Kindle 3.5

vugtitan · 08-29-2010, 07:08 AM

kindle 3 measurements indicate it is still to large and bulky and most of the space is taken up the bezal and keyboard.

i suggest amazon should get rid of the keyboard altogether.

no one i know takes notes while reading.totally pointless activity for most people.what is the point?

i take notes very seldom sometimes in my memory, the one in my head.

the minority of students and facebook addicts can buy the kindle 3 if they want to take notes.

just keep the menu navigation keys or use a cheap touch screen as the contrast is high enough now.

reduce the huge bezel size down to about 3 to 5 millimetres.

get rid of wi-fi and 3g.
people can download to their pc and transfer via usb.

have more fonts like size 8 and 10 and have 2 page display.

attach/glue/print the thin bluish stripe solar cells on to the back cover so it charges from light also.

reduce the price to £39.99.this will makes sales rocket even more for Joe Average

HarryT · 08-29-2010, 07:11 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vugtitan

no one i know takes notes while reading.totally pointless activity for most people.what is the point?

I do. I create my own e-books and use the "notes" feature to record errors in the book while I'm reading it. When I've finished the book, I fix all the errors that I found.

DiapDealer · 08-29-2010, 07:37 AM

I take notes all the time. It makes it much easier to write reviews.

AdrianM · 08-29-2010, 08:07 AM

I must admit that it would be nice if there was a K3 lite that would be a minimalist eReader with just a screen surrounded by a thinnish bezel, fitted with a couple of navigation and menu buttons. I'd have no issues even if you had to manage it entirely from a PC/Laptop. For me, and I guess the majority of people, most of the other things are superfluous.

There are limits on how much can be cut away from the bezel though - you have to hold it with something after all...

Slava · 08-29-2010, 08:23 AM

Something like original Sony 500 with price under $75-99. There will be enough people (probably) that buy it. It still needs at least WiFi to buy books online without computer.

SamuraiXSendai · 08-29-2010, 08:40 AM

Vugitan, do you actually read and buy books? I search on the device very frequently to see if certain books are available and use the keyboard frequently.

bwaldron · 08-29-2010, 08:58 AM

I take notes often, especially when reading non-fiction. I also use the search function frequently. I am happy to have the keyboard.

HarryT · 08-29-2010, 09:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bwaldron

I take notes often, especially when reading non-fiction. I also use the search function frequently. I am happy to have the keyboard.

For things like searching and note-taking, though, a touch-screen with a "soft" (ie on-screen) keyboard works equally well. I have a number of devices which use this method, and it works at least as well as the Kindle's tiny physical keys do.

rcuadro · 08-29-2010, 09:19 AM

I will not say that I use the keyboard all the time but I do take notes from time to time... especially when I put something together and then upload to the Kindle...

Slava · 08-29-2010, 09:34 AM

Ok, here is an idea.

Amazon makes simplified version of Kindle under $99 - smaller, no physical keyboard (but on screen virtual keyboard still present), Wi-Fi only.

Then makes a deal McDonalds. One goes to McDonalds, then buys a book using their free Wi-Fi, and gets Jr Cheeseburger or something. They can call it "Food for knowledge" or "Reading is eating"

TheKindleWorm · 08-29-2010, 10:13 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

For things like searching and note-taking, though, a touch-screen with a "soft" (ie on-screen) keyboard works equally well. I have a number of devices which use this method, and it works at least as well as the Kindle's tiny physical keys do.

I have a iPhone but find it so much harder to "type" on than the Kindle. I make a lot more mistakes on the touchscreen and I just don't like it as much.

I would prefer that Amazon stick with the physical keyboard even if they have to come up with one that pulls or slides out.

I guess it boils down to personal preference.

djgreedo · 08-29-2010, 10:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by vugtitan

i suggest amazon should get rid of the keyboard altogether.

They will once they get a touchscreen working without compromising the display (which is the Kindle's killer feature).

Quote:

no one i know takes notes while reading.totally pointless activity for most people.what is the point?

I rarely use the keyboard myself, but I think ebooks need input capability (searching, etc.). I think it's a feature that most people get at least some benefit from, and a lot of people would miss if it were gone. Again, when the touchscreen tech gets to the right place...

Quote:

just keep the menu navigation keys or use a cheap touch screen as the contrast is high enough now.

Touchscreens are not cheap compared to a plastic keyboard (and the cheaper touchscreens seriously affect the e-ink display, as I experienced on the Sony PRS-700). Touchscreens also get covered in greasy smudges very easily.

Quote:

reduce the huge bezel size down to about 3 to 5 millimetres.

Easier said than done. You need somewhere to hold. The electronics need space, buttons need a place. Amazon have made the new Kindle smaller than the last generation, and I'm sure they would make is smaller if it was practical.

Quote:

get rid of wi-fi and 3g.
people can download to their pc and transfer via usb.

There is a great benefit of having an always-on connection via 3G. I like the idea of downloading a book or sample wherever I am, and the syncing feature allows me to read occasionally on my phone and have my place automatically kept up to date. I was quite cynical of the Kindle's Whispernet when I first heard of it. Wireless is great for removing those little barriers and inconveniences.

Quote:

have more fonts like size 8 and 10 and have 2 page display.

attach/glue/print the thin bluish stripe solar cells on to the back cover so it charges from light also.

reduce the price to £39.99.this will makes sales rocket even more for Joe Average

The Kindle has plenty of font sizes. Two page display would be awful on a 6-inch screen (or do you mean 2 screens?).

Solar cells are expensive and inefficient. They would be of little use to the Kindle besides increasing the price.

I'm sure that selling the Kindle for 40 pounds would ensure a lot more got sold, but they cost a lost more than that to make, so it's probably not a great idea. Considering the original Kindle price, I think Amazon are well on track to getting the Kindle to that breakthrough price, but the technology is still quite young.

These companies don't pick prices arbitrarily. The price to manufacture and research has to be covered (and the free shipping that US buyers get does cost Amazon money). I'd be surprised if Amazon are making any serious margin on the Kindle devices. I wouldn't be surprised if they make more profit off one of those $60 cases with the $2 light attached than they do off an actual Kindle.

djgreedo · 08-29-2010, 10:18 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TheKindleWorm

I have a iPhone but find it so much harder to "type" on than the Kindle. I make a lot more mistakes on the touchscreen and I just don't like it as much.

I would prefer that Amazon stick with the physical keyboard even if they have to come up with one that pulls or slides out.

I guess it boils down to personal preference.

Now that you mention it, a slide-out keyboard would be great on the Kindle. I hate typing on a touchscreen, it's one of the most unpleasant and tedious endeavours I ever attempt, but I was willing to accept it on the Kindle since I rarely type more than a couple of words into the Kindle at any given time.

HarryT · 08-29-2010, 10:23 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by djgreedo

Now that you mention it, a slide-out keyboard would be great on the Kindle. I hate typing on a touchscreen, it's one of the most unpleasant and tedious endeavours I ever attempt, but I was willing to accept it on the Kindle since I rarely type more than a couple of words into the Kindle at any given time.

The Kindle doesn't have a touch screen.

TheKindleWorm · 08-29-2010, 10:28 AM

Thing is with a physical keyboard, you can memorise where the keys are and type by "feel" - this is not possible with a touchscreen keyboard because you cannot feel where the keys are in relation to each other - you simply have to look and it slows the entire process down.

I not only search on my Kindle but also make lots of notes and write emails. It is more than a reading device to me - it is a complete research tool. Removing the physical keyboard would ruin the device for me.

But I do appreciate that people want different things.

08-29-2010, 07:08 AM	#1
vugtitan Addict Posts: 299 Karma: 1042776 Join Date: Aug 2010 Device: none	Kindle 3.5 kindle 3 measurements indicate it is still to large and bulky and most of the space is taken up the bezal and keyboard. i suggest amazon should get rid of the keyboard altogether. no one i know takes notes while reading.totally pointless activity for most people.what is the point? i take notes very seldom sometimes in my memory, the one in my head. the minority of students and facebook addicts can buy the kindle 3 if they want to take notes. just keep the menu navigation keys or use a cheap touch screen as the contrast is high enough now. reduce the huge bezel size down to about 3 to 5 millimetres. get rid of wi-fi and 3g. people can download to their pc and transfer via usb. have more fonts like size 8 and 10 and have 2 page display. attach/glue/print the thin bluish stripe solar cells on to the back cover so it charges from light also. reduce the price to £39.99.this will makes sales rocket even more for Joe Average

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08-29-2010, 07:37 AM	#3
DiapDealer Grand Sorcerer Posts: 28,572 Karma: 204127028 Join Date: Jan 2010 Device: Nexus 7, Kindle Fire HD	I take notes all the time. It makes it much easier to write reviews.

08-29-2010, 08:07 AM	#4
AdrianM Connoisseur Posts: 98 Karma: 5026 Join Date: Jul 2010 Device: nook, K3	I must admit that it would be nice if there was a K3 lite that would be a minimalist eReader with just a screen surrounded by a thinnish bezel, fitted with a couple of navigation and menu buttons. I'd have no issues even if you had to manage it entirely from a PC/Laptop. For me, and I guess the majority of people, most of the other things are superfluous. There are limits on how much can be cut away from the bezel though - you have to hold it with something after all...

08-29-2010, 08:23 AM	#5
Slava Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 129 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New England Device: PRS-500 · iPad · K3	Something like original Sony 500 with price under $75-99. There will be enough people (probably) that buy it. It still needs at least WiFi to buy books online without computer.

08-29-2010, 08:40 AM	#6
SamuraiXSendai Addict Posts: 229 Karma: 1234 Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: Earth Device: Kindle 1. Kindle 2. IPAD. KDXG. Kindle 3.Fire	Vugitan, do you actually read and buy books? I search on the device very frequently to see if certain books are available and use the keyboard frequently.

08-29-2010, 08:58 AM	#7
bwaldron Wizard Posts: 1,230 Karma: 543210 Join Date: Feb 2008 Location: Gatlinburg, Tennessee Device: Kindles: Paperwhite Signature Ed., Oasis 2, Voyage	I take notes often, especially when reading non-fiction. I also use the search function frequently. I am happy to have the keyboard.

08-29-2010, 09:19 AM	#9
rcuadro Wizard Posts: 1,686 Karma: 874275 Join Date: Nov 2008 Location: Virginia Beach, VA Device: Kindle DX	I will not say that I use the keyboard all the time but I do take notes from time to time... especially when I put something together and then upload to the Kindle...

08-29-2010, 09:34 AM	#10
Slava Addict Posts: 285 Karma: 129 Join Date: Sep 2006 Location: New England Device: PRS-500 · iPad · K3	Ok, here is an idea. Amazon makes simplified version of Kindle under $99 - smaller, no physical keyboard (but on screen virtual keyboard still present), Wi-Fi only. Then makes a deal McDonalds. One goes to McDonalds, then buys a book using their free Wi-Fi, and gets Jr Cheeseburger or something. They can call it "Food for knowledge" or "Reading is eating"

08-29-2010, 10:28 AM	#15
TheKindleWorm Guru Posts: 860 Karma: 177868 Join Date: Aug 2010 Location: East Anglia UK Device: Kindle 3G, iPhone 3G, iPod 4G, PB 360, Sony 600 sold, Kindle 2i sold	Thing is with a physical keyboard, you can memorise where the keys are and type by "feel" - this is not possible with a touchscreen keyboard because you cannot feel where the keys are in relation to each other - you simply have to look and it slows the entire process down. I not only search on my Kindle but also make lots of notes and write emails. It is more than a reading device to me - it is a complete research tool. Removing the physical keyboard would ruin the device for me. But I do appreciate that people want different things.