There was one hot gadget that you definitely couldn't find in stores this Black Friday: Amazon's new ebook reader, the Kindle. You couldn't even get one shipped overnight from Amazon. But the company made sure that plenty of journalists got to play with the Kindle before the holiday, "kindling" interest and conversation over the long weekend. They found a lot to like about Amazon's reader. But there are plenty of problems as well— many agonized over whether the $400 price tag could be justified by the presence of free EVDO Internet access. Assorted opinions after the jump.
That is one ugly gadget
"It looks like a piece of medical equipment. I don't want to be sitting on the bus with everyone thinking I'm some kind of techy hypochondriac constantly monitoring my vital signs." , Journalism.co.uk
It does many things wrong, but some things right
"But it's plain wrong to dismiss Amazon's innovation because it is saddled with the inevitable version 1.0 problems… Despite the always-on nature of the device, it seems to have a calmness to it. The lack of color, e-mail, and ads creates a mood that is more conducive to reading than a computer or a smart phone." , The New York Times
The battery is seriously and mysteriously terrible
"Combining a big battery, a display that takes practically no power and a cell phone that doesn't make calls shouldn't result in a device that has less than half the battery life of a cell phone." , The Washington Post
eBooks are the future, says this former non-believer
"The Search function on Kindle is superb as it checks the Web, Wikipedia, New American Oxford Dictionary, Kindle Store and any book/magazine/blog that's on your Kindle… everything else on the market pales in comparison… I can't say enough about the free Internet! Is it worth the $399 price tag? Maybe not, but it could be very soon if the hackers get to it." ,Crunchgear
Too much DRM. We like the Sony Reader better
"While some will love the idea of electronic mail and web browsing on the Kindle, gadget history has taught us that frankendevices more often fail than succeed… If I had to choose a device I would get the Sony Reader." , Gizmodo
It's like the first iPod: not perfect, but better than the competition
"In many ways, the Kindle reminds me of the first-generation iPod, which was not the first portable digital music player and was far less refined than future generations, but had the hardware, software, and store integration done better than any of its predecessors… The Kindle is a pretty remarkable tool. It has the potential to jump-start the electronic book revolution." , PC Magazine
Why should we pay for RSS feeds (most of which don't have ads anyway)?
"It's just too damn expensive. Worse, the $400 premium just to get the Kindle reader isn't the last fee you'll pay… Subscribing to a blog via the Kindle service costs $2 a month. Newspapers run around $15 a month. All for information currently available for free via the web and RSS syndication." , Boing Boing
You're going to apply DRM to my personal files and make me pay for the privilege?
"EVDO is great, but paying a 10-cent per-file fee to sync your own… files to it via email? Which are then converted to a proprietary format?… For $400, format neutrality should be assumed." , Wired
It's nothing like a book
"My test for a potential successor to the book is whether you can read it in the bath. With a Kindle, that is probably not a good idea." , The Times (of London)
What do you think? We'd feel pretty weird breaking out the Kindle on the subway…
Last Week: Peer Review: Zune is much better, still no iPod
editor@dvice.com
By TheAdlerian at 7:44 PM ON 11/26/07
I'd love one, but can I instantly get the latest book reviewed on this site?
No, I cannot.
So, the device does not as of yet work correctly. It isn't worth the money, really at any price, for someone who enjoys reading and learning as a hobby. When 99% of new books are available for the device, then I'll happily have money in hand.
By Mike at 11:53 AM ON 11/29/07
I like most of the features: The integration with Amazon, the built in dictionary and access to wikipedia at any location without the hassle of opening my laptop. The e-ink screen is great, even without color. It is a reader, after all.
But here are the two deal killers: The price is too much and I can't upload my own PDF's or Word docs. Give me a reader just like this one at $250, the ability to upload PDF's (Like Sony), let me use that keypad to compose an e-mail (Even just a Notepad-like tool), and my credit card is ready. The case would be better if in came in some different colors.
Over all, its a good core product that needs to get past some of the bean-counter compromises. Not bad for a first effort, but I am waiting for generation 2.
Look a little more closely at the iTunes business model, boys.
By manuel at 1:06 PM ON 12/28/07
Wouldn't the Nintendo DS be a great successor to the book?
Make the screens bigger (you might want to remove the touch pad in favour of a keyboard...or maybe not), get rid of any videogame functionalities and you've got a great litterary format. The DS already has net capabilities, it folds, it's very compact, it looks great (Apple-like design and all) and it costs nowhere near the Kindle's $400 pricetag...
By Faiber at 2:56 AM ON 08/12/08
My first thought when I read about the Kindle is why couldn't they develop a licensing arrangement with public libraries so that I could download books books (perhaps not free, as with a real book) rather than buy them?