Got my Kindle yesterday ... Kindle ONE that is!

stoogeswoman · 03-03-2009, 10:46 AM

Yesterday I got my "gently used" Kindle 1.0, which I bought from a very nice Amazon seller named Karen, who left two books on it and included all the original paraphenalia in the original box.

It is just different enough from my beloved eBookwise 1150 to give me a few headaches. One literally - I've been able to read the eBw screen with my regular glasses, and tried doing the same with the Kindle, but realized after a while that I should probably put on my reading glasses!

Also, I keep hitting the "back" button on the right, instead of the "previous page" button on the left, which doesn't do the same thing.

However, these aren't really huge nitpicks. More a matter of getting used to a different device. I do love the lighter weight - as a "walker" I prefer not to carry anything heavier than I have to. So this is definitely a plus.

I also like being able to shop in the Kindle store anytime, without plugging into a computer.

And I really like the Stephen King novella, Ur, which is the first thing I bought!

It's really good so far!

However, I'm also still enjoying my eBw reader - on which I'm about 2/3rds through the Stephen King book Bag of Bones. (Can you tell I'm a Stephen King Fan?

)

Anyway, I'm really glad I've got both - each of them has its good points. And most importantly: each of them is fun to use!

sirbruce · 03-03-2009, 11:07 AM

You know you can change the font size with the aA key, right? You shouldn't need to use glasses unless your eyesight is as bad as mine. :P

I like the Kindle 2's joystick better than the thingy on the Kindle 1, but several times I've caught myself clicking on it rather than the "next page" button. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually!

stoogeswoman · 03-03-2009, 11:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

You know you can change the font size with the aA key, right? You shouldn't need to use glasses unless your eyesight is as bad as mine. :P

Actually, I didn't! Which is why I'm so glad I found these forums - you can really learn some important stuff here -

!

Quote:

Originally Posted by sirbruce

I like the Kindle 2's joystick better than the thingy on the Kindle 1, but several times I've caught myself clicking on it rather than the "next page" button. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually!

Yeah, that dial sorta takes me back to the good ol' days when I'd sit at the beach with my transistor radio, trying to tune in a really good station!

KindleKat · 03-03-2009, 01:14 PM

I'm sure you'll love it. The K1 is still a completely usable and great piece of hardware, don't let the new version let you think it's less of a book reader

KlondikeGeoff · 03-03-2009, 04:47 PM

stoogeswoman, am sure you'll be delighted with the K1. I've had mine for a year now, and no reason to change to the K2.

Glad you found the button for the six fonts. The largest is 20 point, and that should do for most people, without glasses. There are a host of other things you can do (have you found out how to lookup words on the dictionary, for example?), so I suggest you really read the User's Guide, which should be on your kindle. If not, you can download the .pdf file of it from the Amazon site and read it on your computer, or print it.

You can also bookmark pages, highlight sections of text, or make annotations.

Happy reading.

Sporadic · 03-03-2009, 05:07 PM

I just bought a used Kindle 1 myself from a guy at a different forum. It doesn't come with the box but it comes with the cords and the price was right ($205 shipped UPS...almost half the price of a Kindle 2 with case from Amazon)

I was going to buy a Kindle 2 but the added price wasn't worth the added features. Plus I think I can deal button issue.

Can't wait for it to show up!

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoogeswoman

(Can you tell I'm a Stephen King Fan?

)

That's the reason I went with Kindle instead of Sony. The prices for his older novels are outrageous on the Sony store ($35 for The Stand

)

stoogeswoman · 03-03-2009, 05:33 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sporadic

That's the reason I went with Kindle instead of Sony. The prices for his older novels are outrageous on the Sony store ($35 for The Stand

)

Horrifying!

I had the same issue at eBookwise (fictionwise). Way too much - for $35 I could get about 20 paperback copies of The Stand and still have $$ left over for a Starbucks Latte to enjoy while reading it.

Sporadic · 03-03-2009, 05:39 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by stoogeswoman

Horrifying!

I had the same issue at eBookwise (fictionwise). Way too much - for $35 I could get about 20 paperback copies of The Stand and still have $$ left over for a Starbucks Latte to enjoy while reading it.

Yeah, any money saved from buying the 505 would have immediately wasted buying some of my favorite Stephen King books from their store.

stormcloude · 03-03-2009, 09:17 PM

So if you were giving advice to someone new to ebook readers (but not technology), which of your devices would you recomend?

I haven't really been considering the Kindles at all, because some of Amazon's business practices leave me cold, but I'm wondering if I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face.

slayda · 03-03-2009, 10:12 PM

For me it's still my EZ Reader (i.e. Hanlin V3 family) but with the OpenInkPot firmware. Of course, I only have a few hours with my (new to me) K1 (They were just getting so cheap on Ebay). Currently I would rate my four eink readers (on a scale from 1 - 10);

EZ Reader with OI - 8.5
Kindle (K1) - 6.5 (edit 3-4-09 --- 7.25 after more time with it)
Cybook Gen3 - 6.5
Sony PRS-500 - 1.25

I've read that there is dictionary support with OI (but I think only using Cool Reader but not sure since I haven't found it yet). That is the only way that the Kindle & Cybook are better. I can't think of any other feature that the EZ Reader with OI isn't better than the others. Of course, that's just my opinion.

Anyone want to buy a slightly damaged (still completely working) Sony PRS-500? PM me if so.

catsittingstill · 03-03-2009, 10:13 PM

Hi stormcloude, and welcome!

Different people will recommend different devices; we all know the strengths and weaknesses of our particular readers best, plus some of us (not me, of course) have strong feelings about certain companies or formats. So you'll hear a lot of different answers, though here on the Kindle section of Mobileread, you can probably expect to hear a lot of people recommend the Kindle.

Like me, for instance.

Okay, general e-book reader pluses: you can carry a lot of books with you, and e-books (the files) take no space and weigh nothing. You can find e-books on the web, download them to your computer, and transfer them to your reader quickly, allowing instant gratification for those of us who live an hour's drive from the nearest bookstore :-)

What I like about the Kindle in particular: it has a cell phone chip in it, that lets it dial Amazon (and also the Internet) so you don't need to mess around with connecting it to a computer (unless you don't have good EVDO cell phone coverage where you live--Um, you do live in the US, right? For now Kindle's cell phone chip only works in the US). You can buy books from Amazon with a few scrolls and clicks, or there are simple documents you can download from FictionWise or MobileRead that let you download (free) e-books of out-of-copyright books over the cell phone chip also. You can look up words you don't know in the included dictionary, search your books for a word or phrase, or expand that search out to wikipedia and Google. You can highlight parts of the book you think are important, and write notes in the margins using the funny-looking keyboard (you type with your thumbs; it works better than you might think). You get a "my notes and marks" file for each book that lets you see *just* the highlighted bits and the notes for a "cliff notes" type review.

You get access to the web under the "experimental" menu from the home page. The basic browser is, um, plain looking, and kind of slow, and with 4 shades of grey, you really are reading the web for the articles, but you *can* read the web for the articles, wherever you happen to be (as long as you have EVDO coverage). You can even use gmail and stuff like that.

I guess those are the things that sold it to me.

fugazied · 03-03-2009, 10:51 PM

Definitely a good time to pick up a cheap Kindle 1

My family is so impressed by my Kindle 2 that about 4 of them are considering buying a Kindle. If they can get a super cheap Kindle 1 I'm definitely telling them to go for it.

stormcloude · 03-04-2009, 04:51 PM

Thanks for the welcome, catsittingstill!

I think I should probably go post in the "what should I buy" thread. While Kindles are shiny and new (especially the 2!) I think they may be a little too fancy for what I'm looking for.

Mostly I just want to read original stories from the web on my dinnerbreak at work. I keep bouncing back and forth between two readers and I have friends extolling the virtues of each. I guess it will come down to what I can get the best bargain on, since there are pros and cons to each.

03-03-2009, 10:46 AM	#1
stoogeswoman Zealot Posts: 149 Karma: 492 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Reseda, CA Device: eBookwise 1150 and Kindle 1	Got my Kindle yesterday ... Kindle ONE that is! Yesterday I got my "gently used" Kindle 1.0, which I bought from a very nice Amazon seller named Karen, who left two books on it and included all the original paraphenalia in the original box. It is just different enough from my beloved eBookwise 1150 to give me a few headaches. One literally - I've been able to read the eBw screen with my regular glasses, and tried doing the same with the Kindle, but realized after a while that I should probably put on my reading glasses! Also, I keep hitting the "back" button on the right, instead of the "previous page" button on the left, which doesn't do the same thing. However, these aren't really huge nitpicks. More a matter of getting used to a different device. I do love the lighter weight - as a "walker" I prefer not to carry anything heavier than I have to. So this is definitely a plus. I also like being able to shop in the Kindle store anytime, without plugging into a computer. And I really like the Stephen King novella, Ur, which is the first thing I bought! It's really good so far! However, I'm also still enjoying my eBw reader - on which I'm about 2/3rds through the Stephen King book Bag of Bones. (Can you tell I'm a Stephen King Fan? ) Anyway, I'm really glad I've got both - each of them has its good points. And most importantly: each of them is fun to use!

03-03-2009, 10:12 PM	#10
slayda Retired & reading more! Posts: 2,764 Karma: 1884247 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: North Alabama, USA Device: Kindle 1, iPad Air 2, iPhone 6S+, Kobo Aura One	For me it's still my EZ Reader (i.e. Hanlin V3 family) but with the OpenInkPot firmware. Of course, I only have a few hours with my (new to me) K1 (They were just getting so cheap on Ebay). Currently I would rate my four eink readers (on a scale from 1 - 10); EZ Reader with OI - 8.5 Kindle (K1) - 6.5 (edit 3-4-09 --- 7.25 after more time with it) Cybook Gen3 - 6.5 Sony PRS-500 - 1.25 I've read that there is dictionary support with OI (but I think only using Cool Reader but not sure since I haven't found it yet). That is the only way that the Kindle & Cybook are better. I can't think of any other feature that the EZ Reader with OI isn't better than the others. Of course, that's just my opinion. Anyone want to buy a slightly damaged (still completely working) Sony PRS-500? PM me if so. Last edited by slayda; 03-04-2009 at 02:11 PM.

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03-03-2009, 11:07 AM	#2
sirbruce Provocateur Posts: 1,859 Karma: 505847 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Columbus, OH Device: Kindle Touch, Kindle 2, Kindle DX, iPhone 3GS	You know you can change the font size with the aA key, right? You shouldn't need to use glasses unless your eyesight is as bad as mine. :P I like the Kindle 2's joystick better than the thingy on the Kindle 1, but several times I've caught myself clicking on it rather than the "next page" button. I'm sure I'll get used to it eventually!

03-03-2009, 01:14 PM	#4
KindleKat Connoisseur Posts: 99 Karma: 29 Join Date: Feb 2009 Device: Kindle	I'm sure you'll love it. The K1 is still a completely usable and great piece of hardware, don't let the new version let you think it's less of a book reader

03-03-2009, 04:47 PM	#5
KlondikeGeoff Wombat Aficionado Posts: 481 Karma: 733 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Arizona Device: Fire, Kindle1, Sony PRS-500 Reader, Rocket 1100 eBook	stoogeswoman, am sure you'll be delighted with the K1. I've had mine for a year now, and no reason to change to the K2. Glad you found the button for the six fonts. The largest is 20 point, and that should do for most people, without glasses. There are a host of other things you can do (have you found out how to lookup words on the dictionary, for example?), so I suggest you really read the User's Guide, which should be on your kindle. If not, you can download the .pdf file of it from the Amazon site and read it on your computer, or print it. You can also bookmark pages, highlight sections of text, or make annotations. Happy reading.

03-03-2009, 09:17 PM	#9
stormcloude Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 259661 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Socal Device: eBookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-T1	So if you were giving advice to someone new to ebook readers (but not technology), which of your devices would you recomend? I haven't really been considering the Kindles at all, because some of Amazon's business practices leave me cold, but I'm wondering if I'm cutting off my nose to spite my face.

03-03-2009, 10:13 PM	#11
catsittingstill Guru Posts: 643 Karma: 551634 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle 1.0.8, iPod Touch, Kindle Keyboard	Hi stormcloude, and welcome! Different people will recommend different devices; we all know the strengths and weaknesses of our particular readers best, plus some of us (not me, of course) have strong feelings about certain companies or formats. So you'll hear a lot of different answers, though here on the Kindle section of Mobileread, you can probably expect to hear a lot of people recommend the Kindle. Like me, for instance. Okay, general e-book reader pluses: you can carry a lot of books with you, and e-books (the files) take no space and weigh nothing. You can find e-books on the web, download them to your computer, and transfer them to your reader quickly, allowing instant gratification for those of us who live an hour's drive from the nearest bookstore :-) What I like about the Kindle in particular: it has a cell phone chip in it, that lets it dial Amazon (and also the Internet) so you don't need to mess around with connecting it to a computer (unless you don't have good EVDO cell phone coverage where you live--Um, you do live in the US, right? For now Kindle's cell phone chip only works in the US). You can buy books from Amazon with a few scrolls and clicks, or there are simple documents you can download from FictionWise or MobileRead that let you download (free) e-books of out-of-copyright books over the cell phone chip also. You can look up words you don't know in the included dictionary, search your books for a word or phrase, or expand that search out to wikipedia and Google. You can highlight parts of the book you think are important, and write notes in the margins using the funny-looking keyboard (you type with your thumbs; it works better than you might think). You get a "my notes and marks" file for each book that lets you see just the highlighted bits and the notes for a "cliff notes" type review. You get access to the web under the "experimental" menu from the home page. The basic browser is, um, plain looking, and kind of slow, and with 4 shades of grey, you really are reading the web for the articles, but you can read the web for the articles, wherever you happen to be (as long as you have EVDO coverage). You can even use gmail and stuff like that. I guess those are the things that sold it to me.

03-03-2009, 10:51 PM	#12
fugazied Wizard Posts: 1,305 Karma: 1958 Join Date: Jan 2009 Device: iPod Touch	Definitely a good time to pick up a cheap Kindle 1 My family is so impressed by my Kindle 2 that about 4 of them are considering buying a Kindle. If they can get a super cheap Kindle 1 I'm definitely telling them to go for it.

03-04-2009, 04:51 PM	#13
stormcloude Groupie Posts: 157 Karma: 259661 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Socal Device: eBookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Sony PRS-T1	Thanks for the welcome, catsittingstill! I think I should probably go post in the "what should I buy" thread. While Kindles are shiny and new (especially the 2!) I think they may be a little too fancy for what I'm looking for. Mostly I just want to read original stories from the web on my dinnerbreak at work. I keep bouncing back and forth between two readers and I have friends extolling the virtues of each. I guess it will come down to what I can get the best bargain on, since there are pros and cons to each.

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