Amazon Kindle - Anyone tried it?

[Blossom]

Has anyone tried this? It it worth getting or should I wait for the 2nd generation?

[BoD]

Seems like a good idea, but I find firelighters more than sufficient for lighting the bbq

Wait for gen 2

[Burbage]

Looks and reads like real paper!

Brilliant. I always thought that real paper was exhorbitantly expensive.

[Bender]

Not sure if I'm ready for one. It may hold tons of books, but I generally read only one or two at once. If I drop a Kindle, it's likely I won't be able to fix it with tape, and books don't run out of batteries. I don't think it does colour. When I'm travelling I tend to unload books as I read them so I don't have to carry them home.

A man and a woman are sitting opposite each other on a train. The man is reading a book and, as he finishes each page, he tears the page out and throws it out the window. The woman notices this, and eventually curiosity gets the better of her.

"I've noticed you tear each page out when you've read it, and throw it out the window." she asks. "Why do you do that?"
The man answers, "It's to keep tigers away."
The woman thinks about this before saying, "But there aren't any tigers around here."
The man replies, "It works well, doesn't it?"

Apologies in advance.

[Fat Bob]

[Fat Bob]

Blossum, are you based in Singapore or the States? Seems to run via a mobile phone network (the Kindle connects straight to the network, Amazon pays for it) Not sure what happens if you are not based in a SPRINT supported area. Can you download stuff via the net and update via USB? (it comes with a USB cable.)

Would be interested in checking it out, would love to be able to sit here now and figure out what I want to read on my holiday. Rather than getting to the airport and seeing if there's anything worth reading in the store there!

[Burbage]

Would be interested in checking it out, would love to be able to sit here now and figure out what I want to read on my holiday. Rather than getting to the airport and seeing if there's anything worth reading in the store there!

Why don't you go to the Amazon site via the web?

[BoD]

..and doing just that leads to the discovery that the Kindle needs access to Sprint's national high-speed (EVDO) data network, which is not available in Montana, Alaska and everywhere outside the US

[Fat Bob]

Sorry burb, forgot your high intelligence can't understand my simple words.

It should read "would love to be able to sit here now and figure out what I want to read on my holiday [by browsing Amazon and download it via the PC]. [The current option is] getting to the airport and seeing if there's anything worth reading in the store there!"

I could order something from Amazon, but as I fly out of Singapore at 6:35pm tonight, I'm not sure it would reach here in time. And the costs are somewhat prohibitive when you factor in shipping.

[Fat Bob]

Cool, seems you can download via USB. From a ZDNet Review:

"That said, you can "manually" transfer content to the Kindle when you're abroad by downloading content from the Web to your PC, and then transferring it to the Kindle via USB. (If everything goes well for the Kindle here in the U.S., perhaps we'll see a GSM version for European customers). "

If a GSM version comes out then hopefully Singapore will get full access to the books. If they don't, then I'll get one anyhow, though will probably go for the US version as the UK version will be the same number but in £

[Burbage]

Here's the advanced manual FB.

Browse Amazon to see if there are any books you want to read.

Write down the titles.

Buy one of them at the airport.

[Fat Bob]

That'll work wonders, thanks Burb, had never thought of that! I mean, Singapore airport does have the same extensive, up to date stock that Amazon has.

[Burbage]

That'll work wonders, thanks Burb, had never thought of that! I mean, Singapore airport does have the same extensive, up to date stock that Amazon has.

I'm sure someone as clever as you can figure out how to make it work.

[azzam]

I can't be arsed faffing about on a website for books I want to read. What's the point if you can't browse, leaf, handle and otherwise deface good books while sitting on the floor in the corner of the shop somewhere? I'd even say sniff them, but then you'd all think I'm strange.
I love airport book shops. Idles away waiting time in a way almost as satisfying as trying all the perfumes.

[canuck]

here I thought you were just chopping down the amazon for toothpicks or some such.

agree with Azzam, need to sniff my books, and read the first para if it is an author I don't know Love book shops, websites have no smell.

[daffodil]

I 'd hate to buy any books after you two have sniffed and mauled your way through them!

[azzam]

Sometimes, if I really like the look of the cover, I lick it before putting it back on the shelf.

[BFG]

Sometimes, if I really like the look of the cover, I lick it before putting it back on the shelf.

Note to self - buy a book disguise and zoom on down to the airport bookshop...

[TheD]

What is this? An ebook reader?

Sony has had one for yonks...

Forget all this crapdobaa...not much longer before Sharp or JVC or whoever will roll out their flexible screen. You can simply donwnload your newspaper(s) everyday, and of course your books and whatnots...

[Bender]

Sometimes, if I really like the look of the cover, I lick it before putting it back on the shelf.

mmmm... and I probably licked it before you!

[Bender]

Is this it? It's ugly. Not lickable at all.



The Sony is better looking, but not by much.

[azzam]

Euw, if I licked that the screen would get all smeary

[canuck]

plus you'd get spittle buildup around the buttons.

don't think it will every really take off, reading from a screen is more tiring than paper.. No rush here to buy one. If I put a book in a computer type thing, least it could do is read it to me. Now that might work

[Blossom]

You can read the first chapter before purchasing.
I love my books, I read 2-3 per week but they are a bummer to store (I like to re-read).

[TheD]

I think it's Sharp JVC Philips Siemens in the race to bring out full colour rollable screens...

Personally I would love to have a broad sheet sized rollable screen with mega storage capacity for all my newspapers and their searchable archives...though that would require a wireless connection to a storage device...would be great of it could have massive transflash storage so it is portable at least in a small way...

Would also love different sized book format screens with leather covers etc...