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SensualPoet · 12-18-2009, 07:04 PM

There is room for improvement in the Kindle 2 keyboard -- improvement does not include removing it. Touch screen is not necessarily the answer. They have their uses -- but cost needs to be weighed. The Kindle's "it just works" elegance is something worth protecting and not fooling around with.

The basics: to deliver a pleasurable reading experience. Non-backlit e-ink is a pretty remarkable advance in screen technology. OK, colour is nice when evaluating illuminated sacred texts -- but Sam Spade is just fine, thanks, in b&w.

I love the web: that's why I have a computer. But it's a nibbly experience -- this, that, the next thing: text, pictures, video -- a mashup of ideas and streaming collectivity. I can share my pictures, my life moments, my rages and loves on Facebook. But none of this is the experience of curling up and have a good read, with a cat snoozing on my calves.

Perhaps there is room for two or three Kindles: the "pulp" Kindle, the "academic" Kindle and the "gizmo on steroids" Kindle. At the heart of each: easy-on-the-eyes reading, simple navigation and user interface. If you want to take notes and merge stuff in from the web, maybe the academic version is for you. If you want a stripped down tablet computer that is optimized for books, magazines and newspapers (in that order), then there is the gizmo version for you.

Kindle 2 gets me most of where I want to go with a dedicated reader: crisp resizable type; a form factor whilst reading that is "natural" and familiar; easy access to, storage and acquisition of new content; a comfort zone on the investment if the device is lost or damaged beyond repair.

There are some added benefits: the built in dictionary; the built in "read to me"; the built-in access to wikipedia -- and a workable keyboard to access it. For notes, it's not so good ... that's why an "academic" version might be helpful for folks willing to pay for such extras.

But for just having a great read -- the Kindle 2 is pretty darn good as is. By all means continue to enhance it ... but let's not lose its essence.

12-18-2009, 07:04 PM	#60
SensualPoet Wizard Posts: 2,302 Karma: 2607151 Join Date: Nov 2009 Location: Toronto Device: Kobo Aura HD, Kindle Paperwhite, Asus ZenPad 3, Kobo Glo	There is room for improvement in the Kindle 2 keyboard -- improvement does not include removing it. Touch screen is not necessarily the answer. They have their uses -- but cost needs to be weighed. The Kindle's "it just works" elegance is something worth protecting and not fooling around with. The basics: to deliver a pleasurable reading experience. Non-backlit e-ink is a pretty remarkable advance in screen technology. OK, colour is nice when evaluating illuminated sacred texts -- but Sam Spade is just fine, thanks, in b&w. I love the web: that's why I have a computer. But it's a nibbly experience -- this, that, the next thing: text, pictures, video -- a mashup of ideas and streaming collectivity. I can share my pictures, my life moments, my rages and loves on Facebook. But none of this is the experience of curling up and have a good read, with a cat snoozing on my calves. Perhaps there is room for two or three Kindles: the "pulp" Kindle, the "academic" Kindle and the "gizmo on steroids" Kindle. At the heart of each: easy-on-the-eyes reading, simple navigation and user interface. If you want to take notes and merge stuff in from the web, maybe the academic version is for you. If you want a stripped down tablet computer that is optimized for books, magazines and newspapers (in that order), then there is the gizmo version for you. Kindle 2 gets me most of where I want to go with a dedicated reader: crisp resizable type; a form factor whilst reading that is "natural" and familiar; easy access to, storage and acquisition of new content; a comfort zone on the investment if the device is lost or damaged beyond repair. There are some added benefits: the built in dictionary; the built in "read to me"; the built-in access to wikipedia -- and a workable keyboard to access it. For notes, it's not so good ... that's why an "academic" version might be helpful for folks willing to pay for such extras. But for just having a great read -- the Kindle 2 is pretty darn good as is. By all means continue to enhance it ... but let's not lose its essence. Last edited by SensualPoet; 12-18-2009 at 07:08 PM.