Customer Reviews

The Onion Blog

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(3)
3 star:		(2)
2 star:		(4)
1 star:		(5)

 

 

I was all ready to write a 4-star review until 20 minutes ago.
I fired up the Kindle and saw some new content had arrived for the Onion (which happens once or twice per day). Upon opening the first story, I saw they had addressed the #1 problem I had with the service and it pushed the review up to 5 stars: they are now including pictures.
I know it doesn't seem like much, but it really adds to the humor. Previously, I'd read the articles on my Kindle while away from the computer... and then I'd end up going to the website so I could see the picture that I assumed should be there.
There have been a lot of complaints in these reviews about improper formatting, space between words, etc. All of these things have been worked out for a few weeks now, so you don't need to worry about that. I've subscribed to a few blogs/magazines on my Kindle and I'd say that the Onion is now some of the best-formatted content available. I'll post a few screenshots to show what it now looks like on my Kindle 2.
If you tried it before and you were unhappy with it, I urge you to try it again. If you wrote a negative review and your concerns have been addressed, please check it out again and update your review accordingly (if it changes your mind).
Fans of The Onion can now subscribe on their Kindle and be happy with the content they receive.

EDIT: I have uploaded a few screenshots of how the Onion content looks on the Kindle 2. You can see them under user photos at the top.
AMAZON: you might need to find a different way to manage reviews of things like this... it isn't a product, it is a service. Some of the "most helpful" reviews are over a year old. The service has since adjusted and updated so those reviews are (at least partially) no longer accurate... yet those are the first (and possibly only) reviews that a new user will see.

I gave this a shot for a few days, but it's just not formatted well. For some reason, their HTML->Kindle conversion leaves out spaces between words on a regular basis. You can kind of get used to it, but it's jarring enough to block the humor.

It's a cancel for me, I'm afraid, and I love the Onion.

When asked to review a portable, alternatively-formatted version of The Onion, a popular online satirical newspaper, a local man stated "No AV Club? No sale. Meh."

He continued, "I like The Onion. There was a time I'd visit it every week for updates, which are always witty, sarcastic, and sometimes confused for real news. The paper edition, which resembles a pint-size USA Today, is also a lot of fun."

"Even better is the AV Club portion of the site, with music and movie reviews not found elsewhere. I'm particularly fond of Dan Savage's 'Savage Love' sex-advice column, and Wil Wheaton's reviews of old video games."

This loyal fan feels that the Kindle version isn't worth the asking price. The Kindle delivery system necessitates a certain style of formatting, using plain text, and occasional, minimal black and white graphics. Unlike its online equivalent, which is updated weekly, the Kindle edition has several small updates during the week, ostensibly to make this online publication resemble a weblog (or "blog") rather than a newspaper.

The reviewer began pacing around the room, gesturing manically. "What tears it is the complete absence of the AV Club!"

The description for this "blog" at Amazon's sales page states "A non-satirical entertainment section covering all aspects of the industry is offered, plus information, critique, and commentary about media and the arts."

"If it 'is offered,' I don't see where, because it didn't come up on my Kindle!" hissed the commentator. "This material should be treated as a weekly newspaper, and if it isn't complete, I see no reason to pay for it in this hobbled format. I'll continue to read it on my computer, as I have done for years ... and if I really need an Onion fix, I'll hit the WAP version at [...]."

He stormed off in a huff, shouting, "Somebody please wake me if/when this gets fixed, and I'll sign up again. Until then, Area Man Quits Paying For Hobbled Version of Free Website."

The service is getting worse. The What Do You Think? segment is not working, missing most of article. Also now shows audio and video links which obviously don't work on a Kindle. Too bad, I've always enjoyed The Onion and hope they realize that they should tailor this to the Kindle's strengths.

Despite what you may feel about The Onion (I love it), there's no question in my mind that the Kindle edition of The Onion is terrible. Poor navigation, horrible formatting, not really readable.

Ok, you can go to the website for The Onion and read the articles there for free, or pay for the paper version (which I rarely find).

What's neat is a new article from the Onion is sent to the Kindle every day (sometimes two or three articles, of varying length). In the evening, after reading the 'serious' news, it's nice to Kindle to the Onion and read the days feature.

The online retailer Amazon has begun to offer The Onion delivered wirelessly to the Kindle eBook reader. What do _you_ think?

Roger Beal,
Marketing Consultant
"Man, I love having my favorite newspaper in a barely legible format and missing half the content for the low, low price of $1.99 a month."

Timothy Summers,
Unemployed
"I can pick up a print version or go to the website to read the full version for free but, you know, what do you want for nothing?"

Shelia Wilkins,
Systems Analyst
"There's all those words and articles in the full versions... it's like the Kindle is doing all the work reading for me. Thanks Amazon!"

I tried the 2-week trial, and canceled my subscription before that was even over! I love the Onion, but this is terrible. It downloaded a bunch of archived articles the day I first subscribed. The next day, it downloaded a handful of new articles. That was over a week ago. There's been nothing since! Why would I pay $1.99 for something that will get me a few articles a week? I'll stick with the online version - since it's FREE!

I ordered it last week. When I got my Kindle it downloaded the sports section, dated Sept. something, and then nothing since. Other newspapers and magazines are working -- Time, NYT, etc. -- but not the Onion. I don't feel like messing with customer service, and there's plenty of other stuff to read on my Kindle. Bye-bye.

love the onion but it wont let me access archived material. so i can only read todays stuff? i try to save them but i dont always get to it every day. i wish it automatically saved them like readers digest does.