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-   -   Returned my Kindle today... (http://forums.pelicanparts.com/off-topic-discussions/524138-returned-my-kindle-today.html)

widgeon13 01-31-2010 03:06 AM

SI should have used the swimsuit edition!

How do you use it on a plane? If no wifi and no 3G.

Erakad 01-31-2010 03:20 AM

I got a Kindle for my wife, mostly to avoid the collection of paperbacks she acquires. While overseas, Iphones, touches, pads, won't be an option. I don't have a need for another cell, and don't need the premiums. The Kindle is smaller than books, netbooks, and the wifi feature (to hotspots and home network) adds to the convenience. So far it's working out.

Dottore 01-31-2010 03:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Erakad (Post 5157054)
I got a Kindle for my wife, mostly to avoid the collection of paperbacks she acquires. While overseas, Iphones, touches, pads, won't be an option. I don't have a need for another cell, and don't need the premiums. The Kindle is smaller than books, netbooks, and the wifi feature (to hotspots and home network) adds to the convenience. So far it's working out.

Agreed. I use the Kindle only for travel—but there I use it a lot. Great to just throw the Kindle into the bag, instead of a stack of books. And also great to download my favorite paper every morning wherever I am. It's a very specific tool for me, but one I will probably continue to use for the foreseeable future.

Porsche-O-Phile 01-31-2010 05:36 AM

Aside from the interface, how is it any better than just putting .pdf versions of you books onto a laptop which does all that other stuff you like anyway?

Laneco 01-31-2010 05:43 AM

My mother is completely enamoured with the Kindle (wants me to buy her one). I looked at them and really felt they were a rather redundant piece of technology.

The idea of a Kindle is good, but the problem is, why wouldn't I just load a book onto my laptop? I'm already carrying it. I'd probably be better off just buying an extra battery for the laptop instead of spending $300 on a Kindle.

angela

Joeaksa 01-31-2010 05:54 AM

Am an old fart. Like books that you can hold in your hand. More personality.

m21sniper 01-31-2010 06:03 AM

I never even heard of a kindle.

stomachmonkey 01-31-2010 06:33 AM

With Joe

I like books also.

But that's the major diff between an ereader and laptop, ergonomics. Not a trivial thing.

Dottore 01-31-2010 07:19 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Porsche-O-Phile (Post 5157138)
Aside from the interface, how is it any better than just putting .pdf versions of you books onto a laptop which does all that other stuff you like anyway?

In all kinds of ways.

1. It much smaller and lighter than any lap top.

2. The screen is not backlit—so you can read it outside in sunlight.

3. Downloads take seconds.

4. You download anywhere (any WIFI point) without codes or passwords or credit card numbers etc.

5. The machine is purpose built for reading. You can mark text. Save text. Cut and paste text to your computer.

6. It works brilliantly—ergonomically—as a reading machine.

7. Because the screen is not back-lit the battery life is phenomenal. You can read War & Peace without recharging.

I like books as well, but read and travel a lot—and love the Kindle. It's completely eliminated that extra "book bag".

PS: One more thing: You probably wouldn't take your laptop to the beach. I took the Kindle and my dog to the beach yesterday afternoon, and spent a few hours reading and playing fetch with the dog. There's definitely a role for this piece of technology in my life.

9dreizig 01-31-2010 07:21 AM

I bought my mom one and she loves it.. It's for books and magazines no more no less. Laptops are a bit more cumbersome. She like it for when my stepdad is driving.. I think it's good for what it's intended

Joeaksa 01-31-2010 07:27 AM

Difference is that I have to carry a laptop for my work, so nothing will eliminate the laptop. Paperbacks do not weight that much so almost always have 1-2 in my bag.

imcarthur 01-31-2010 07:37 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Joeaksa (Post 5157169)
Am an old fart. Like books that you can hold in your hand. More personality.

Agreed. I like to fold back pages, spill crap on them, kill bugs with them. I like physical books.

And besides, I already carry too much technology on the road. Blackberry, small laptop, TomTom & mount & chargers & cords for all. Any more & it would be totally out of control.

Ian

island911 01-31-2010 08:06 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dottore (Post 5157318)
...

2. The screen is not backlit—so you can read it outside in sunlight.

...
PS: One more thing: You probably wouldn't take your laptop to the beach. I took the Kindle and my dog to the beach yesterday afternoon, and spent a few hours reading and playing fetch with the dog. There's definitely a role for this piece of technology in my life.

Really good point. I see quite a few Kindles on the beaches of Hawaii. Whereas my little LED (bright) backlit display (tablet or phone) are tough to read, esp if I'm wearing a white t-shirt. ....Bright reflections are really annoying on even the best B/L displays.

enzo1 01-31-2010 08:32 AM

McMillan(the largest publisher of books in USA) has been pulled from the Amazon.com site, guess Jeff got pissed

911boost 01-31-2010 11:52 AM

I too have a Kindle that I use soley for business travel. It takes up a lot less room that paperbacks, and like others, I have a huge growing stack of them accumulating.

What I like the best about it is not having to worry about buying whatever the airport newstand is selling. Even in some of the larger airports, the selection can be dismal. If I finish a book in the hotel room, I just download another one.

Some folks love Apple and purchase whatever they sell, I'm cool with that, I just don't see the need to get rid of something I already have that does what I want it to do perfectly.

Bill

VINMAN 01-31-2010 01:37 PM

I prefer the feel of an actual book also. I tried one of those book reader thingys, just couldn't get used to it. I'm old school. I prefer the feel of paper in my hand. I hate the new trend of user and repair manuals on cd's. I like paper catalogs over shopping on-line. Hell, if there was a way to put Pelican in magazine form I'd do it!:D

enzo1 01-31-2010 02:48 PM

Mcmillan got it's way, its back on Amazon

fxeditor 01-31-2010 09:53 PM

I love my Kindle! I know it may not be for everybody but for my needs it's almost perfect.

I really like the form factor of the device itself.

I find that I read much faster with the one page only display.

I like that when I travel i can throw the Kindle in my bag and not have to bother with a charger because the batteries last for weeks!

I like the fact that I can adjust the font size because my eyesight isn't getting any better.

I don't mind the refresh rate of the page changes. It gives me a little time to reflect on what I just read.

I LOVE the fact that things I highlight are available to me from any computer, anytime, without having to do any sync operations.

If I want to I can read all my Kindle books on any PC.

I am always getting great books for free via the Kindle and have found some terrific authors I would have otherwise never read (Charlie Huston for example).

These are just some of the reasons I love my Kindle. It's a simple device for doing one thing, not a "all in one" wiz bang gadget that doesn't do anything particularly well.

Just my opinion,
Michael

jyl 01-31-2010 09:56 PM

99% of all books ever published are out of print. I love used bookstores. Electronic books have the potential to make more older books available than even a huge used bookstore, and Google's book search has the potential to send people looking for those long of out print books. It's a good thing. As between Kindle and iPad, one is a special purpose reader and the other is a omni purpose device, so the Kindle needs to be way better as an e-reader. I don't know if it is, we'll see when the iPad comes out.

dd74 01-31-2010 09:58 PM

Currently reading "Atlas Shrugged" on the Kindle. Great instrument. Easy to read, easy to "turn" the pages, and much easier than toting around a book that is almost 1,100 pages long. In short, it does exactly what I expected it to do. SmileWavy

enzo1 01-31-2010 11:38 PM

Kindle DX-489$ ... Ipad_499$ No brainer

Cornpanzer 02-01-2010 04:41 AM

Ahhh...reminds me of the digital SLR thread. Wayne, is it true that you returned your waffle iron because it was terrible for making scrambled eggs? :D;):D

I havent been able to use either yet, but it seems that the Ipad because of its backlit screen will not be able to successfully accomplish what is the Kindle's main attraction for much of its audience - enable you to read for long periods in sunny "vacation" environments without having to recharge.

From what I can tell, the two devices are targeting two different audiences. It would be like comparing a Porsche to a Jeep. The Kindle seems very good for what it is intended to do - with the understanding that it is targeting a niche audience. Its success will depend on how many people can justify that kind of expense for vacations or business travel. I think that they need to get the price down by about 50% before it really takes off.

For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

Dottore 02-01-2010 04:53 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer (Post 5158884)

For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

You pay discounted Amazon prices. I have paid as much as $9.- for a book and as little as $3.-

And the price for the normal kindle is only about $230.- +/- (The higher price quoted above is for the very large version—which rather defeats the purpose.)

As fxeditor says above, one of the attractions of the kindle is that it is not one of an increasing number of devices that tries to be all things to all people. Instead it has a limited mission and does that extremely well. Like an old Porsche.

dd74 02-01-2010 07:39 AM

Also, the Kindle is smaller than the iPad.

For me, I simply don't need -- as far as I know of myself these days -- the features of the iPad. As is, I'm running out of outlets at home with the Kindle, the computer, the printer, the cell phone, etc. plugged in.

KaptKaos 02-01-2010 08:15 AM

Everyone I know with a kindle loves them and then says "it would be really great if it did X." So there is plenty of opportunity for the iPad.

People tout the screen as THE reason to buy it, but it's really just a feature they like. The screen alone is not a strong enough selling point.

To me, it seems that the Kindle will need to drop in price dramatically and/or innovate quickly or it will be buried.

jshape 02-01-2010 09:35 AM

I travel a lot for work - mostly back and forth to China or Korea. The Kindle is - for me - a fantastic companion. I can load as many books as I want and away I go. I also like that you can get a free sample that allows you to read the first 50 or so pages for free to see if you like the book (or to see if you already read it and forgot you did!). Beach reading is great as well since the "ink" doesn't suffer from glare from sunlight. For night reading you need a night light - but you do for a book as well. I don't particularily like the newspaper subscriptions - I still like to hold a paper even though I've gotten over holding a book. Battery life is great as is the speed at which books are downloaded. The web interface is weak and I rarely use it - but it does sometimes come in handy. Like someone said, it's reading tool not a substitute for a netbook or laptop.

fxeditor 02-01-2010 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer (Post 5158884)
For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

Tons of books on the Kindle are free! Publishers are trying to get readers into authors by giving away the first book of a protracted series. I tend to load up on these because I'm kind of a cheap a$$! Most books for purchase are no more then $9.99 but recently some of the prices have started to creep higher.

fxeditor 02-01-2010 10:39 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts (Post 5158759)
I'm glad that you guys all love the Kindle - it just wasn't for me (I don't really read books, mostly magazines, journals, and newspapers these days). I just picked it up again and tried to read the Wall Street Journal with it - just not cutting it - the interface seems so rudimentary compared to multi-touch. The fact that there are so many Kindle fans here leads me to believe that the iPad will possibly be a huge success. At least for reading the WSJ and other "newspaper apps", the iPod Touch / iPhone seems like a superior device - full color, easy to browse by swiping the screen, and it has full-motion video from those news sites too. Even if the iPad was nothing more than a color eBook reader with a full-featured Safari web browser, then it would seem to blow away the Kindle. All of the other stuff seems like pure gravy. The device currently has a bunch of pundits, but I think if you look at it as a multimedia device that's designed to compete with the ebook readers, then they might be in for some big trouble in the near future.

I believe that the iPad screen is supposed to be like the iPod touch screen - it's a much higher density screen than most laptop screens, so it's much easier on the eyes.

-Wayne

Wayne, you make a good point about the Ipad being an excellent newspaper reader. will be great for that. My only problem with the e-versions of newspapers so far is that they are unbelievably expensive! particularly if you think that with a device like an Ipad why would you pay that much for yesterdays news when websites give up to the minute information? In my opinion the newspaper format is dead but if you have something that updates in real time (via RSS perhaps?) but retains the 'look' of a newspaper, then you may just have a winner.

dd74 02-01-2010 12:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxeditor (Post 5159428)
Wayne, you make a good point about the Ipad being an excellent newspaper reader. will be great for that. My only problem with the e-versions of newspapers so far is that they are unbelievably expensive! particularly if you think that with a device like an Ipad why would you pay that much for yesterdays news when websites give up to the minute information? In my opinion the newspaper format is dead but if you have something that updates in real time (via RSS perhaps?) but retains the 'look' of a newspaper, then you may just have a winner.

True, the newspaper is dead in many regards, which is why so many are adopting community/blogger type reporters and stories, which is a whole 'nother problem in itself.

Nevertheless, the death of newspapers should not and probably will not have bearing on the devices like the iPad, as it can do so much more than a reader like the Kindle.

enzo1 02-01-2010 12:58 PM

the Kindle, IMHO, is more of a 1 dimensional device where the Ipad will be 2 with color graphics and cool interphases...software

fxeditor 02-01-2010 02:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by dd74 (Post 5159607)
Nevertheless, the death of newspapers should not and probably will not have bearing on the devices like the iPad, as it can do so much more than a reader like the Kindle.

Agreed but what can the Ipad do that the Iphone, that everyone interested in this device probably already has, doesn't?

fxeditor 02-01-2010 02:35 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by enzo1 (Post 5159672)
the Kindle, IMHO, is more of a 1 dimensional device where the Ipad will be 2 with color graphics and cool interphases...software

Yes, but at least I can listen to music and read my e-books at the same time with my Kindle! ;)

Super_Dave_D 02-01-2010 02:45 PM

I would expect that the iPad will be able to do that as the iPhone and iPod can.

Quote:

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dd74 02-01-2010 03:15 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxeditor (Post 5159843)
Agreed but what can the Ipad do that the Iphone, that everyone interested in this device probably already has, doesn't?

All I have is an iTouch, and for the four months I've had it, I really haven't touched it.

But granted, the iPad looks like a giant iTouch or iPhone, so I'm sure my only guess is it has a better/bigger screen, but not much else.

fxeditor 02-01-2010 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D (Post 5159863)
I would expect that the iPad will be able to do that as the iPhone and iPod can.

Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .

porsche4life 02-01-2010 03:28 PM

the iPod app will run in the BKG on an iPhone or touch.... I listen to music and surf the web all the time.... That is the only thing that will run in the back though....

krichard 02-01-2010 03:30 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxeditor (Post 5159914)
Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .

wrong I'm listening to music and surfing the web on my Iphone right now.....

Super_Dave_D 02-01-2010 03:36 PM

Guessing you have neither???

Quote:

Originally Posted by fxeditor (Post 5159914)
Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .


Moses 02-01-2010 03:42 PM

I'm waiting for the next version...

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265071323.jpg

imcarthur 02-01-2010 04:05 PM

http://forums.pelicanparts.com/uploa...1265072737.jpg


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