MAJOR FLAW in the Amazon Kindle

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by Alisa

I think they're starting with the US and picking something widespread in the US for now. If they're smart, they'll come out with a WiFi version and then work on some international partnerships. I think it would be insane to try to take this thing global for now and it's not like it's a huge change to swap the networking hardware. Having EVDO doesn't mean that's the only network connection they'll ever have.

But had they made it use EDGE, as Apple did with the iPhone, it would have still worked in the US, but been ready to roll-out internationally (as Apple have now done with the iPhone) without needing to redesign the hardware first.

[astra]

It is not only about brightness of LCD monitors, the source that "produces" this brightness flickers.

[azog]

I wonder if anyone's disassembled a Kindle yet? What kind of EVDO module do they use? Hopefully it is a module, and not an integral part of the system board. Wondering if the Kindle would be easily adapted to other modules?

[igorsk]

They use AnyData DTEV module.
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/Jama/4158

[Frangi914]

Hi All:

I am new here and have enjoyed reading all the posts on both the Kindle and Sony PRS-505. I ordered the Kindle twice and than cancelled my order. I found some awesome reviews on YouTube on the Kindle and honestly in my option I feel there is a big flaw with those large forward/backward buttons on the sides - this feature really turned me off and they seem to get in the way of everyone that I've seen reviewing the unit. This was my major reason for cancelling my order. I finally ordered the Sony and I should be receiving it today. I still think the Kindle has a ton of great stuff to offer but for me (being this is my first E-reader) I decided to go with a more basic model. I will most likely purchase the next version of the Kindle after they streamline the look or better yet, just wait for a color E-Reader - keeping my eyes out on the Fujitsu!

[AnemicOak]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But had they made it use EDGE, as Apple did with the iPhone, it would have still worked in the US, but been ready to roll-out internationally (as Apple have now done with the iPhone) without needing to redesign the hardware first.

Unless they already have Kindle 2.0 designed & are getting it ready to go within the next year and are using the US Amazon site exclusivity, AZW & EVDO on purpose to keep the Kindle in a controlled market while they get things in place with overseas publishers. Due to their pbook business perhaps they feel they can't afford to alienate non US publishers with local rights to books by selling ebooks from US publishers to overseas customers. Are non US publishers big in the ebook market? I know Transworld isn't putting out Steven Erikson's books as ebooks in the UK, but beyond that I haven't really looked to see what non US publishers offer. Maybe they're less convinced that US publishers & Amazon is hoping to use Kindle 1.0 as a way to sell publishing houses in various markets that ebooks have merit. Amazon as a company isn't stupid in general so it would make sense they have reasons for doing Kindle 1.0 the way they did.


Just some thoughts.

[TallMomof2]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

It is not only about brightness of LCD monitors, the source that "produces" this brightness flickers.

That is the major cause of eye fatigue for me. It's somewhat better with a quality LCD but the eInk screen is far, far better.

[Nate the great]

Originally Posted by igorsk

They use AnyData DTEV module.
http://www.geekzone.co.nz/Jama/4158

That source is based on the old FCC pictures.

[igorsk]

Well, here's the line from the log:

Nov 20 12:22:46 kernel: wan: AnyDATA DTEV WAN module driver 0.8.4

[Alisa]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But had they made it use EDGE, as Apple did with the iPhone, it would have still worked in the US, but been ready to roll-out internationally (as Apple have now done with the iPhone) without needing to redesign the hardware first.

I think it was more about who they could partner with in the US for service than a desire to use EVDO over Edge. Apple almost inked a deal with Verizon but it fell apart. If that had happened, it would've been EVDO, too. It seriously is really, really not hard to bring out an EDGE version. Typically the partnership comes first, though, with stuff like this.

[sirmaru]

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

It is not only about brightness of LCD monitors, the source that "produces" this brightness flickers.

HD widescreen 24" LCD Monitors have no noticeable flicker at all. They are like a large white piece of paper. It is the High Definition attribute which does this. Its the same with HD TV's.

The reason for this is the presence of a thin plastic membrane covering the electronics which filters flicker and protects the electronics.

However, that membrane is easily scratched. If one shines a flashlight on a screen turned off, one can spot occasional scratches which are not visible at all when the screen is turned on or off without a flashlight. In addition, if one photographs the screen, one can see the membrane covering the electronics. On the old CRT's and non-HD LCD monitors, one can photograph the screen and will see the flicker but will not see the membrane.

That latter attribute is the down side of HD screens. They cannot be effectively photographed when turned on.

The other problem is that they may have a few missing or frozen pixels. They can be spotted if one examines the screens very carefully. Usually, not more than 1 to 5 are ever present. They usually have no effect on the picture.

All in all HD TV's and / or Monitors have thousand of color variants versus 4 shades of grey on the Kindle and 8 shades of grey on the Sony PRS 505. There is simply no comparison with the HD beating all competition, IMHO. Legibility is better than any printed book, hand held PDA or Ereader. There is NO eye strain if one has the top of the Monitor positioned at eye level.

[sfernald]

Originally Posted by HarryT

But had they made it use EDGE, as Apple did with the iPhone, it would have still worked in the US, but been ready to roll-out internationally (as Apple have now done with the iPhone) without needing to redesign the hardware first.

Thank god they didn't use edge. I have the iphone, and let me tell you data transfer is much slower than on the kindle. It can be downright painful sometimes.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Basically, I agree with sirmaru that Amazon should be providing standalone files, whether they be in Mobi, ePub, or something else, and leaving it up to the user to plug them into whatever they use. I know that I wouldn't want to be shut out of a huge market of e-books, just because I chose not to buy a Kindle.

That said, I understand why Amazon chose not to do that: Locking the files into the Kindle solves many piracy issues that they, and the publishers, are obviously concerned with (and in fact, I expect that may have been a prerequisite for getting many publishers on-board). It also makes the process drop-dead easy for any Kindle user, and making sure Amazon can sell an easy-to-use device would be key.

We can only hope, as Alisa suggested, that time (and customer demand) will eventually cause Amazon to offer the same books as standalone files... possibly once they realize how large a market they can reach outside of Kindle. Either that, or someone supplies software that will extract the e-books from the Kindle to your hard drive, ready to be read on your PC or ported into another device.

[schmidt349]

The reason why most conventional displays (CRT, LCD, and any projection apparatus based on these technologies) can cause severe eyestrain is because they flicker, albeit very rapidly (60Hz at a minimum). In a CRT it's a function of the display technology; in an LCD it's the CCFL backlight.

My eyes are especially sensitive -- I can't stare at a computer screen for more than a couple hours at a time. That's why non-refreshing display tech like electrophoretics and cholesteric LCDs are so promising to me.

Of course an HDTV or a high-resolution computer display is going to beat out electrophoretic displays in a great many respects -- but they cause eyestrain a heck of a lot more easily than EPDs, and most people can't really lug an HDTV around with them :-P

It sounds to me like the "MAJOR FLAW" you're seeing in the Kindle is that it isn't what you want it to be and it doesn't have much application for you. In that case, do what you like and good luck.

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by sfernald

Thank god they didn't use edge. I have the iphone, and let me tell you data transfer is much slower than on the kindle. It can be downright painful sometimes.

I completely accept that EVDO is a much faster wireless technology than EDGE, but eBook files are not large. Does it really matter if it takes 1 minute or 5 minutes to get a new book delivered to your Kindle?