Most Helpful Customer Reviews
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236 of 250 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Kindle Cover: "Try me. I'm meant to help you. Hold me. I work.", February 9, 2008
The Kindle cover is completely, in my opinion, misunderstood by the majority of Kindle owners. Rather than a single star rated piece, I think it is pure genius, and frankly, I use it all the time flawlessly. It is made of leather and has a soft inner gray liner that is easy on the hands. It is very firm and rigid, not at all flimsy. It has a perfect locking system with the gray plastic tab. The corner pieces truly do not hold the device inside, it is the gray plastic middle spine tab that locks without issue on the back of the Kindle. As some have written, you might need to bend the tab on the cover up slightly to get it to engage, but once it clicks into place, it is foolproof. I would have no issues reading the Kindle in the bathtub or on a plane once the tab system is properly engaged; it is a pressure sensitive holding mechanism. Locked properly, pressure from the back cover against the tab and the corner holds the device.
The cover is very firm and substantial in feel, and is clearly meant to be on the Kindle when one reads with it. Every single reviewer I see on youtube and online seems to hold the Kindle in their hands, coverless, and then complains about errantly hitting the Page Forward button. Please, try using the device the way it was intended, in the cover. Once clicked into place, holding the cover, not the Kindle, just exactly as you would a traditional hardcover book will be a complete piece of heaven, and you will see the virtues of the cover in allowing you to very effortlessly click the Page Forward and Back buttons, and use the device as intended. The cpver is actually the "handle", if you will, and allows multiple hand positions, and the cover front becomes quite a nice place to rest your hands as you read. Just like a real book.
The Kindle is not held firmly into the cover on the `thin" end, the outer end of the device, and this allows one to easily pull the device forward and access the wireless button/ on and off without taking the Kindle out of the cover. I will say that, when I hold the Kindle overhead to read while lying totally supine in bed, the Kindle does tend to fall forward slightly in the thin end; perhaps a smidgeon of Velcro here or a magnetized bar would be a help in this one reading position, but all-in-all, sublime.
Don't even understand why some write about the rubber band turning on the scroll wheel--the rubber band can easily be wound around either corner, not the entire Kindle cover, and the problem doesn't occur and the cover stays shut. I believe this is the way the Kindle cover band is intended for use. And also, once the Kindle is in sleep mode (Alt-Aa), then hitting the scroll button does not affect the Kindle, waste power, or do any actions anyhow. Admittedly, I do not wish to overhit the scroll buttonj click wheel because of its potential fragility: for this, a small self-adhesive spot of felt on the inside cover (not on the Kindle) has kept the scroll wheel intact and unclicked even when closed.
A high quality product, and no, I do not work for Amazon. I really feel that this Kindle cover is meant to be integrated with the Kindle--used in unison--to allow you a very full reading experience. Try it. Give it some time. It's easy to hold, and will enhance your Kindle experience.
ADDENDUM: coolreviewer1 says:
Another breakthrough: As you read above, my Kindle, although engaged in the cover as described above with pulled tab, began to fall out more frequently than it did in the past. I needed a solution, and noted that the K sits in the cover, held by the tab, against the leather corners. As I owned the device for just over 2 months, the inner corners stretched slightly and the K would fall out now, esp when I lean it forward to turn wireless on and off.
Solution: I went to art supply store and bought a pack of 3/4 inch round, self adhesive cushions like the type you;d stick on the bottom of a flower vase or something so it would not scratch your tabletop. The one's I purchased were fairly thick--thicker than I thought would work, frankly--and then I scissored them in half (thus, had two half circles) and stuck them on the inside of each of the two inner leather corners. Does that make sense? I stuck them on the inner "wall", if you will, the one by the fold in the overall cover. The Kindle cover is fixed! You cannot see these when the K is in it;s cover, and it again keeps enough pressure that the K stays in the cover well. Frankly, it is a "tighter" feel than even when the cover was new. Key is that the outer (fatter) portion of the Kindle is tapered front to back, and thus what I thought was a relatively thick self-adhesive piece--oh, I don;t know, maybe 1/8-1/4 inches thick, works like a gem. Also, the pads that I bought are actually rubber rat5her than felt, which I think too helps keep steady pressure in the area of need. Give it a whirl.
This is a touch hard to explain in writing, but I hope this helps someone out there in Kindleland.
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49 of 50 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Flawed, but you need it! Works With a Small Velcro Fastener!, May 12, 2008
The Kindle Book Cover IS a flawed product, but it certainly helps for improving the proper use of the Kindle and it keeps the device safe from harm. Many of the problems associated with inadvertently pressing the page keys on the Kindle are resolved when you use the book cover. The cover allows you to grasp the Kindle without touching the buttons. I also like the leather feel of the cover which gives the Kindle a more book like feel...and for $399, you'd expect it to be a leather bound book!!
However, the gripes about the cover being difficult to install on the Kindle and its tendency to slip loose are absolutely correct. First you need to make sure the notch on the cover fits the notch on the back battery cover. It requires a firm push. However, when you check to make certain the notch is affixed properly, the battery cover tends to slip off the back of the Kindle.
Nevertheless, I fixed the slippage problem with a small velcro fastener on the right side of the Kindle. Worked perfectly to keep the device fixed in place. No problems so far with the velcro coming loose and the Kindle sits firmly in the Book Cover.
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38 of 42 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Useful with some modification, May 5, 2008
I've had my Kindle for about a week, and generally I love it. It's not flawless, but it's pretty darn good. The cover, though - is more of a mixed bag.
At first, I thought I'd use the Kindle without the cover, but I realized that it would get damaged too quickly. So I tried the cover - and while it did provide SOME protection, it didn't really work for me. Like so many other people have commented - the little plastic tab that holds the Kindle in place pops out of the socket with the slightest effort, and the two corners holders don't really hold the Kindle in place.
However, after using it for a few days, it was pretty easy to realize where there should have been better hold points, namely the lower right corner and the upper left corner. Securing only these points would allow the user to reach the back switches without dislodging the Kindle from the cover. At first, I thought that using Velcro would solve the problem, but I was reluctant to go that route. I've used both self-adhesive Velcro tape as well as pre-cut squares and dots, and the problem that I have had consistently is that the adhesive doesn't not hold well to fabric surfaces. The Velcro falls off, leaving a nasty, sticky residue. The thought of having to hot glue the Velcro made me a bit queasy.
Additionally, low-profile Velcro (the kind used in consumer applications) doesn't have a lot of locking power over a small area (less than a square inch). It's good for keeping something casually closed, but it doesn't withstand much direct tension - the hooks are too small to deeply grab the loops.
What I did have on hand were a few 3M Dual Lock strips. This works on the same principle as Velcro, but instead of a hook side and a loop side, the two sides are identical: little plastic "mushrooms" in a wavy pattern that interlock - sort of like Legos. And like Legos, the strips need to be peeled away from each other with considerable effort, they are resistant to direct tension. The only think I was worried about was whether the adhesive would hold to the fabric on the inside cover, and it did without any problem. The only problem I forsee is that it will be TOO difficult to get the Kindle loose from the case now!
I put one small piece (1/4 inch by 2/3 inch) on the lower right edge, and a slightly smaller piece in the inside of the upper right hand "cup". The mate to this piece I trimmed to follow the contour of the Kindle. So far, these small strips hold the Kindle so securely, I could wave the encased unit around by the front flap (and I have), and it wouldn't budge.
So - to sum up, the cover works just fine with a few modifications. Frankly, I'd pay more than the price of the replacement cover if there was a version in a better quality leather, both inside and outside, and with a real hinge on the spine so it folds back without crumpling.
I am very tempted to take this case to a local leather goods manufacturer (they manufacture for Cross, among others), and see if they'll do a bespoke case for me in the materials of my choice.
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