Customer Reviews:
 3 weeks experience with Kindle February 14, 2008
16 out of 19 found this review helpful
I have had my Kindle for 3 weeks and here are my thoughts. First the good: The display is indeed superlative in readability. The user software interface is excellent. The whispernet communications link with Amazon seems to work flawlessly. Under the "experimental" tab you can email jpg photos to your Kindle and they actually come out looking really good: deep, well saturated gray-scale, excellent spatial resolution--but of course only a gray-scale rendition, not color (yet). Simply formatted pdf files can also be sent and displayed on the kindle, but since they are not in the full Kindle format they don't respond as nicely to the "page management" instructions as native Kindle documents do. The access to Dictionaries, Wikipedia, and the internet (using a rather crude browser) seems to work well. However, I was not able to get Kindle "nownow" (another "experimental" feature) to work: this is where you send in a written question and Amazon staff supposedly research the answer for you and downloaded a written reply to your Kindle. Now the not-so-good: Battery life is adequate but does not seem anywhere close to what it is claimed to be. With whispernet turned off I was able to get about 6 hours worth of reading before my battery icon showed an almost empty battery. Surprisingly, though, this can be significantly extended if you let your Kindle go to sleep instead of turning it on and off; something not mentioned in the user's manual. The mechanical design of the Kindle leaves a lot to be desired: Because of the "buttons" on the left and right sides of the device, it is virtually impossible to hold it without the included case without inadvertently flipping pages. But the case is also poorly designed; it has three "grab" points that are supposed to hold the Kindle in the case without letting it slip out (which could be sort of disastrous...). The problem is that to get the Kindle into and fixed in the case, you need to push it in--which, if it is turned on, madly flips pages! But to have to turn the Kindle off to reposition it if it slips out is a real pain. The two on/off switches for whispernet and the whole Kindle are on the back side, which means that to switch it on or off you have to left the Kindle away from the case--which often loosens it and it comes out. Price: I think it's expensive, but I still think it's worth it, specially when the Sony eBook (about $100 less) doesn't have the built-in communications capability. Finally, regarding available magazine subscriptions, I am stunned that the Kindle bookstore offers Time but not Newsweek. Bottom line? I'm really glad I have the Kindle.
 Reliability Problems February 14, 2008
12 out of 34 found this review helpful
I am now on my second Kindle. The first one froze up after less than 20 hours use and had to be returned. Three weeks later the replacement came but cannot connect wirelessly. Until reliability issues are addressed I can't say I'd recommend purchasing one. The concept is great - the reality appears different.
Expensive February 14, 2008
2 out of 49 found this review helpful
Since I read a great deal, this product looked very interesting. It certainly would be easier to carry than some of the books I carry around with me but the price is way too much for the convenience it offers. Perhaps when the price goes down a bit...
 Great product for reading books February 14, 2008
23 out of 24 found this review helpful
Hey, just got my Kindle and I have to say it is a great product for reading books. If you are trying to make it something it isn't, then you probably won't like it.
The screen has to be seen to be believed, it is so crisp. The color is a very light gray, but the words just pop off the screen. Once your reading for a couple of minutes, you forget about the rest of the device.
As for the refresh rate, I don't get why people are complaining. I got use to it right away and it isn't any slower than turning a page, except you don't have to physically turn the page. Same with using the keyboard. Unless you need to look at the screen after you type every letter it doesn't appear to be a problem. I type what I am looking for and by the time my eyes make it up to the screen the word is there.
Navigating books is pretty slick. The annotation functions are a nice feature as well. I can see how managing a lot of books will be a hassle for some, but probably not for me. I don't need access to all of my books, so I will probably delete things like novels and auto's once I done (Note: Amazon will still keep a copy of them online, and you can back them up on your computer.)
The built in wireless is great for buying books and it works as advertised. I have purchased books, newspapers and blogs and they appear in a matter of seconds (Chicago, you mileage may vary in other places.)
I won't review content, because guess what, this is a review for the Kindle Wireless Reader, not the Kindle Store or other content. But so far I am very pleased. Maybe if I try to find something and can't, I'll find the proper place to posts my complaints.
The web sucks, I haven't tried Kindle Now, Now, or tried to listen to music. I bought the Kindle to be a uni-tasker, READ BOOKS.
Everyone who has and will continue to chime in before you even see or use the product need to get a life.
DRM... I won't even touch that one, just to say I understand and it won't be there forever.
Satisfied customer in Ohio February 14, 2008
It's February 13, I ordered on January 30, and my Kindle arrived this morning. I want to thank all of you positive reviewers. I've been reading your comments for weeks and when my Kindle got here I was very acquainted with it. I would like to tell all of you who are holding back to go ahead and plunge. The Kindle is stupendous. I know most of the complaints and I find them unfounded. This is one of the easiest devices to get to know that I've ever owned. Took it with me a few hours after its arrival to a doctor's waiting room and read with ease.
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