Quote:
Originally Posted by JSWolf
What I want to know is why do people want a Kindle outside the US since it seems to be such a hassle and whispernet won't work.
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For the same reason people climb mountains. Because its there.
If that seems flippant, apologies. It is meant seriously. Different devices have different interfaces and experiences. I love the iLiad, but it is not really a polished CE device in the same way the Kindle is. The Sony is better, but it doesn't have the same functionality a keyboard gives. At least mine doesn't have an integrated dictionary (A lovely feature for those of us whose vocabulary isn't what it might be, and hate not knowing what a word means). Yes, true, absence of whispernet is a great pity, but from what I've heard that applies to parts of the US -- and I don't think it stops people in those areas using their Kindles.
As mentioned above, the Kindle has many non-whispernet features. And it isn't that much hassle if you have kind friends in the US.
Quote:
Originally Posted by HarryT
That's very misleading. The number of actual books is pretty much the same as is available in the Mobi (and Sony) bookstores. Most of the rest is self-published crap that nobody would actually want in a million years  . |
I agree the numbers are somewhat misleading. And given the Mobi is Amazon, I'd be surprised if there was much of a difference.
As for self-publishing. Well, the quality if definitely variable. But have a look at some of the outstanding authors history has produced and is producing. And some of the best selling (J.K for example). They had more than a little difficulty publishing. The ease of Self-Publishing is a real potential strength of this category of device. It might even shake up parts of the publishing industry.
And anyway, "real" published books are not necessarily any better. For those in the UK, I'll just say this: Katie Price's "auto"biographies.
Okay, so I've not read it, but...