# The Kindle: Yes or no?
**URL:** https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283
**Category:** Cafe Society
**Created:** [July 21, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283 "2008-07-21T18:21:55Z")
**Posts on this page:** 20
**Page:** 1
### Author:  [@jharvey963](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jharvey963)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 6:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/1 "2008-07-21T18:21:55Z")
I’m thinking about buying a Kindle – more because of the “wow, that’s cool” factor than because of practicality / cost issues. I’m trying to decide if it’s worth it.
So try to talk me either into it or out of it.
Here are some of my thoughts. Based on your use of it, please comment.
- It would be cool to have only 1 “book” to carry around – and have that one thing contain all of the books on my “to read” list.
- How readable is the screen, though? Do you get fatigued after long usage? How about the user interface?
- How much do you spend on books? A lot of my reading is of the “entertainment” variety: mysteries, action, and science fiction books that I pick up at the used book store for $3 - $4 each, then share with my friends (who also share with me) when I’ve finished them.
- Is it possible to “swap” books with others, or buy or sell used Kindle books?
- What kind of free content is available for it? Anything worth more than you pay for it? 🙂
- Anyone have a problem with breakage or repairs? I just carry books in my pack which gets occasional jars or jolts.
- What subscriptions can you get on it, and are they worth it?
- Are we still in Version 1? Is there a new version coming out soon?
Thanks,
J.
---
### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/2 "2008-07-21T18:43:35Z")
I have one sitting on my desk here. I like it a lot, but some of my friends who have examined mine are of the “no thanks” camp.
Here is a review I sent to Amazon (I feel it is the responsibility of the early adopters to give extensive feedback!:))
> [@](#):
>
> I have used my Kindle for a few months and wanted to provide your marketing department my feedback. Overall, I enjoy the product greatly. The obvious benefit is the wireless access to the Kindle Store. I was in the airport recently where I bought a book as I gave the ticket agent my ticket. It was fully downloaded to my device before I got down the jet-way to the plane. I enjoy this access to a “bookstore” as I never know how much time I will have to read when traveling. With the Kindle, I don’t need to pack a lot of “backup” books. Also, I don’t have to buy books until the exact moment I am ready to read them. Conventionally, I would buy books in advance, and then not be in the right mood later to begin them. The Kindle allows me to buy at the moment I am ready to read and match my exact mood (I’m a “moody” reader.) In addition, I like that I can have the New York Times delivered to my reader every morning. I cancelled my print subscription after only a few days of testing the digital version.
>
> I think this product is perfect for business travelers.
>
> Now for some items which I feel could use some improvement:
>
> - For your newspaper editions, you need to include a “Next Article” link on every page of each article. Such a link only appears between articles in my copies of the NYT. Sometimes, I get disinterested in an article and have to click several pages to get to the next article. Lengthy articles in papers like the NYT occupy many pages of the Kindle screen (even on the smallest font).
>
> - Please figure out a way to put page numbers in your books. The “location” numbers are nonsensical and have no apparent pattern that I can discern. I understand that the page numbers change depending on font size, but it should be relatively simple to make a conversion as the reader changes the font. “20 of 100” could easily change to “40 of 200” as font is altered. A peculiarity of my reading is that I want to know how far along I am in the book.
>
> - For future models, you should have a dedicated key on the front of the Kindle to send users to the Store. Much like the Home key. I’m impatient. You want me to get to your store to spend money. Win-Win proposition.
>
> - I wish there was a way to lock the long “Next Page” button on the right side of the reader. I am always hitting it inadvertently.
>
> - There should be a setting in the content manager section that allows subscribers to auto-delete old newspaper downloads. I was out of the country recently, so my NYT piled up. It would have been nice for the Kindle to keep only the newest edition and delete the rest.
>
> - Kindle has a clock. It should be on the main page or, at the users option, on the page of the book.
>
> - In the Kindle Store, the Save For Later section should be on the main page and not the sub-menu. I use that section a lot. It helps me to store some ideas when I have time and quickly choose from them when I am in hurry.
>
> Overall, these are small problems. The first two are the only ones that are truly bothersome. I really enjoy the product and look forward to any new developments Amazon announces regarding the Kindle.
Negatives I have heard from friends:
- It doesn’t have the weight of a real book (I think that is a plus! If it bothers you, read it in the carry case and it feels like a big paperback).
- Can only see one page at a time. I didn’t get this, but a friend said that not seeing the page on the other side is off putting.
- The flicker when changing pages is odd. (I use this time to blink…)
And now to your specific questions:
> [@](#):
>
> - It would be cool to have only 1 “book” to carry around – and have that one thing contain all of the books on my “to read” list.
Yup. I hate packing multiple books on a long trip.
> [@](#):
>
> - How readable is the screen, though? Do you get fatigued after long usage?
Perfect. No different than a book. There is no backlight (you need a lamp to read), so there is ZERO eyestrain for me.
> [@](#):
>
> How about the user interface?
There are a few problems as indicated in my longer review above, but if you are simply reading 50 pages straight and doing nothing special, it is seemless.
> [@](#):
>
> How much do you spend on books? A lot of my reading is of the “entertainment” variety: mysteries, action, and science fiction books that I pick up at the used book store for $3 - $4 each, then share with my friends (who also share with me) when I’ve finished them.
I buy mostly new books, so they are usuall 9.99. I know some more classic books are below $6.
> [@](#):
>
> - Is it possible to “swap” books with others, or buy or sell used Kindle books?
No. I think they are a single user license, but I believe if you own multiple Kindles, you can put a book on up to like 5 units.
> [@](#):
>
> - What kind of free content is available for it? Anything worth more than you pay for it? 🙂
There is free access to Wikipedia and dictionaries, but I give that zero value. My cell phone is faster and easier to access for this material. Everything else, including free online blog subscriptions, charge a fee.
> [@](#):
>
> - Anyone have a problem with breakage or repairs? I just carry books in my pack which gets occasional jars or jolts.
A few times the screensaver will freeze. Usually, you just disconnect the battery and it clears. I think heat causes this, so me leaving mine in the car in Houston is not a great idea.
> [@](#):
>
> - What subscriptions can you get on it, and are they worth it?
You can fully browse the Kindle store here: [Amazon.com: Kindle Store](http://www.amazon.com/gp/browse.html?node=133141011)
I read the NY Times every day. I bought a single issue of a magazine, but as pictures are not that great on the reader, I stuck with my print subscription of Time.
> [@](#):
>
> - Are we still in Version 1? Is there a new version coming out soon?
Yes/I do not know.
Overall, I really like it. But I did buy it originally for the “cewl!” factor. Now, I cannot stand to pick up a paper book.
Sadly though, the purchase of a Kindle represents the end of my in-store entertainment purchases.
I sometimes browse brick and mortar bookstores, but only to value poach the store for ideas and later buy with my Kindle. Couple this with my Itunes music and my Netflix for DVDs, I am denied what was once a true joy of my life. Going into a store and picking out media for purchase.
---
### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 7:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/3 "2008-07-21T19:24:10Z")
I have one. Mr. Athena got it for me as a gift, and when I opened it, I figured there was a 50/50 chance I’d keep it. Amazon has a 30 day return policy, so I had plenty of time to decide. I ended up keeping it.
It’s cool, but it’s not as cool as it could be. One big minus for me is that I’m out of range of the Whispernet network - it’s nowhere near my town - so none of the net functions work for me. That includes:
- no automatic delivery of anything. I can buy stuff from Amazon, but I have to download them to my Kindle via USB
- No “free first chapter” function. This really bummed me out, because I really would use it. For whatever reason, that only functions via Whispernet
- No web surfing on the Kindle. I can live without it.
So why’d I keep it? Here’s my reasons:
- I’m a sucker for instant gratification. I love love love the fact that I can want a book and _poof_ it’s there!
- The form factor is nice. I tend to read in bed or while lying down, and it’s easy to hold.
- The screen is so incredibly cool. It’s VERY easy on the eyes, and incredibly detailed.
- I can carry around a gazillion books at once
- You can get books from a variety of places for free (Project Gutenberg, etc.) I found myself reading books that I would have never picked up normally, just because they were free and my Kindle is cool.
- I really like being able to put web-based text on the Kindle to read more comfortably. I often need to read lengthy documentation - with the kindle, I can download it and transfer it for comfy reading on the couch. It’d be even cooler if @#@ Whispernet was available in my area and I could just use Kindle’s browser to read it.
Here’s what I don’t like:
- Not all books are available on the Kindle. In fact, I’ve run across lots that aren’t. The once that are tend to be priced between $5-$10 - less than buying a real book brand new, but more than picking it up at the used book store. And you can’t lend them to other people.
- The user interface is clunky. Not for reading through a book page by page (which is what you do 90% of the time), but reading newspapers is clunky. I have a lot of the same issues that **middleman** has (links, no page #s, no clock, etc)
So overall… it’s not perfect. But it is cool enough that I kept it, and I’d miss it if it was gone.
---
### Author:  [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/4 "2008-07-21T19:37:10Z")
I don’t own one, but the thing is so ugly that I’m not likely to buy it. It looks like no industrial designer was involved at all in the development. I have, however, heard that the device is really useful, especially that you can download books and newspapers wirelessly for free.
---
### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/5 "2008-07-21T19:55:00Z")
I don’t have a Kindle, I have a [Sony Reader](http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?catalogId=10551&storeId=10151&langId=-1&productId=8198552921665245739) and I love it - it does everything I want it to do. I use it for traveling - I like being able to carry a bunch of books with me at one time (I hate carrying around library books and especially making room in my suitcase on the return trip for books I finished).
It has a great battery life, easy to read screen (a special e-Ink technology that makes it like paper) and holds up to 160 books (haven’t even come close to that).
Big drawback for me - digital books are spendy. I would have thought digital books would be much cheaper, but they’re only about 10% off retail. In my normal everyday life, I still use the library. Also, it’s amazing to me how many books I consider “classic” (Lonesome Dove, Shogun, etc) are not available for sale from the Sony Connect bookstore. Most new titles are available - I haven’t had any trouble finding a current bestseller, for example.
As Middleman said about the Kindle, there is a tiny “flicker” when the page is turned, it bugs me for about 2 minutes whenever I start using it and then I don’t notice it anymore.
Still, I love it - it’s a very pretty, easy to use device, lightweight and also holds MP3s (so I can listen to music while I read on the plane).
---
### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 7:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/6 "2008-07-21T19:59:22Z")
One other downside. You have to turn it off when taking off and landing in a plane as it is battery operated. At those much needed moments, you are left to the mercies of SkyMall or the inflight magazine.
---
### Author:  [@Harriet\_the\_Spry](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Harriet_the_Spry)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 8:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/7 "2008-07-21T20:00:10Z")
[QUOTE=Athena]
- I really like being able to put web-based text on the Kindle to read more comfortably. I often need to read lengthy documentation - with the kindle, I can download it and transfer it for comfy reading on the couch.
[/QUOTE]
Does the web-based text need to be in HTML, or can you also do this with .pdf files?
---
### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 8:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/8 "2008-07-21T20:09:28Z")
There is a story in either Newsweek or Time this last week where the guy had gotten a Kindle, basically said “No Thanks” and after six months gave it another try and really likes it now.
---
### Author:  [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/9 "2008-07-21T20:12:49Z")
I just read that today. Funny read. His basic reason for giving it a second chance was that he was cheap.
---
### Author:  [@Mr.Moto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Moto)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 8:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/10 "2008-07-21T20:47:43Z")
[QUOTE=middleman]
There is free access to Wikipedia and dictionaries, but I give that zero value. My cell phone is faster and easier to access for this material. Everything else, including free online blog subscriptions, charge a fee.
[/QUOTE]
I organize my blog feeds into Google Reader and from time to time will read them with the Kindle when I’m not near a PC. They’re free that way.
Apart from a lot of backtracking I don’t have to do on a PC, it works fine.
The Kindle works great for websites optimized for text, so news feeds and the like will work pretty well. Drudge is okay. Google is surprisingly good, especially the mobile version. The Straight Dope is barely workable.
---
### Author:  [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/11 "2008-07-21T21:26:19Z")
[QUOTE=Dewey Finn]
I don’t own one, but the thing is so ugly that I’m not likely to buy it. It looks like no industrial designer was involved at all in the development. I have, however, heard that the device is really useful, especially that you can download books and newspapers wirelessly for free.
[/QUOTE]
They should have gotten Sony or Apple to design the interface and form factor; the existing ergonomics are awful. It is also more pricey than I would spend on such a device, and the lack of support for PDF or SVGB is inexcusable.
I think some kind of electronic book format and reader will eventually overtake printed books (although there will continue to be at least a niche market for print publication for the foreseeable future), but the Kindle isn’t there by a long shot. It’s a first crude effort at an e-book application that is pretty weak even given the state of the art.
Stranger
---
### Author:  [@Bosstone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosstone)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 9:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/12 "2008-07-21T21:33:25Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train]
They should have gotten Sony or Apple to design the interface and form factor; the existing ergonomics are awful. It is also more pricey than I would spend on such a device, and the lack of support for PDF or SVGB is inexcusable.
[/QUOTE]
Sony has their own e-book reader, and Apple’s involvement would not have reduced the price. Quite the opposite. 😃
---
### Author:  [@Athena](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Athena)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 10:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/13 "2008-07-21T22:37:49Z")
[QUOTE=Harriet the Spry]
Does the web-based text need to be in HTML, or can you also do this with .pdf files?
[/QUOTE]
It doesn’t support .pdf files out of the box, but there’s a free lil’ app called Mobipocket Creator that converts PDFs no problem. Very easy to use, and I’ve had no problems with it.
---
### Author:  [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 10:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/14 "2008-07-21T22:58:49Z")
BTW, I think at the $359 price, it is over priced.
---
### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 11:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/15 "2008-07-21T23:12:13Z")
I have one (my wife gave it to me as a birthday present) and I really like it.
It’s very comfortable to read, and it’s so convenient to get new books in less than a minute using the whispernet.
I can’t understand the complaints about its looks. Who cares what it looks like, as long as it does its job well?
I like it so much we decided to give his and hers Kindles to my parents for their 50th wedding anniversary. They are enjoying them also.
Ed
---
### Author:  [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)
#### Post date: [July 21, 2008, 11:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/16 "2008-07-21T23:54:35Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi]
I can’t understand the complaints about its looks. Who cares what it looks like, as long as it does its job well?
[/QUOTE]
Not the looks (although it looks clunky); its ergonomics suck, often causing you to hit buttons unintentionally. Look at the Sony e-book in comparison; clean lines with the controls placed away from normal gripping surfaces.
Stranger
---
### Author:  [@Glory](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Glory)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2008, 12:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/17 "2008-07-22T00:01:48Z")
I do have one minor quibble with the Sony Reader’s ergonomics. The page forward and page backward buttons are exactly the same size and very close together. It just seems like one would push the page forward button more often. I submitted some feedback that the page forward button should be larger and thumb shaped. I find the current page forward button a little awkward to press without pressing the page backwards button.
---
### Author:  [@suranyi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/suranyi)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2008, 12:02am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/18 "2008-07-22T00:02:55Z")
[QUOTE=Stranger On A Train]
Not the looks (although it looks clunky); its ergonomics suck, often causing you to hit buttons unintentionally. Look at the Sony e-book in comparison; clean lines with the controls placed away from normal gripping surfaces.
Stranger
[/QUOTE]
It just takes some getting used to, and then you don’t hit the controls unintentially so much. One thing to realize is that when you’re reading, the keyboard is mostly turned off, so you can hold it down there and even squeezing the keys won’t do anything.
And once you get used to it, it becomes nice that the next page bar is so big. I can turn the page without removing my eyes from the screen.
Ed
---
### Author:  [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2008, 12:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/19 "2008-07-22T00:22:20Z")
[QUOTE=suranyi]
It just takes some getting used to, and then you don’t hit the controls unintentially so much.
[/QUOTE]
Yeah…that’s what we call “bad ergonomics.” A product that is well-designed doesn’t take a lot of “getting used to,”; the controls are already placed where it is intuitive to use them. In the case of an e-book, I expect it to be not much more difficult to use (physically) than a real book, otherwise I spend my time fiddling with the controls rather than reading.
Stranger
---
### Author:  [@Terrifel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terrifel)
#### Post date: [July 22, 2008, 1:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283/20 "2008-07-22T01:07:52Z")
Does anyone else think “The Kindle” sounds like the title for one of those Japanese ghost movies, with the pale staring dead kids?
[Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-kindle-yes-or-no/457283.md?page=2)