Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Finally Amazon UK have launched their new generation of Kindle in the UK along with a UK 'bookshop'.
It certainly looks an impressive bit of kit and I want one.... I have already identified two books I want to download onto it as well.
Won't buy one just yet because I have a pile of 1/2 dozen books to get through first (if I get a Kindle they would risk being left 'unread'...) but my next book purchase will be a Kindle edition. The choice of books available looks good too with my current favourite authors all present, Wilbur Smith, Lee Childs, Vince Flynn and the books look good value too.
Why a Kindle? The book lovers equivilent to an iPod, to be able to take a collection of reading material wherever you want, taking up less space and weighing less than Wilbur Smith's Assegai alone.... A kindle will be as indispensible as an ipod soon......
A whole month's battery life too.......
Not sure they will totally replace books, I can see Kindles as a support rather than a replacement of books.
Anyone else going to indulge in one?
Guest 686- Registered: 5 May 2009
- Posts: 556
Can't justify the expense just yet - too many other things on my wish list!!!
Phil West
If at first you don't succeed, use a BIGGER hammer!!
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
first time i have heard, i can only see them being useful to people going on holiday.
i know people that can get through 3 or 4 books whilst away, weighs their luggage down a bit.
Well, firstly, the name. What is cool and hip about Kindle? Nothing. So it is unlikely to do very much outside a devoted group of users for whom hip and cool isn't a consideration.
Then the technology. It's already possible to download e-books to iPod, so I doubt there will be many conversions for that functionality, and the iPod just does so much more.
I have music (over 6500 tracks), films (all my favourites) , tv shows, podcasts, games, my entire photo collection and so far, two e-books. All that and the thing is still only just about half full.
The Kindle scores on one item only as far as I can see, the battery life; one month is astonishing.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
I've been reading about Kindle with interest and hearing what friends in the USA have said about it. Some of my books are print on demand and at the end of last year I got into publishing several titles (non photography) in e format for downloading. I was a bit skeptical at first but they have been selling well. I am now looking to putting some into Kindle format.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Sid - The big difference is the screen. The display resembles paper rather than a screen and is much more comfortable to read. iPods also have such small screens. The software is designed to make the experience comfortable and convenient as only a specialist device can.
I have just seen that I could subscribe to my daily newspaper for £8.99 pm, half what I pay for a print version to be delivered and what is more it can be delivered to the Kindle anywhere there is 3G or wireless connectivity. I can spend a fortune on newspapers when on holiday and brilliant for ex-pats. Might try it when I get one....
Howard, you might be right and I think there will always be a place for real books but I think these will win a lot of people over because of the sheer convenience and simplicity. To download Dan Brown's latest in a few seconds and to carry around with you the complete works of Wilbur Smith, Dan Brown, Vince Flynn, Bernard Cornwall and more (3,500 books....), with easy reference and search facilities built in - outstanding. It will open up a whole new range of options for readers and researchers, there being many factual books around as well.
Here is a link so you can see why it could replace books for many:
text to speech
varying print size
automatic bookmarking and so on - ipods cannot complete Sid (or iPads)
http://www.amazon.co.uk/gp/product/B002LVUWFE/ref=sv_kinc_0
Oh, forgot to mention - stock sold out already!!!
Then you could save money too, if i were to get a newspaper subscription and buy just a single novel a month, it would pay for itself in a year.
howard mcsweeney1- Location: Dover
- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 62,352
barry
how much does one cost?
also
the newspaper subscription is perfect for you, no good for me as i never buy the same paper two days in a row.
i tune in to bbc news 24 first thing, spot the item that is of interest most to me, then know which paper will cover
the subject best.
Guest 664- Registered: 23 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,039
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Two types £109 or £149 (more expensive has 3G and wirelss)
Andrew - I noticed one or two inaccuracies in respect of the Kindle in the article....
Guest 641- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 2,335
I like the size of the screen ie 6", not a bad price for the 3G wireless, I can see some future customers getting carried away downloading all their favourite books at once so could work out quite expensive in the short run. Agree with you on the name Sid, I thought someone was selling kindling
Guest 664- Registered: 23 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,039
Could you please tell me what inaccuracies you think these are, Barry?
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Cut from the article:
""The Kindle uses mobile phone technology to download another book once the reader has finished one tale - erasing the original text.""
Clearly not true as the Kindle can store up to 3,500 books and you can re-read as much as you want so you are not 'erasing the original text'. Indeed if the Kindle fails your collection of books can is backed-up and can be downloaded onto a new machine.
Barry W-S is right, you can download book after book, not necessarily 'once the reader has finished one tale'.
Guest 664- Registered: 23 Mar 2008
- Posts: 1,039
My article was written nearly two years ago so no doubt the technology has moved on since then.
Sources were carefully checked at the time.
Meanwhile erasing is not the same as deleting entirely - I wanted to convey the idea that the text on view can be changed, which is the whole point of an electronic book. It would be useless if you could not erase one text from view and replace it with another.
I hope someone found the article of interest, anyway.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
I see Andrew, things move on...
I have just ordered one, didnt intend to get one for a bit but as there is a month or so waiting list I decided to commit to it. Just seen the delivery estimate is 6th October.... hell of a waiting list, must be popular.
Guest 657- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 3,037
Let me know what you think of it when you receive it Barry, I'm tempted.
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I think it looks horrible !! I would rather have an Ipad than one of those
Been nice knowing you :)
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Paul - have you seen the latest 3rd generation that I ordered? - smaller, slimmer, lighter and very neat.
An ipad lacks the 'reading comfort', is a lot bigger and cannot come anywhere near the battery life of a full month and costs a lot more dosh....
You have been able to download books on iPhone and iPod Touch for absolutely ages. This is nothing new. I downloaded a few of the freebies on the iPod to try it out (a couple of Edgar Allen Poe novels, and Oscar Wilde's Picture of Dorian Grey) and it was great to read. I can't see what the Kindle offers that iPod doesn't. The argument about the "paper-like" screen seems a bit false to me as there's no problem with the iPod screen that the Kindle fixes. It's just different that's all. I still think iPad is a bit of a duff product though.
Guest 655- Registered: 13 Mar 2008
- Posts: 10,247
Rick - can you read text on your iPhone in bright sunlight?
Can you store 3,500 books?
Does the battery last a month on a single charge?
Can you anotate pages?
- I could go on.....
As for the iPad - expensive and overblown, like you say a duff product,.
Besides - I prefer a Blackberry anyday to any iPhone....
Guest 651- Registered: 12 Mar 2008
- Posts: 5,673
I prefer actual books - when I win the lottery I want a big house with a proper library and not a calculator that can hold them all
Been nice knowing you :)