[MW Forums]

Mike Elgan reveals some surprising facts about Amazon’s Kindle. more

[TeaEarleGreyHot]

What a terrific article, thanks Mr. Elgan! Before reading it, I viewed the Kindle as rather dubious, but this really highlights a lot of the plusses, without coming across as marketing hyperbole. I am now inclined to give Kindle a try-- mainly for newspaper reading, at first. With the ability to import other formats to the Kindle, and do highlighting, etc., it may significantly change how I read academic manuscripts.
I still think the name is lame. :-)

[Outdo13]

Great Article. Haven't bought a Kindle yet, but thought it was revolutionary when I heard about it. Could turnamazon.com in to the iTunes for books. The name isn't the best. I first heard it rather than saw it and I misheard my friend call it the "Kandle". Given a possible reference to reading in Lincoln's day, that would have been a great name.
Here's to watching the Kindle's candle burn long and bright.

[rtamesis]

Sounds like the Kindle is just crying out for an enterprising iPhone developer to create software to import Kindle books and display them on the iPhone.

[ZenBrayn]

Actually, Amazon "does" support PDF conversion, though it is in experimental mode. I didn't see this feature publicized on the Amazon when the device was first released, but it's there now (maybe after so much outcry from the web). Check out (under Converting PDF Files):
http://www.amazon.co...odeId=200140600

[ericgorr]

I agree, a great, well written article which provides useful and accurate information. But, heck...I may have to add this little device to the list of things I just have to have now. I too never thought I would see a device such as this appear.

[Hurley42]

I am still not convinced. I want to be. I want someone to make a great eBook reader someday, but I am not sold yet.

[LarryV]

Quote:

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I am still not convinced. I want to be.

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Well I don't. No offense to Amazon, or to anyone who wants to make a successful ebook reader, but I like my dead trees too much. I have never liked, nor do I see myself ever coming to like, reading significant amounts of text on-screen.
No offense to trees either. I like my living trees too.

[sheldonc]

Good op/ed piece, and makes some good points. But as far as I can see, the entire major advantage of the Kindle is its pre-paid network. I do fully appreciate this, too. Just not the package it's wrapped up in.
I'm still not sold on the Kindle's price or the price of the available books and other publications. And being a spoiled Apple user, I'm not thrilled with the Kindle's design, usability or interface. I'm not sold on the idea that once I've paid $10 for a book, after I'm done reading it, I can do nothing else with it, not loan it, sell it or give it away.
I'm not some anti-technology whacko. As a matter of fact, being an avid reader, I would jump at something along the lines of Kindle. But the Kindle itself has too many cons in my judgement for me to pick one up just now. So at this point, I'm keeping my $400 and buying my books and newspapers the old-fashioned way, until either Kindle 2.0, or some other company comes out with something more attractive to me.
The Kindle is a good concept, and part of it is certainly evolutionary, but, in my opinion, not revolutionary.

[Steve_S]

What you knew: Mike Elgan has no real credibility in this industry.
What you didn't know: This article is no different.
Actually, this wasn't a bad piece on the topic in that it attempts to cover different material. However, I'm more than skeptical about the notion of this really taking off. While this may be the best e-book attempt yet, I don't see it as being significantly more compelling than previous failed efforts. People want open formats that are standard and non-proprietary. I can't really imagine people wanting a system that forces them to pay a fee to have formats translated either.
I don't doubt that someday, there we'll all have e-book like readers of some sort. I just don't think we're there (or anywhere near there yet). Then again, I haven't actually used a Kindle. Either way, I haven't seen or heard anything that warrants Elgan's enthusiasm for this product. Time will tell.

[godofbiscuits]

What you knew: people prefer the tactile aspect of paper and the affordances of the book form
What you don't seem to know: people choose and use devices they become attached to, and that requires aesthetics at least, and feel and usability ideally. And Kindle ain't that.
You're giving credit to Amazon for giving the user access "for free", when really Amazon is giving Sprint a HUGE amount of marketing for "free" bandwidth so low that Sprint won't feel even the slightest pinch. An entire novel fits in a megabyte or two; it's not like Sprint is streaming you movies--or even songs.
The Rocket eBook did all those things technologically possible back in the late 90s, and a few things that Kindle STILL doesn't do.
Kindle = First Round of eBooks + time
Revolutionary, my ass. They cobbled together deals and technology in sometimes inexplicable ways. They didn't invent or create a thing: they built an endpoint.

[leicaman]

DRM oppressive as all get-out. Black and white screen. Boxy. Big.
I'll take my Audible.com books on my iPod. With good voice actors, it's even better than reading it yourself! Orson Scott Card makes a very good case for listening to books being a better experience than reading them to yourself. For many books, he's right.
But for newspapers and magazines? I prefer color, therefore the Kindle shows promise. But I'll wait until Apple does something like this, or Amazon gets a clue about design. /forums/ubbthreads/images/graemlins/tongue.gif

[macFanDave]

I'm glad you like it, but I'm betting against it. It is too expensive to take everywhere. You can't put it in your pocket or clip it to your belt or conveniently attached it to yourself like an iPod.
One factor that is often overlooked in the Newton's failure compared to the Palm Pilot's success is the small difference in size. A Palm Pilot fit nicely into a shirt or jacket pocket whereas the Newton was slightly too bulky. The Kindle is too big compared to the optimal portable device, the iPhone. From what I've seen (I haven't seen a Kindle in person), the device is probably not going to go where real books go (or even where iPods go).
Yes, there ARE voracious readers who consume book after book, but most people read a few books a year or less (I heard a statistic that some large number of Americans read two books after high school -- not per year, but for the rest of their lives!!!) There are many more voracious consumers of music and that is why the iPod/iTunes system has been so successful.
Sorry, I don't see it being much more than a niche product with a small cult following. (By comparison, we Mac users have become a mainstream religion having graduated from cult only a few years ago.)

[Milbs]

What it lacks .... "cool factor"
If this thing had the sizzle of an iPhone I think it could really fly. I read a lot of paper backs then toss them or give them to someone who has the same interests, but a lot of wasted resources and $$. I would still buy a few hard backs in special books but could ebook for most of my reading. Not on this clunker though. Come on Apple here's an opportunity to partner with Barnes & Noble.