay.com takes 17 seconds, Amazon.com takes 8 seconds. The iPad took about half as long each time. ...if youâre used to an iPad or ârealâ Android tablet, its software gremlins will drive you nuts.
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