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6charlong · 08-30-2010, 12:15 PM

Reviewing a type of device that I love while still experiencing confirmation bias about buying it is bound to be a bit dodgy but I have been through this before, although not with a Kindle.

I marked "Super Awesome!" For many reasons: the screen is truly "book-like." It makes good reading indoors but when I tried it in direct natural sunlight--eInk's forte--the white was shocking; there are brighter papers but not many. The new Kindle gives you room to get a good hold on it with the added benefit of a helpful non-slip surface. The controls are logically placed and easy to reach without getting in the way. Their response is positive and crisp. The new Kindle zips through tasks like a computer. The search feature is very fast and accurate, and it's easy to use with the little keyboard. I charged the Kindle when I got it and despite many hours of setup, switching Wifi on and off and many hours of reading, the battery is barely showing any drain.

The purpose of book readers is, of course, to read books and the Kindle is all over reading, starting with the price. It's the first of what I hope will be many first tier readers priced so that most people can consider buying it without having to treat the decision as an investment. Everything is there for a book reader. The Kindle store has a better selection of DRM encrypted eBooks than even the combined offerings of that horde of secure ePub stores. Amazon's prices are competitive and probably as good as they can be given agency pricing. Moreover, Amazon is the only place I know where it's possible to send a request to the publisher to produce an eBook version of a book you want with a mere click of the mouse.

There are little odd touches that endear it too, like the "screen saver," that isn't a screen saver (eInk doesn't suffer burn-in) but the pictures the Kindle brings up are incredibly good and the fine line drawings show off that Pearl Screen like nothing else can. I still prefer to buy books with the PC but but after I buy one with my customary Amazon account, the Kindle Wifi downloads them fast and I love using the Wifi to coordinate my reading between the iPod Touch and the Kindle. "Last page read" keeps my reading synced.

I don't know how much of this will bore previous Kindle owners but this is my first experience with the Amazon offering so it's all new to me. And yeah, in my book this edition of the Kindle is totally Super Awesome.

08-30-2010, 12:15 PM	#40
6charlong friendly lurker Posts: 896 Karma: 2436026 Join Date: Apr 2007 Location: US Device: Kindle, nook, Apple and Kobo	Reviewing a type of device that I love while still experiencing confirmation bias about buying it is bound to be a bit dodgy but I have been through this before, although not with a Kindle. I marked "Super Awesome!" For many reasons: the screen is truly "book-like." It makes good reading indoors but when I tried it in direct natural sunlight--eInk's forte--the white was shocking; there are brighter papers but not many. The new Kindle gives you room to get a good hold on it with the added benefit of a helpful non-slip surface. The controls are logically placed and easy to reach without getting in the way. Their response is positive and crisp. The new Kindle zips through tasks like a computer. The search feature is very fast and accurate, and it's easy to use with the little keyboard. I charged the Kindle when I got it and despite many hours of setup, switching Wifi on and off and many hours of reading, the battery is barely showing any drain. The purpose of book readers is, of course, to read books and the Kindle is all over reading, starting with the price. It's the first of what I hope will be many first tier readers priced so that most people can consider buying it without having to treat the decision as an investment. Everything is there for a book reader. The Kindle store has a better selection of DRM encrypted eBooks than even the combined offerings of that horde of secure ePub stores. Amazon's prices are competitive and probably as good as they can be given agency pricing. Moreover, Amazon is the only place I know where it's possible to send a request to the publisher to produce an eBook version of a book you want with a mere click of the mouse. There are little odd touches that endear it too, like the "screen saver," that isn't a screen saver (eInk doesn't suffer burn-in) but the pictures the Kindle brings up are incredibly good and the fine line drawings show off that Pearl Screen like nothing else can. I still prefer to buy books with the PC but but after I buy one with my customary Amazon account, the Kindle Wifi downloads them fast and I love using the Wifi to coordinate my reading between the iPod Touch and the Kindle. "Last page read" keeps my reading synced. I don't know how much of this will bore previous Kindle owners but this is my first experience with the Amazon offering so it's all new to me. And yeah, in my book this edition of the Kindle is totally Super Awesome.