Kindle
I bought a Kindle six months ago after spending most of my life firmly set on paper books.
I sit in front of a screen most of the day and research but don't enjoy reading large documents on a computer screen.
I read a number of books every year, the majority are technical, heavy (physically and in terms of content) and therefore are not something that you want to catch a bus with or hold up in bed.
When the current Kindle came out at $139, I jumped at it and now have over thirty books on it and have completed reading several.
The following lists the things I like about the kindle.
- It is only really good at one thing - presenting books for you to read.
- It is light 205g (8.5 ounces)
- The battery lasts for a month with the wireless off.
- E-Ink is very different to standard screen technologies and much easier on the eyes
People compare it to the IPad and other similiar devices and the features fall short but this is some of the beauty to me. I want to read, I spend enough time in front of a computer and email I have on my phone.
I have also downloaded a number of books from The Gutenberg Project and for some publishers such as Apress and Manning have taken advantage of their free and cheap offers to buy digital versions of paper books that I own.
I am a contract developer so having these resources with me is at times invaluable. I have also had occassion to buy books directly from amazon and found the process quick and easy. I live in New Zealand and finding recently published technical books here is challeging to say the least - and expensive.
I bought the WIFI version as I usually have or can easilly access WIFI and am not wanting to browse the web with the device.
I have also used my kindle email address to email free books, web pages, and recipies to my kindle.
Quotes regarding the Kindle:
"New Kindle leaves rivals farther back." - New York Times
"Amazon's newest Kindle is the best ebook-reading device on the market. It's better than the Apple iPad, the Barnes & Noble Nook, the various Sony readers…" - Fast Company
"Battery life is long enough for space shuttle missions." - Wired
"What's clear, however, is that if you're looking for a standalone e-reader (i.e., a portable replacement for physical books), this is the go-to, standard-setting device." - Engadget
"Its solid build quality, along with its improved design, integrated store, and cross-platform transportability… all add up to a winner that shoots to the head of the pack." - PC World
"Simply put, it's the best dedicated ebook reader you can buy… Amazon has managed to increase the contrast on the Kindle in a way that sets it above the Nook, Sony Readers, or any other dedicated ebook reader we've tested." - PC Magazine
There are also useful readers for other devices that can share your Kindle library.
I find this useful when working through a tutorial using multiple screens
