I used to be a very avid reader, but with work, family and just the craziness of life over time I found myself reading less and less. I next turned to audiobooks so that I could read when I couldn't sit down with a book, but depending on the device you are using that's not always the easiest thing either. When the Kindle 1 first came out, I was curious but couldn't imagine reading a book on a screen. Fast forward to Christmas 2009. My husband semi-surprised me with a Kindle 2. I say semi-surprised because it was his idea to get me an e-reader, but he couldn't decide between the different ones and finally broke down and told me so that we could compare together and I could decide which one I wanted. We finally settled on the Kindle 2 and I could not be happier!
We looked at the Kindle 2, Kindle DX, Sony Reader and the Nook. The Nook was the first to be eliminated. It's just too new from a company that's never done an e-reader before. The big novelty of the Nook seems to be that it has a color screen, but from what I understand it is just a small portion of the bottom of the Nook, which displays book titles, a keyboard, directional keys, etc. Didn't seem like such a big deal to me. We also eliminated the Kindle DX because even though it has a bigger screen, it was out of our price range. That left the Kindle 2 and Sony Reader.
The novelty of the Sony Reader is the touch screen. Kinda cool but not a necessity for me. I analogize it to my and my husband's mobile phones. He has an iPhone and I have a Blackberry. While I think it is a cool feature to be able to touch the screen, I don't miss it when I am using my Blackberry and prefer the feeling of pressing actual keys over hitting the screen with my fingers or a stylus that I would inevitably lose. I also read complaints that the program for downloading books to your computer and then transferring to the Sony Reader was glitchy. In contrast to the Sony Reader, the Kindle 2 has a physical keyboard and I do not have to worry about problematic software to get books on my reader. I was finally sold on the Kindle 2 because of the ability to download books directly to the Kindle 2 and the ability to listen to my audiobooks from Audible.
On the book downloads, I love being able to read samples of a book (the first couple of chapters), and then, if I decide I like what I am reading thus far, being able to purchase the book and get access to it within a matter of a few minutes. Searching the Amazon Store on the Kindle 2 is surprisingly convenient, you can browse through categories or type in a search, and can read a description and reviews of the book. However, if you have no idea what book or category you are interested in and will be doing extensive browsing, it is probably easier to search the Amazon website on your computer, as the internet access is not the best (but what can you expect, it is like accessing the internet on a phone, good enough for when you need something but not ideal or intended for extended web surfing). But again, even if you purchase the book on your computer, you do not have to worry about the whole business of transferring it over to your reader. It will automatically download to your Kindle.
On the audiobooks, the Kindle is a recognized device with Audible.com. For those not familiar with Audible, it has its own program for downloading books from the internet, and for managing and playing the audiobooks. You get book info, can track your progress, bookmark pages and save your place in the book. (I tried reading through a plain mp3 player once and I got so frustrated with having to keep finding my place in the book I finally gave up on it!). You sync the Kindle with the Audible Manager on your desktop and can play the audiobook on the Kindle like any other Audible recognized device. You do have to transfer books from your desktop to the Kindle, but I have never had a problem with the transfer process. And the Kindle 2 has enough memory that I can download several audiobooks at one time and reduce the number of times I have to hook up to my desktop.
Although I do like reading physical books, surprisingly I have thoroughly enjoyed reading books on the Kindle. Plus I have the added bonus of listening to my audiobooks. Both of my book sources in one convenient place. In the week I have had my Kindle, I find that I am reading/listening whenever I can. I hook up the Kindle to the auxiliary jack in my car to and from work and any other time I am in my car, and the Kindle is small enough that I carry it around in my purse and whenever I have a few minutes to spare I pull it out and start reading.
In short, the Kindle 2 has brought the joy of reading back into my life! Thank you Amazon!
A Kindle Review in Light of iPad and 2010
As I write this review, I want to be careful to not just repeat what the other 16 thousand other Kindle customers have posted on Amazon.com. We all know that the Kindle is by far the best e-book reading device if your serious about really reading. And I want this review to really be for the people who are wondering whether or not to get this or the iPad. The iPad is awesome, but I think that for the price, you may be a person who would prefer the Kindle. There are really 5 things that stood out to me as a first time Kindle owner in the Summer of 2010. 1. Why I purchased this over the iPad - The iPad is truly a revolutionary device. I was planning on getting one, and may still get one in the future. But this device would be my first plunge into the e-reading market, and I wanted to get something that would relate well with my slight departure from actual, physical books. And I still think that the kindle is for people who really really love reading. The Kindle's size, weight, and paper like, e-ink screen make it the closest thing to being a book without actually being a book. If your serious about the ease and act of reading, get a Kindle. It's lack of features compared to the iPad take away the distractions and puts you in the book. When someone comes up to me and sees me on the Kindle, they don't ask me "what I'm doing, or what's that?" They ask me "what are you READING?" I like that. ' 2. Kindle Experience - There are a lot of options for e-readers out there. There is the Barnes and Noble nook, the Sony e-reader and many others. I debated and compared many of these. Some of them even have more features or be more compatible with book types than the Kindle. But numbers are not everything. I think the Kindle does a way better job at paying attention to the details in the user experience. User experience is what makes people love a product. Amazon does an awesome job. My Kindle was shipped in two days for free. I had a friendly welcome e-mail right after I ordered the Kindle, and the owners manual was automatically downloaded to my computers Kindle app so I could familiarize myself with the hardware before I even had it in my hands. Amazon knows it's customers care about the environment, so the packaging was hassle free and very simple. Even the little touches like the "Once upon a time..." tape that you peel off to open the box make it fun. I was reading in seconds after turning the Kindle on and downloads are extremely fast. When I'm on my computer, I can browse the Kindle store (something you can do on the iPad) and when I get back to my Kindle, my books are ready to read. The screen, after a couple of weeks of use, is flawless, smooth, and wonderful. I quickly forget about the device and soon enough, I'm reading, just reading. ' 3. The responsive, listening community - The Kindle community of users are very friendly people. I love how responsive people are in sharing books that they've found. On twitter, it was nice to hear from @AmazonKindle with a friendly welcome and eagerness to hear what I think about the device and what books I'm reading. I've met many users online and my reading list easy began to grow and grow. And with so many free books, I'm pretty sure that the Kindle has already paid for itself, and that's just the beginning. I love to be able to share my notes and highlights on twitter, and there's even this cool feature that shows places in the books that your reading that many people have highlighted. It helps me to focus in more, because the smart kindle community wants other readers to see what they thought stood out in importance. 'For kindle recommendations, you can follow me @tacojonny on twitter and I'd love to follow you! 4. The Value - It's a great time to get involved in e-reading. And if you buy a lot of books, you'll save a lot of money. Many books are free, and a lot of books are just around $10, which can be more than 50% cheaper than buying at the book store. And I love how you can add books to your wish list and how you can download generous free samples of all the books. I read a sample of a book that had three chapters. It took me the whole day just to read the sample, and when I reached the end, I could push one button, download the full book, and continue reading. And after you've read a few books, Amazon.com gets really smart and starts recommending books like crazy. I started reading a book by Arnold Bennett, and since then, I've read many books similar to that style, subject, and time period. It's pretty awesome. Also, since this thing comes with FREE internet access, I've been able to use this to check e-mail, weather, and even use it when I get lost by looking up google maps from my car. 3G internet, Audible audio books, MP3 player, and books turns this thing into the modern day, real-life Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. And the Kindle get's smarter and smarter each day that I use it. ' 5. Making me smarter - I use to not really like reading. But after owning the Kindle, I'm a believer. Kindle owners sort of re-kindle a love for reading, and find themselves reading all the time. And the more I read the better and faster I read, making me smarter. And since the Kindle saves all my notes and highlights I can refer back to the easily for writing columns, blog posts, papers, and more. This is a great gift for a college student like me. I love being up on the latest books. I also love the fact that I can look stuff up directly from a book on Wikipedia, and then go back to reading. This is great for learning as you read, both in fiction and non-fiction. I've been learning a lot of new vocabulary with the awesome build-in dictionary while I read the Adventures of Sherlock-Holmes. And many of the free books are some of the greatest classics, which anybody who knows anything about literature should read. Somebody asked my if I'd read Pride and Prejudice, and thanks to Kindle I can read it for free! The kindle is a great value for anyone who loves reading, or who wants to start a habit or hobby of reading. After owning this device for just a couple of weeks, it has re-kindled my love for reading and was a purchase that I was glad I made over and over again with no regrets. I now carry a whole bookstore, and my personal library, and the internet in my book-bag, which is lighter now than ever before! If your still comparing, stop now and just get the Kindle. You won't regret it! An audio review in podcast form can be found on [...]. The Poor Man's Podcast strives to find products, news, and tips from anything from tech to travel to help "normal" people find the most value out of life! Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G, 6" Display, White, 3G Works Globally - Latest Generation
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- Reviewed in the United States on January 3, 2010
