Quote:
Originally Posted by markm
We apparently sit on different sides of the fence, as much as different sides of the Atlantic. Personally, I think that the Kindle (as much as the Sony) is a rich-kids gizmo rather than something of any practical value. It is large, fragile, complex, useless without batteries or Internet, far overpriced, and when used as intended, more expensive and inflexible per publication than the books it strives to replace. That said, having known many Macintosh owners, I completely understand why you're such an Amazon apologist.
E-book readers have the potential to be so much more than they are today. But publishers and self-proclaimed authors' guilds will never allow that to happen. Just imagine if I could slide my library card into the side of my e-book reader and borrow (for free) or rent (for a few cents) a copy of any book ever published. That is a product I'd pay $400 for. Not some proprietary interface to overpriced, DRM-laden temporary copies of books I can never sell or even loan to another person, or take hiking in the woods, or camping in the desert, or sunbathing on the beach.
But I digress. On the matter of Amazon itself I believe that, as a customer paying good money for a supposedly serviceable product, I reserve the right to determine if that product satisfactorily meets its description and specifications upon receipt of the actual physical item, and if not, to either exchange it for one that is satisfactory or return it for a refund.
In a brick-and-mortar system, I can inspect and test a product before I pay and leave the store. In an e-commerce environment, my inspection and testing cannot occur until after I've paid and the item is received. But in either event, how can it be legal or moral for me to be penalized for returning something I find is unacceptable by comparison to its advertised description or specifications, or by comparison to like units of its type?
Are my rights as a participant in a retail exchange not the same just because I chose e-commerce versus brick-and-mortar? Does the concept of Quid Pro Quo not apply? Is Amazon really big enough to redefine the terms of a retail purchase?
What do you think the Federal Trade Commission would say about this? Or better yet, a good class-action law firm?
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Please allow me to respond.
The Kindle is most certainly NOT a "rich kids gizmo". While I did shell out $359 for mine, I saved for some time before I got it. Its a matter of priorities, you see. True, the ad on Amazons main Kindle page (I am speaking here of the K1, not K2) did pique my interest, the thought of carrying all the books I wanted in a device that small was too good to resist.
As for "brick and mortor", vs "online", I've dealt with Amazon.com for years. I had the utmost faith they would honor the return policy......it would have cost me $8 at the most to return it if i hadn't been satisfied. Amazon Kindle support has been superior, both with myself, and with the majority of customers. Compare that to buying a Sony at Target, for example, with clerks who know nothing about it. All I got was blank stares when I asked questions. One even thought it was a CD player.
Its not large, it fits in my purse perfectly, and anything smaller is a strain on the eyes.
Fragile? I treat it as I would my laptop, or a netbook. Both need padded carriers in transporting, right? If I dropped my Kindle OR my laptop, well, they are electronic devices after all.
Complex? You're kidding, right? Is that why so many "mature" people have them? They are ready out of the box to use, and are designed to be user friendly.
Useless without batteries ? Are you aware you can plug them in and read while they are charging? As a matter of fact, those are the first instructions given when you take them out of the box.
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Is there any ebook reader out there that can be used without downloading books from the internet to your computer?
I can take it camping, or to the beach. Just pop it into a baggie at the beach, and problem solved.
There are car battery and I'm told, solar battery chargers available.
The thousands of free books out there, written by authors whose talents have withstood the test of time, more than pay for the Kindle.
I am not a "mac" person. I am not an "Amazon Apologist", whatever that is. I rate them on their record of service to me.
Now, lets talk Library usage. Yes, you can download books to your laptop, and from there, using a simple (even for me) script, onto your Kindle, where they will automatically "close" after the checkout period.
Practical Value. Well, lets see. I have over 300 books on my K1 right now. I can read anywhere, anytime. Any book. And, if I don't care to read one of those books already downloaded, I can do one of two things.
I can turn on Whispernet, and download any book Amazon has in Kindle format. For a fee, of course. Just like going into a bookstore.
I can log onto MobileRead, feedbooks, manybooks.net, or other sites and download any of their free ebooks with a click of a button
How much more "practical" do you want?