Comments on the 6" Kindle???

[samalex]

I'm seriously looking at the 6" Kindle, especially now that it's down to $139. Just curious, does anyone use one? And if so, what are your thoughts on the Webkit browser and MP3 playback.

I do lots of reading and I have LOTS of books already on PDF that I'd love to put on the thing. Plus I'm a huge fan of Project Gutenberg, so though I'll definitely buy the occasional book from Amazon, most of my content will be from stuff I already own or free content from the Internet. How easy/hard is it to get content loaded into the Kindle and does it present okay?

I'm also an avid fan of Podcasts, so what kind of space or expansion is there? Can I have my MP3's loaded on a USB drive and plug it in? Also I read that each Kindle has its own email address, so can MP3 files be sent to it using this same method?

Sorry for so many questions, but I've been going back and forth between getting a Kindle or iPad, and due to price of the iPad and all the features the new Kindle has, I'm thinking the Kindle might do pretty much everything I'd need.

Thanks for any comments ...

Sam

[forrestcupp]

In my opinion the Kindle is way too limited and the iPad is way too expensive.

Personally, I'm waiting on some cheap android tablets to get released.

You could go for the Archos 7 (https://store.archos.com/archos-home-tablet-p-104.html) for $199 and have a lot more functionality.

[Sporkman]

In my opinion the Kindle is way too limited and the iPad is way too expensive.

Personally, I'm waiting on some cheap android tablets to get released.

You could go for the Archos 7 (https://store.archos.com/archos-home-tablet-p-104.html) for $199 and have a lot more functionality.

It's all about the display... Kindle has e-Ink, which is completely different from LCD-display devices.

[Paqman]

Just curious, does anyone use one?


My wife does.


And if so, what are your thoughts on the Webkit browser and MP3 playback.

The browsing is far from impressive. Pages don't render well, and e-ink makes transitions slow. It's ok for the occasional Wikipedia lookup and the like, but you can't really browse happily on it.

Haven't tried MP3s, didn't know it did that actually.



I do lots of reading and I have LOTS of books already on PDF that I'd love to put on the thing. Plus I'm a huge fan of Project Gutenberg, so though I'll definitely buy the occasional book from Amazon, most of my content will be from stuff I already own or free content from the Internet. How easy/hard is it to get content loaded into the Kindle and does it present okay?

Very easy, just install Calibre. Works perfectly.

[Dragonbite]

More tempting, though I don't know if the 6" screen will be a limitation. The previously-smallest screen was pretty good sized.

The only difference I find between the $189 and $139 versions is include 3G.

The screen is definitely a lot nicer on the eyes than anything backlit, like the iPad. After using a computer all day my eyes are strained, but after hours of reading on the kindle my eyes were not nearly as fatigued. Too bad it was borrowed from the library, and not my own.

The big thing I want is to be able to read some of my (gaming) PDFs as well as kindle-formatted new "books".

EDIT: I may have the "previously-smallest" screen size incorrect. What was the screen size for the smaller version before this new 6" one came out?

[pwnst*r]

It's all about the display... Kindle has e-Ink, which is completely different from LCD-display devices.

That by a landslide.

If you think most current tablets will properly display E-books, I will laugh in your face.

If you've ever used a Nook or a Kindle, you will know the difference between E-ink displays and others. There's no comparison.

I will be ordering the Wifi version. I have the HTC Evo so I'll already have 3G available wherever I go.

[solitaire]

i'm tempted to get the wi-fi version in the UK when it's released next month.
The price is good and i really need a good e-book player (reading tech manuals on my laptop is ok but bulky, and my mobile screen is a bit too small for long reading sessions).

wonder if the new one is still root-able....^_^ hmm....

[Dragonbite]

EDIT: I may have the "previously-smallest" screen size incorrect. What was the screen size for the smaller version before this new 6" one came out?

Ok, I see now the 2nd Gen version was likewise 6" BUT the case was larger than this new 6" version.

So that makes this one more enticing because it's more powerful, faster (a requirement) and I am not loosing any screen space.

Argh.. now I just need money!

[forrestcupp]

It's all about the display... Kindle has e-Ink, which is completely different from LCD-display devices.

I know e-Ink is supposed to be easier on the eyes, but is it really enough better that it justifies all of the limitations that come with e-Ink?

I can't remember what it was or where I saw it, but I saw a tablet that was able to switch back and forth between e-Ink and LCD. That would be the ultimate choice, but I'm sure it costs a lot.

[alphaniner]

I know e-Ink is supposed to be easier on the eyes, but is it really enough better that it justifies all of the limitations that come with e-Ink?

Maybe it depends on one's personal tolerances, but for me the answer is absolutely. I'm quite comfortable sitting in front of a screen most of the day, at work and at home, but I look away quite often. Long term, actual reading from the screen is very uncomfortable unless it's light text on a dark bg, then it's just moderately uncomfortable.

[aysiu]

My wife has a Nook, and she loves it.

It runs Android, has a large e-Ink display up top and a small color LCD touchscreen on the bottom to swipe through book covers. More importantly, it reads ePub (Kindle does not).

[aysiu]

Maybe it depends on one's personal tolerances, but for me the answer is absolutely. I'm quite comfortable sitting in front of a screen most of the day, at work and at home, but I look away quite often. Long term, actual reading from the screen is very uncomfortable unless it's light text on a dark bg, then it's just moderately uncomfortable.
If you read a lot continuously, e-Ink is much better than a backlit screen. Fortunately, for me, I don't read a lot at a time. I read in short spurts. I know others who do read for hours at a time. Backlit just won't do in those cases, unless you want eye strain... or plan to look away from time to time or blink a lot.

[alphaniner]

If you read a lot continuously, e-Ink is much better than a backlit screen. Fortunately, for me, I don't read a lot at a time. I read in short spurts. I know others who do read for hours at a time. Backlit just won't do in those cases, unless you want eye strain... or plan to look away from time to time or blink a lot.

Exactly. I'd spend more time reading ebooks and other digital media if it weren't so uncomfortable. I've been waiting for e-Ink devices to come down in price since I first heard about them.

[Warpnow]

I can't remember what it was or where I saw it, but I saw a tablet that was able to switch back and forth between e-Ink and LCD. That would be the ultimate choice, but I'm sure it costs a lot.

Pixel Qi Displays. The kits cost like $300 I think. Pretty pricey.

[Paqman]

For me the main advantage of e-ink isn't so much the resolution and contrast, it's the fact that it requires absolutely no power to maintain the image. My wife recharges her Kindle so infrequently that she can never find the cable when she needs it. You can leave the thing lying around for days or weeks and pick it back up knowing it's got plenty of juice.

[LMP900]

The Kindle is first and foremost a reading device. I don't know if it has changed in the newest Kindle, but the previous generations had the browser and music player as "experimental features." As someone mentioned earlier, Wikipedia works fine and I use Feedbooks to fetch some RSS feeds, but I hardly touch the browser because it is painfully slow and unreliable. Also, with only 4GB of storage and no option for expansion (only the original had a card slot), you're not going to be able to fit many songs and podcasts.

If you want an excellent media player and browser with decent reading capabilities, buy an iPod touch, unlocked Android phone, or tablet. If you want one of the best reading experiences outside of a book, but nothing else, buy an E-book reader.

The best of all worlds would be getting both an Android phone and Kindle. They're both affordable and small enough to carry almost anywhere.

[HappinessNow]

If you read a lot continuously, e-Ink is much better than a backlit screen. Fortunately, for me, I don't read a lot at a time. I read in short spurts. I know others who do read for hours at a time. Backlit just won't do in those cases, unless you want eye strain... or plan to look away from time to time or blink a lot.For people who read a lot there is no replacement for a good old fashion book.

[aysiu]

For people who read a lot there is no replacement for a good old fashion book.
Tell that to my wife. She's reading two to three books a day on her Nook.

[HappinessNow]

Tell that to my wife. She's reading two to three books a day on her Nook.My wife is the opposite, she reads 2 or 3 old fashioned books a day. ;)

[forrestcupp]

Pixel Qi Displays. The kits cost like $300 I think. Pretty pricey.

Yeah, that's it. It's called the 3Qi display. You can switch between LCD mode and e-Ink mode with the press of a button.

Pretty awesome.

[markMDW]

I had purchased the Kindle2 6" for $189 just a few weeks ago. The first shock to me was that when you turn it off [actually in power saver mode] The screen pops up a random book cover graphics, like a static screen saver, while it sleeps?

The e-ink truly is different.. and amazing. I thought the name "e-ink"was just marketing hype but it turns out that the technology actually is completely different that that employed on cell-phones, lap tops, or large screen monitors. With LCD screens dimly lite rooms are best for reading, with the Kindle rooms at the same brightness that you would be comfortable reading a book offer the best reading. I find myself turning on the lamp in bed to read.

I've found that in general its easier to read from the Kindle than even a book, especially a large or heavy book. The advantages are:

1> Your thumb will become strategically placed on the <page forward> button all the time, and with simple press goes to the next page. That's even easier than turning pages, not even counting the thin sticky page types.

2> You can always adjust the font larger or smaller to suit your viewing preference while reading from the actual book [note, you can't adjust the font of the homepage or menus, so for that reason it would not be suitable for the severely sight disabilities - they wouldn't be able to navigate the normal font size menus]

3> The contrast isn't as great as a printed page from, say for instance, a paper bound encyclopedia with brilliant-white sheets layered with stark-black text, or certain magazines that look similar.
Instead the experience is more like reading from a novel with slightly tanned sheets layered with the "font of your choice". I consider this a plus because its more comfortable and less strain on the eyes while reading a long while. But for a few others the experience is reported as a negative. In any case, if you read the Kindle in dark shadows or a dimly lite room the background seems a little darker and print a little lighter. Turning on a reading light makes increases the contrast. Maximum contrast would be out in broad daylight. There can be a reflection of a light-bulb from the "non-glare" screen at certain angles if you point it just right. Anyhow, overall, I judge the reading comfort superior most printed materials. I understand that the NEW KINDLE will have more contrast than my version. In other words, a lighter background and/or darker text.

My chief complaints of the Kindle2 was the Thumb Navigation Knob. It took some practice to use that thing! Especially clicking <enter> with it just right without moving the cursor to an adjacent entry at the same time, by mistake. All the while trying to get the hang of that navigation knob (or joystick) I was thinking "why didn't they just use buttons like on my cell phone". Now I see pictures of the NEW KINDLE and, wow, that did just that! That problem appears to be solved.

My other complaint was all the wasted space on the Kindle besides the 6" screen. I kept thinking "they should have shrunk it around the edges, all that bulk space is unnecessary, I'd rather have it smaller around the edges" Bingo, they did that too it appears, and still kept the keyboard the same size.

What's best to read on the Kindle? Probably novels or other materials that you read linearly, from 1st page to the last, because its so comfortable to turn the page just by subconsciously thinking, "time to advance another page" ..and it just happens without thought, with the press of the thumb. Its like breathing. Turning pages in a paper book is more difficult than on the Kindle.

What's not so good are the really BIG NON-FICTION books that you want to browse around in.. If you want to read particular chapters from one of those books, fine, just select it from the Table of Contents and you instantaneously are transported there. But many of the more than a million free books out there don't have Tables of Contents with hyperlinks, and those prove more difficult to feel comfortable "browsing" through. An alternative method to look through those would be to "search by word" like an index, and then advance to the pages with those instances, and the really good hits just setup bookmarks.

Also, the one type of book you obviously want to avoid on the Kindle are photography based books, art books, comic books, etc. You don't want to purchase something titled, "Majestic Landscapes of the Grand Canyon" on your Kindle unless you just want to read about how wonderful it is over there.

But that's exactly what makes a Kindle so great, READING, and no pc, laptop or I suspect IPad will be able to match it there. And so if you want to READ ..for long whiles, then the Kindle would be perfect. I'd suggest the new $139 6" rather than a marked down Kindle-2 because of the annoying thumb navigation knob.

[samalex]

Hey Guys --

I'm still unsure on whether I'd like to grab a Kindle or Nook. From what I've read the Nook can do lending of books from other users, libraries, and even B&N for one hour a day. Plus it does ePubs. Anyone using a Nook or better yet used a Nook and Kindle and can weigh in both? I'm afraid I'll just have to choose one since each has advantages over the other.

Thanks --

Sam

[solitaire]

I'm VERY tempted at picking up a kindle (don't know if the Nook is avalible in the UK!)

Just need to find a couple of clip-on led lights for night reading....

[sanderella]

I have the older 6" Kindle. It has global wireless, the new one does not. I am quite happy with it. e-readers are improving all the time. :)

[pwnst*r]

I'm VERY tempted at picking up a kindle (don't know if the Nook is avalible in the UK!)

Just need to find a couple of clip-on led lights for night reading....

http://goo.gl/os1R <- that

[forrestcupp]

Wait for the color Kindle to come out.

[Paqman]

Plus it does ePubs.

Calibre is quite happy putting ePubs (or whatever format really) onto a Kindle.

[Paqman]

Just need to find a couple of clip-on led lights for night reading....

If it's just for a Kindle these (http://www.medgestore.com/products/kindle2-eluminator.psp) are excellent.

[aysiu]

Calibre is quite happy putting ePubs (or whatever format really) onto a Kindle.
Why convert when you can get native support?

[CJ Master]

What I would be excited about is the tethering possibility. Unlimited 3G for no monthly fee, anyone?

[Paqman]

Why convert when you can get native support?

Calibre does the conversion when it transfers, so it's no hassle. It's a great app, and completely gets rid of file formats as an issue. That's huge, considering the unholy mess of the file format situation on e-readers.

[markMDW]

Already too many formats for the ebook. There should be an xml standard if nothing else. I don't suppose there is one already, else that'd be yet another one.

[tjktyler]

What I would be excited about is the tethering possibility. Unlimited 3G for no monthly fee, anyone?

It would take far too much hacking to make the tethering worth it. And I'm sure whoever provides the 3G data made sure tethering was that difficult.

EPUB is supposedly the standard, and I believe it's based on XHTML, so it's an extension of XML. BN's nook has native support for Linux and EPUB, and it has more or less the same feature set, save for being a North American (or maybe US) exclusive. Which I doubt will change.

[CJ Master]

It would take far too much hacking to make the tethering worth it. And I'm sure whoever provides the 3G data made sure tethering was that difficult.

EPUB is supposedly the standard, and I believe it's based on XHTML, so it's an extension of XML. BN's nook has native support for Linux and EPUB, and it has more or less the same feature set, save for being a North American (or maybe US) exclusive. Which I doubt will change.

How would unlimited 3G for a cheap price be not worth it? And it has already happened - some one installed ubuntu on the kindle (which I assume could be modified to tether.)

[Legendary_Bibo]

I might get it as an investment for college textbooks. I heard they're starting to put textbooks out there for it, is this true? Apparently if you make the investment to get it, plus books, you end up saving a lot of money. I don't really read (holding books bothers me, I'm a little ADD like that).

[castrojo]

I just got a 6" kindle a few weeks ago. Mostly I agree with markMDW's detailed comments, here are my additions:

* Getting books that are epubs or whatever doesn't matter to me, Calibre is a fantastic piece of software that easily converts many kinds of ebooks, so I don't really have to care about formats.
* It mounts as a USB Mass storage device on my ubuntu machines, my only real complaint is the icon is wrong. :)
* The amount of Free public domain books is pretty amazing.
* I'm not crazy about the DRM but whatever.
* I found the screen easy to read. It's nice to be able to carry multiple books in one device and be able to switch without having to fill my bag full of a ton of books. This depends on how much you travel.
* If you're a student and think you can use this to replace textbooks then don't get a Kindle. It's awesome for recreational reading but for highlighting and taking notes it will suck.
* I have no comment about the physical bits, the buttons and the lame joystick work well enough for me, they're not OMG amazing but they don't suck either; the Kindle rocks at being out of your way, which is what I want.

EDIT: Having known multiple people with Nooks and Kindles and tried them both for myself --- the Nook is pure crap compared to the Kindle; I am convinced that anyone trying both will agree, but make your own decision.

[mendhak]

I'm seriously looking at the 6" Kindle, especially now that it's down to $139. Just curious, does anyone use one? And if so, what are your thoughts on the Webkit browser and MP3 playback.

I do lots of reading and I have LOTS of books already on PDF that I'd love to put on the thing. Plus I'm a huge fan of Project Gutenberg, so though I'll definitely buy the occasional book from Amazon, most of my content will be from stuff I already own or free content from the Internet. How easy/hard is it to get content loaded into the Kindle and does it present okay?

I'm also an avid fan of Podcasts, so what kind of space or expansion is there? Can I have my MP3's loaded on a USB drive and plug it in? Also I read that each Kindle has its own email address, so can MP3 files be sent to it using this same method?

Sorry for so many questions, but I've been going back and forth between getting a Kindle or iPad, and due to price of the iPad and all the features the new Kindle has, I'm thinking the Kindle might do pretty much everything I'd need.

Thanks for any comments ...

Sam
Browser and MP3 are more of side features. But yes, you can load the MP3s on and listen to them. The browser is also pretty basic, it does text only and I believe you can turn images off. It's quite good for wikipedia and some news sites, but I wouldn't visit UF on it :D

Also, I suggest you stay away from kindle vs ipad comparisons. The Kindle is for people who read, the iPad is for people who like the thought of reading. Or who don't read much at all. Remember that they're two completely different technologies, but a lot of people might not see it that way - the wonders of marketing eh? Kindle gives you about a month on a single charge.

I have a Kindle and a Sony Reader too. I originally bought the Reader thinking "derrr herrr I don't want DRM, I'll bet I can find all the books I want as epub LOLOL" That isn't true. Publishers love Amazon and Amazon has far more books than anyone else (close to 0.5 million?).

If you reallyreallyreally need multimedia features and you also reallyreallyreally need to read books, then you might have to buy both.

[Paqman]

Also, I suggest you stay away from kindle vs ipad comparisons.

Absolutely, it's comparing apples and oranges. Don't get a Kindle thinking it'll be good for anything except reading. It really only does one thing, but it does it extremely well.

[drawkcab]

I might get it as an investment for college textbooks. I heard they're starting to put textbooks out there for it, is this true? Apparently if you make the investment to get it, plus books, you end up saving a lot of money. I don't really read (holding books bothers me, I'm a little ADD like that).

I usually do a book check day to make sure my students actually own the textbooks required for my courses. I was surprised because a few of them just brought in their laptops as they had pirated their logic text!