# Monday, November 19, 2007

Amazon.com's Kindle e-reader

Three years ago, we set out to design and build an entirely new class of device—a convenient, portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. The result is Amazon Kindle.

We designed Kindle to provide an exceptional reading experience. Thanks to electronic paper, a revolutionary new display technology, reading Kindle’s screen is as sharp and natural as reading ink on paper—and nothing like the strain and glare of a computer screen.

[ Amazon.com: Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device: Kindle Store ]

This device seems to be getting panned in the comments on its page on Amazon.com, but I think the way millions of people have fallen in love with their iPods, this is the device for me. I have some concerns:

  1. What is Sprint coverage like? At my house?
  2. How long will the Sprint coverage be free?
  3. What if the books I want never find their way onto the device?
  4. Do I have to email files to be converted? Will I be able to USB transfer them?
  5. How much does an SD card hold?
But I keep coming back to these two things:
  1. Free wireless access to Wikipedia!
  2. Includes a Dictionary!

Just for those 2 items I'd carry this thing around everywhere and irritate everyone with my constant research on all sorts of minutia.

Update: It has arrived. Review to follow shortly.

gadgets
#    Comments [3] |
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 8:50:02 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Yeah, when I saw this I was really excited. Excited in a way that I knew meant that I had to leave the page immediately or else I would find one in my shopping cart.

My list of questions were a bit shorter:
1.) Can I download and view my books on my computer if I don't have my Kindle handy or I forgot to pack it?
2.) Is Kindle 2.0 going to be color and will I be a sucker if I buy now? I didn't buy the iPhone v1.0 as I knew that with Apple's track record, they would put out a new iPhone in about a year and it would make the first version look like an outdated brick.
Nate
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 9:17:47 AM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
Browsing the books in the "Kindle store" I think the answer to #1 is no. It would seem the Kindle is required. Amazon.com does keep track and "back up" all of the books, so if you trash your Kindle, you can restore your library on its replacement.

As for #2, the Amazon.com track record is the opposite, I think. I expect the Kindle v1.0 to be the one and only version for a few years at least.
D
Tuesday, November 20, 2007 1:39:12 PM (Eastern Standard Time, UTC-05:00)
You don't need to carry anything around to irritate everyone with minutiae!

:)
David Kearns
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