The Kindle Review

I recently received a Kindle Touch 3G for Christmas.  I've just finished reading my first Kindle book: A Dance With Dragons by George R. R. Martin. So I'd like to report on my experiences with the Kindle so far.

The model I have has special offers.  This is basically advertising on the screen saver. It is very easy to ignore.  This model is about $20 cheaper than the model without offers.  I think its worth it.

Positives

I like the way the Kindle feels in your hand.  I can easily hold and manipulate it with one hand.  It's a little heavier than a paperback book, but is has a nice heft.  A nice feature is the nonslip finish on the back.

I really like the display.  The background is a bright white which makes a nice contrast with the dark black characters.  The font style, size, and spacing can be adjusted to suit the reader.  This makes the the Kindle very easy on the eyes.

The Kindle touch has a touch screen.  Touching the screen in the correct area turns the page or calls up a menu.

The Kindle has an interactive dictionary.  Highlight a word and you get a dictionary definition.  You can also highlight interesting passages.  As you read, the Kindle will show you how many other people have highlighted different passages in the book.

I think the interface with the Kindle store is great.  Buy a book online, have it delivered to your Kindle, and be reading in about a minute.

Negatives

The touch screen is not as intuitive as the Apple iPod touch screen.  The Kindle screen has specific areas for turning forward, or backward, or calling up a menu.  An accidental brush or touch can yield unexpected results.

Using the Kindle, it is difficult to jump around a book.  A Dance with Dragons had maps in the front and appendices in the back.  It would have been easier to access these materials using a traditional book.

The big negative is that the Kindle is basically a computer.  And it can be subject to the same types problems computers have.  After I happily used the Kindle for two weeks, it began to slow down.  Then it simply froze.  I had to Google the problem and learn how to do a forced reboot.

Conclusion

For the most part, the Kindle is easy to use.  It is easy on the eyes.  And it is just plain fun to use.  I know that I am more motivated to read when I use it.  I won't do all my reading on the Kindle, but it will in the mix, especially for newer titles.


Verdict

Thumbs up!

Kindle Touch 3G with Special Features -  This is model that I have.





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