So I got a Kindle today...
 

And there is a good chance it is going back tomorrow.

I really wanted to like it, but I can't bring myself to buy a book on it. Especially not when the kindle edition is more than the paperback. Even at a couple dollars cheaper, it's going to take a while to save money. How in the world does an electronic file delivered over my own Internet connection cost almost as much as, OR MORE, than a printed copy delivered to my door. See "Ghost Wars" for an example http://www.amazon.com/Ghost-Wars-Afghanistan-Invasion-September/dp/0143034669/ref=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1330930325&sr=1-1

Another annoyance is at first it displayed cool artsy photos when it was off, now it displays ads. I don't want to see ads for junk I could care less about.

Basically, I'm not going to pay $99 for something to cost me more money on books and try to sell me things.

Oh well.

Get the model w/o ads for sure......Many sites to get free books...Get with a local Library to check-out books for free.......I have over 4,000 books on my Hard Drive and load them into my Android Tablet that I paid $77 for..........Hang in there, it's a learning curve for sure....

looking online, I can "hack" it to get rid of the ads. One of the main reasons I wanted it was for my history classes because it seems like it would make reading and researching more convenient. I've been looking at some books for my next class, and so far, Kindle is more than paperback (example again Amazon.com: 1776 (9780743226721): David McCullough: Books) on basically all of them.

So what I'm left with, is searching out free or cheap books, and "hacking" it. The biggest benefit I still see is being able to import my own documents. So $99 for a document reader? I'll probably just stick with my iPhone and computer (and hey, I can get a free kindle app for them!).

send it to me, my kids will use it. They fight over the one we have now.

So, the issue is not the Kindle, it is the fact that you are paying for an electronic download? Do you own an iPod or MP3 player? Do you buy music online?

I borrowed one for a day. just couldnt do it. I like the feel of a book in my hand.

I've had a couple of Kindle's hocked.
I'm glad they redeemed their pawns.
Jim

Our daughter loves her Kindle and she's had it for more than a year now. Her boioks are cheap and some are free, but she's reading different books than you are, I'm sure. It's not for everyone, I guess, but she loves it and she's always reading.

Wifey and I both use them. Awkward at first but with a library card you can download for free.
They will catch on eventually.
My only complaint is I have to have the print size pretty big and so I am changing pages every three or four paragraphs.

I like mine, but books that I use for research are problematic. I find flipping around for footnotes and references more difficult than with a paper book.
One of the best features is one I hadn't expected. It's easy to look up words that I'm clear of the meaning of, and my vocabularity is expandifying expotentionally.

Love mine. Thousands of free books Project Gutenberg - free ebooks and as noted most libraries.

You can download the Kindle for PC and your purchased books will show up there. They are easier to read from the PC screen Rapewta.

My wife loves her Kindle. I love the Kindle app on my iPhone. Especially useful for our frequent travel. I'd rather not lug a book around if I can avoid it.

I bought my missus one for Christmas-for $76 - we nearly sent it back when we realised they don't self illuminate! We figured that was the main reason for having such a thing, so you can read in bed without disturbing your partner. Anyway, she tried it and now likes it. I'll have to find some eye shades...

I love my kindle, I'd buy text books on it, but it seems the books that it would work for, dont come on it....

For regular books, kindle version is cheaper, and with the 3G when I finish one book, I can grab another. I'm on the go a lot, and it's portable, and light. Nice for reading in bed. I like the ads, several times they have advertised good specials on new books.

Buy the Kindle cover with the built in light. Kind of pricey, but it is well built and well worth it. It seems to use little battery life.

Amazon.com: Kindle Lighted Leather Cover, Black (Fits Kindle Keyboard): Kindle Store

The whole point of the E-ink kindles is that it looks like printed paper. They did a really good job, in my opinion.

OP, you must have got lucky, I don't ever remember seeing Kindle books costing more than the paperback, and you have found 2 examples. Generally, in my experience the Kindle version is cheaper.

+1 This is the way to go.

I do buy music with my phone from time to time, but that's different. First, it's always cheaper. Second, I'm loading it onto the same thing anyway. I don't really have anything else I listen to purchased music from other than my phone.

I'm going to give it a few more days, maybe it will grow on me.

I've read probably hundreds on mine. Paid for 2. The rest were free or close to it.