For academic work, possibly! As I left that stuff behind LOOOONG ago that's not an issue for me. I just use it for 'reading stuff' The one I have is referred to as the 'Kindle 3', although that's not it's official name from the manufacturer. It's supposed to be easier to read but I wouldn't know, never having seen the earlier version. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kindle#Kindle_3_.28WiFi_and_3G_with_WiFi.2C_Latest_Generation.29 However, if you've already got one I'm not sure I'd go and buy another, later, one.
I just got one a couple of weeks ago and I love it. So far. Purely from a reading standpoint, the thing is aces. The screen is gorgeous and it's stupid easy to turn pages and the like. I was amazed at how fast I forgot I was reading a gadget and not a book - no more than five minutes, tops. That said, so far I'm finding everything else to be a little bit clunky. Which is to say that I actually had to consult the user guide once or twice. I still love real books too much to stop buying them but the Kindle is great because I always have it with me so I always have something to read. The first book I bought is Stephen King's gigantic doorstop, Under the Dome. I've been wanting to read it since it first came out and I actually picked it up one day in Barnes and Noble to buy it but when I felt how heavy it was I put it back. I decided to wait for the paperback but then honestly kind of forgot about it. But now I have it and it's freakin' weightless! When I travel I usually take several books with me and end up with a dislocated shoulder from hauling them around the airport. Not anymore. One huge reservation I had was that I do most of my non-computer reading at home in the bathtub because it's the only place the cat will leave me alone. (I can't make her understand that she's not transparent.) However, I've been putting the Kindle in a ziplock bag - or two - and it's worked out great. So far. I was afraid that heat would be an issue but there is none. None at all.
Got one for Xmas. I've said to myself and others "I think Kindle's are pointless and I will always read regular books" but I love it so far. Classic books are free! Picked up "Heart of Darkness" and "Alice in Wonderland" since I've never actually read that one. Halfway through Heart of Darkness. With the case I got it sometimes feels like I'm not even reading on an electronic device.
You're kidding?! I just finished reading that Well, re-reading, more accurately. I must say, that was my main reason for getting it.. to be able to read all those books I'd either read and it wasn't worth buying again or to read things I probably wouldn't actually get around to buying on the off-chance I MIGHT read them. I'm just in the process of starting, (this may take some time, tbh), reading Boswell's Life of Dr. Johnson and some of Johnson's own work. However, I'm having difficulty getting a particular scene from the BBC's 'Blackadder' out of my mind. As you know, Dr. Johnson produced the world's first English dictionary, (well.. sort of), which was notorious for missing words. You may recognise the fella playing the Prince, the son of King George III... [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hOSYiT2iG08"]YouTube - C is for contrafibularity - Blackadder - BBC[/ame] Great stuff
I do a lot of readig through Google Reader, and was wondering how the latest Kindle handles that. It looks like it displays alright, but is it too sluggish?
My mother-in-law just got a Kindle 2 and I messed around with it for a bit. As a reader, the display is just amazing, and the form factor is just about perfect. Books seem great, though magazine subscriptions are overpriced (they're almost all more expensive than print subscriptions). On the other hand, I found the (admittedly experimental) browser to be unusable. At least for me, web browsing involves either a mouse or touch screen, so it was awkward using the keyboard and I found the cursor to be a bit wonky (and displaying web graphics is where the otherwise awesome e-ink fails).
Yeah, the web-browsing's a non-starter to my mind. It's usable to an extent but that's not what the device is designed for. It's small, incredibly light, easy operate, the display is restful on the eyes and is perfect for reading large amounts of text.
Was this with the Kindle 3? Because apparently the browser is much improved over 2 (Webkit vs WAP). [ame="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=otkmM3LjDXg"]YouTube - Kindle v. Kindle: Browser Showdown[/ame]
It's the kindle 3 but can I just point out that guy's an idiot. Because the Kindle 3 shows a whole page, (possibly with a dozen articles on it), you have to move the cursor, (using the cursor control), to the particular article you want to put into article mode... OBVIOUSLY! Otherwise how does it know which one you want to read? It's good but it's not bloody psychic. If you do that it makes the article fill the width of the screen and is very easy to read PLUS you can change the font size to suit, (up to 300% of the actual font size), but if you make it too big you only get 3-4 words on each line. TBH I only use my kindle at home so if I'm browsing I have a PC, often within about 20 yards of where I'm using the kindle. IOW I'm maybe not the best person to ask because NO very small device will ever be as easy or as quick as a full size computer.
So... could I use this for taking notes in class and such? If yes I may have to buy one (as my MBP's battery is dead due to beer, so it will be relegated to a static computer in the foreseeable future, and I can't shell out the money for an MBA).
I don't think it would be ideal for typing on it for a long time. Seems to be a delay in typing in titles to search in the store from the time you hit the key to the time it shows up on the display. Not that long of a delay, but not as quick as a computer.
The problem with all these very small devices is that they're.... very small. That's the problem with the keyboards. Having said that the Kindle's is rather clunky, (well... clicky more accurately), to my way of thinking and not as easy as one of these android phone thingies. I suggest you try pressing the buttons in a shop before buying one to find out. It doesn't even need to be switched on first as you can feel the resistance levels.
The Kindle is great for reading. Bad for anything else. I can't imagine browsing on that thing, or doing any real typing. It's a single-function machine.
And you could do a lot worse than a device that does one thing really well. I think some analysts and tech writers make the mistake of comparing the Kindle to tablet computers and talking too much about feature sets.
Yes, exactly right. TBH I've tried reading on PC screens and tablets, smartphones, etc. of various kinds and even the very best are in NO WAY comparable to a properly dedicated device like the kindle, particularly this latest V3 one. Frankly, the only thing that is would be.... paper! Of course, at some point they may come out with an improved one but, until then I'll stick with it for, y'know... actually READING.
I remember buying a Palm Pilot under protest because everybody told me I had to have one, although they could never give a good answer when I asked them what it was good for. And sure enough, I never used the damn thing. Waste of money. I think in hindsight it was mass hysteria that created the idea that Palm Pilots were worth owning. So now my rule is to bypass techology unless I can understand one very good use for the tool.
That's exactly what I do as well and, tbh, (as I believe this thread shows), I wasn't really convinced by this device... https://www.bigsoccer.com/forum/showpost.php?p=17058095&postcount=6 I still think there's a possibility that people will d/l books and not be inclined to persevere at some point but the truth is that sometimes anyway. My experience is that, because I can d/l books, particularly the 'classics', for nothing, (I'm notoriously mean ), I do, and I've been reading MORE than I did before. That can only be a good thing. Well, assuming reading's a good thing I suppose
I was the same way - without broadband mobility, there wasn't really anything I could do with a Palm that I couldn't do with a notepad. And I kinda resisted getting an iPhone until I kept having "Boy, it would be nice to have a smartphone right now" moments. That's my test for new technology now - if I need it, I'll know.