Register Guidelines E-Books Search Today's Posts Mark Forums Read

Go Back   MobileRead Forums > E-Book Readers > Amazon Kindle

Notices

Reply
 
Thread Tools Search this Thread
Old 11-22-2007, 03:42 AM   #1
halljames
Zealot
halljames has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.halljames has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.halljames has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.halljames has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.halljames has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.
 
halljames's Avatar
 
Posts: 116
Karma: 463
Join Date: Feb 2007
Location: Newcastle, UK
Device: Apple iPad
Kindle is Ugly

Is it just me, or does anyone think the kindle is really ugly. It looks like a 5 year old product. Just a thought.
halljames is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 03:49 AM   #2
HarryT
eBook Enthusiast
HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.HarryT ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
HarryT's Avatar
 
Posts: 85,544
Karma: 93383043
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: UK
Device: Kindle Oasis 2, iPad Pro 10.5", iPhone 6
You obviously haven't looked at this forum previously

All anyone had to say about the Kindle until a couple of weeks ago was how amazingly ugly it was, and that they would never in a million years buy anything so horrible-looking. Now it's been released it is, seemingly, suddenly the best thing since the proverbial sliced bread.

Public opinion is a fickle thing indeed...
HarryT is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-22-2007, 04:09 AM   #3
TadW
Uebermensch
TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.TadW ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
TadW's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,583
Karma: 1094606
Join Date: Jul 2003
Location: Italy
Device: Kindle
While the Kindle is not a head turner like the iPhone, it seems to do a good job for what it was made for. As people are starting to realize this, they care less about its bad looks
TadW is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 05:41 AM   #4
FixB
Groupie
FixB has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.FixB has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.FixB has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.FixB has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.FixB has a complete set of Star Wars action figures.
 
FixB's Avatar
 
Posts: 186
Karma: 499
Join Date: Oct 2007
Location: France, Toulouse
Device: Sony PRS500
It's not the bad look that would make me run away, but the ratio of the screen size vs the global size is ridiculous for a dedicated reader.
I never needed a big keyboard to read.....
FixB is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 10:35 AM   #5
tsgreer
Lovin' the e-book life...
tsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with others
 
tsgreer's Avatar
 
Posts: 633
Karma: 2509
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Colorado
Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
You obviously haven't looked at this forum previously

All anyone had to say about the Kindle until a couple of weeks ago was how amazingly ugly it was, and that they would never in a million years buy anything so horrible-looking. Now it's been released it is, seemingly, suddenly the best thing since the proverbial sliced bread.

Public opinion is a fickle thing indeed...
Well I don't know if it's just about being fickle. I think the old pre-release FCC photo was a very bad shot of it. Now people have seen different views via the advertising and videos and maybe realize it doesn't look as bad as they thought.

And I have showed several people around the office and no one has mentioned that it's ugly or looked strange. Most people want to hold it and think it's cool. Granted, they aren't techie people at all, they know how to check email on their computers and that's about it...
tsgreer is offline   Reply With Quote
Advert
Old 11-22-2007, 10:50 AM   #6
CCDMan
*****
CCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toysCCDMan shares his or her toys
 
Posts: 335
Karma: 5759
Join Date: Mar 2006
Device: *****
Quote:
Well I don't know if it's just about being fickle. I think the old pre-release FCC photo was a very bad shot of it.
Yes, that was indeed a huge part of it. I almost wonder if Amazon made that photo bad on purpose to keep the competition from worrying too much. <g>

I also wonder why folks really should care about the looks of a practical product intended for reading. Who are we trying to impress? I just want if to be usable, practical, and comfortable and could care less what people think it looks like.
CCDMan is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 10:53 AM   #7
Nate the great
Sir Penguin of Edinburgh
Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.Nate the great ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Nate the great's Avatar
 
Posts: 12,375
Karma: 23555235
Join Date: Apr 2007
Location: DC Metro area
Device: Shake a stick plus 1
Quote:
Originally Posted by CCDMan View Post
Yes, that was indeed a huge part of it. I almost wonder if Amazon made that photo bad on purpose to keep the competition from worrying too much. <g>

I also wonder why folks really should care about the looks of a practical product intended for reading. Who are we trying to impress? I just want if to be usable, practical, and comfortable and could care less what people think it looks like.
I don't think Amazon took those pictures. I think they were taken by the FCC for their records.
Nate the great is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 11:00 AM   #8
delphidb96
Wizard
delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,999
Karma: 300001
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT View Post
You obviously haven't looked at this forum previously

All anyone had to say about the Kindle until a couple of weeks ago was how amazingly ugly it was, and that they would never in a million years buy anything so horrible-looking. Now it's been released it is, seemingly, suddenly the best thing since the proverbial sliced bread.

Public opinion is a fickle thing indeed...
That's because they couldn't *HOLD* one! Of course, not having a Kindle to caress, fondle, make sweet love to, I'm *STILL* of the opinion it is B*TT-UGLY!!! (Given I'm really, Really, REALLY low on income right now, I'm waiting for a Knight/Knightess in Shining Armor to buy one for me so I can 'suddenly and irrationally' change my opinion! Any Good Samaritans? )

Derek
delphidb96 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 11:13 AM   #9
tsgreer
Lovin' the e-book life...
tsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with others
 
tsgreer's Avatar
 
Posts: 633
Karma: 2509
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Colorado
Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)
Quote:
Originally Posted by delphidb96 View Post
That's because they couldn't *HOLD* one! Of course, not having a Kindle to caress, fondle, make sweet love to, I'm *STILL* of the opinion it is B*TT-UGLY!!!
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. I mean, I have an ipod and many people talk about how elegant it is. Um, I like it being simple, but to me it's just a rectangle with rounded edges. I don't think it looks ugly, but I like how it functions. Same with the Kindle. I don't find it ugly at all and the only thing I didn't like in the FCC photo was the tan color.

To me it's a rectangle with a keyboard under it. The sony looks like a rectangle without a keyboard under it.

I was under the impression that you hated the Kindle so much because you are the NAEB guy
tsgreer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 12:16 PM   #10
Alisa
Gadget Geek
Alisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongueAlisa can tie a knot in a cherry stem with his or her tongue
 
Alisa's Avatar
 
Posts: 2,324
Karma: 22221
Join Date: Aug 2007
Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)
I think it looks better than the FCC photos but I still wouldn't call it attractive. I disagree with the materials choice and I'd probably alter the layout a bit, but while I appreciate elegant form, function will always be higher on the list for me and this device comes closest to having all the features that I want at a price I can justify.
Alisa is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 07:20 PM   #11
montsnmags
Grand Sorcerer
montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.montsnmags ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 10,155
Karma: 4632658
Join Date: Nov 2007
Device: none
I don't find the Kindle ugly at all.

See, I've seen folks, including book store CEOs (eg. Dymocks) talk about people liking that "feel" of a dead-tree book, flicking through and caressing the pages. Now, the gods know I've done my fair share of caressing in my time but I think when they refer to us book-buyers in that way, they surely can't be referring to the manufactured-down-to-a-cost plain old paperback. Sure, a new paperback is nice, but, at least for me, mostly in anticipation of it being...opened (mmm, the pleasure!). Its "build quality" and appearance, except for the occasionally impressive cover art, aren't its main feature. It's the content. Old and well-made new hardbacks are a different thing, of course. However, as any perusal of a brick-and-mortar store will show, the big money's in your low-rent pot-boiler paperbacks, pages soon to be creased as bookmarks, and spines broken. Their yellowing low-ish quality is both the pleasure and the downfall.

So, I don't see the Kindle as ugly, and here's why - to me, they've constructed something that has that potboiler, airport paperback, feel about it - yes, dated, and yes, plain, and just a tad clunky...sort of like a heavily-used paperback. Perhaps, in their eyes, and certainly to my aesthetic faculties, its design is aimed towards that, as "Keep buying more (new release) paperbacks" is what they have in mind for it. They're selling mostly to the eternal bookreader, or, rather, bookbuyer and just want to give you that comforting, traditional, slightly clunky, plain white appearance to ease the bookreaders into the idea, rather than hype the tech design folk who might just complain that it doesn't have any PDA software, that its MP3 player is rubbish, and that no video playback is just stupid. They don't want to go down the "compared to the iPod" route.

So, I don't think it's ugly...or, perhaps, I do, but "ugly" in that "ugly, used paperback" kind of way that makes me feel all warm and comfortable.

This is, of course, just my very, very humble opinion. As tsgreer reminds me, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

I might just be talking through my USB port though.

Cheers,
Marc

Last edited by montsnmags; 11-22-2007 at 11:43 PM.
montsnmags is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 08:43 PM   #12
tsgreer
Lovin' the e-book life...
tsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with otherstsgreer plays well with others
 
tsgreer's Avatar
 
Posts: 633
Karma: 2509
Join Date: Nov 2006
Location: Colorado
Device: Ebookwise 1150, Sony PRS-505, Amazon Kindle, BeBook (with OpenInkpot)
Quote:
Originally Posted by montsnmags View Post
So, I don't see the Kindle as ugly, and here's why - to me, they've constructed something that has that potboiler, airport paperback, feel about it - yes, dated, and yes, plain, and just a tad clunky...sort of like a heavily-used paperback. Perhaps, in their eyes, and certainly to my aesthetic faculties, its design is aimed towards that, as "Keep buying more (new release) paperbacks"
Very good analogy! It's a nice pulpy ebook reader. I've always been a paperback sorta guy...
tsgreer is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 09:57 PM   #13
delphidb96
Wizard
delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.delphidb96 ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
Posts: 2,999
Karma: 300001
Join Date: Jan 2007
Location: Citrus Heights, California
Device: TWO Kindle 2s, one each Bookeen Cybook Gen3, Sony PRS-500, Axim X51V
Quote:
Originally Posted by tsgreer View Post
Beauty is in the eye of the beholder I suppose. I mean, I have an ipod and many people talk about how elegant it is. Um, I like it being simple, but to me it's just a rectangle with rounded edges. I don't think it looks ugly, but I like how it functions. Same with the Kindle. I don't find it ugly at all and the only thing I didn't like in the FCC photo was the tan color.

To me it's a rectangle with a keyboard under it. The sony looks like a rectangle without a keyboard under it.

I was under the impression that you hated the Kindle so much because you are the NAEB guy
Nope. Being the NAEB guy doesn't have anything to do with it. (Okay, being the NAEB guy has a *bit* to do with it. ) I'm just jealous (I don't have my own Kindle and have no spare cash for several (about six or seven) months to buy one out of my own pocket *AND* I'm extraordinarily *PISSED* that Amazon went with it's own AZW format!

I figure Amazon deciding to bribe me with a free Kindle will go a *LONG* way towards curing both symptoms.

Derek
delphidb96 is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-22-2007, 10:46 PM   #14
drgnbear
Evil alien overlord.
drgnbear began at the beginning.
 
Posts: 57
Karma: 10
Join Date: Jan 2007
Device: Kindle
It's not just you, but I don't think it's ugly. Granted there's something Star Trek: The Motion Picture about it. But you may change your opinion once you hold it in your hand. It's a very tactile design. Not without flaws though. Others have noted how easy it is to change the page accidentally, but beyond that I don't find many flaws.
drgnbear is offline   Reply With Quote
Old 11-23-2007, 03:58 PM   #15
DaleDe
Grand Sorcerer
DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.DaleDe ought to be getting tired of karma fortunes by now.
 
DaleDe's Avatar
 
Posts: 11,470
Karma: 13095790
Join Date: Aug 2007
Location: Grass Valley, CA
Device: EB 1150, EZ Reader, Literati, iPad 2 & Air 2, iPhone 7
Quote:
Originally Posted by drgnbear View Post
It's not just you, but I don't think it's ugly. Granted there's something Star Trek: The Motion Picture about it. But you may change your opinion once you hold it in your hand. It's a very tactile design. Not without flaws though. Others have noted how easy it is to change the page accidentally, but beyond that I don't find many flaws.
Perhaps it is like the story about a Camel. It has been said that a Camel looks like it was designed by a committee.

Dale
DaleDe is offline   Reply With Quote
Reply

Thread Tools Search this Thread
Search this Thread:

Advanced Search

Forum Jump

Similar Threads
Thread Thread Starter Forum Replies Last Post
Amazon Kindle - really ugly name JSWolf Amazon Kindle 33 07-29-2011 12:33 PM
WIRED: Why E-Books Look So Ugly Kris777 News 46 09-05-2009 05:42 AM
Why E-Books Look So Ugly jankovicgood News 38 09-04-2009 07:19 PM
Seriously thoughtful Kindle’s DRM Rears Its Ugly Head - Is it true? astra Lounge 6 06-21-2009 11:44 AM
Ugly formatting Tanzaku Workshop 62 12-25-2007 02:35 AM


All times are GMT -4. The time now is 06:36 AM.


MobileRead.com is a privately owned, operated and funded community.