So, you Kindle people...is it worth it?

http://www.npr.org/2011/03/27/134897271/cheaper-than-a-tablet-rooting-your-e-reader&sc=nl&cc=nh-20110327

This has been useful, as I just discovered that I can use the PDA Set gave me years ago as an e-reader! I'm going to have to charge the battery on that sucker and load in some books for transit reading.

And their 3G is FAST!!!!!

Kindle reader for Android is really cool. I love all of the free books.

you gonna root yur kindle bunny?

Not in the traditional sense, no.

Digital rooting can be fun too

Now that I've read extensively on both an iPad and a Kindle all I can say is that the Kindle is almost there. There are a few very frustrating things about it (though I'll still use it):

1) The page turning buttons are annoyingly placed. Hard to hold without flipping pages.

2) For that matter all the buttons are, this thing has little room to hold without touching the screen or buttons.

3) The cost of getting a good light to use (since it's not backlit) is often expensive (the case with a light for the kindle that I bought is about half the price of the kindle itself) and is not very convenient (to need a led light hanging on the kindle to read at night).


IMO they keyboard should be slide-out (I never use it other than to setup the kindle the first time), making it easier to hold somewhere where there are no buttons and the light should be built into the kindle (around the bezel of the screen, like some stopwatches).

But it does it's job and it's a better experience in many other ways (like battery life and lack of distractions) to reading on an iPad.

I find I have become accustomed to the buttons and can hold the thing without pushing them.

I find the weeniness of the keyboard letters annoying when I am checking the Kindle store from the Kindle.

The expense of the cases is ridiculously high, I agree.

I am trying to find something I already have to protect the Kindle when I am carrying it around, or leaving it somewhere, because it is quite fragile.

It does need some light to read by, but I find it fine with my low energy light bulbs.

Amazon sent me my new Kindle by priority mail when mine broke, did not charge for it, and refunded the cost of emailing the old one back to them.

They also set up the new Kindle with my whole library for me and handled the complexities that came with my having picked up the original one in the USA (who knew there would be a number of complexities?)

Have you tried e-book?

Not sure what you mean. Is that an e-reader.

I have a Sony one that I haven't used for ages.

Stumbled on to this old thread. Just wanted to say that paper retains scores of advantages not mentioned above. Eg durability (books don't break easily, kindles do); afordability (generally); ease of access; no need for electric power; capacity to shape/transform the physical object (annotate, mark, fold, cut, etc.); reading on paper is better for your eyes; potential for meaningful gifts (offering an Amazon code as a gift just doesn't do the same thing); better protection of intellectual property (you can rip an e-book and share it as pdf for free, but it's a lot harder to photocopy an entire paper book); etc. etc.

i think it is worth it especially if you travel alot it is of great use

I've been going back and forth on this for over a year. I was given a Kindle a year ago but returned it unused; there were many reviews at that time saying, wait until the next model or the one after that, and wait to see who jumps in as competition. There were definite drawbacks...can't page back quickly to find something you just read and want to check on; no backlight; can't use this device if you have been told to turn off electronic devices while you are on a plane (e.g., when you are stuck on the tarmac in a queue to take off, and it can be an hour); hard to read gray-on-gray screen.

A big plus for me would be that you can get all major newspapers downloaded on some of the new readers; a negative trumping that plus is that many books are not available on the Kindle or on other e-readers. So...when I go abroad, do I take my Kindle AND a book in carry-on luggage? This is what I was trying to avoid by buying a Kindle. Can you download while outside of the US or must you download anything you want before you leave? Last I heard, you must download before leaving US.

Still dithering but I wouldn't buy it, or hint to anyone who asks, until the market shakes out a bit.

You can use a number of devices as e-readers. I have a Samsung tablet, my wife has an Amazon fire, my daughter an Ipad. It doesn't have to be a Kindle, but if you want to read ebooks, there is no need to wait, there are lots of affordable options and the next generation might have a prettier screen but for reading books it won't make a difference.

This is not quite true - they tell you to turn off electronic devices such as those with wifi - all you need to do is have your device on airplane mode and you can use it (same as your cell phone and computer). If your book is downloaded then you can you read it in airplane mode - similar to someone that downloads a movie or tv show on their computer or phone.

I had a kindle previously - I was always a hard book type of person, but my kids knowing how much I like to read chipped in with their dad to buy me a kindle - I ended up loving it - that was maybe 5 years ago. I love to be able to download books from library without going there - you can also expand your library network to broader libraries without traveling many many miles.

Then my kids bought me an amazon fire or whatever the heck the amazon version is - it is better but probably just because the technology improved. Being a prime member I also have a broad library in which I can get books for free. Yeah you have to pay for some, but there are so many books to choose from - unless I really want a particular title I don't pay anything - I also view movies on it and it has a good picture.

Yeah I am sold on these electronic versions now.

I didn't think so. Just FYI.

Everyone has to make money, in my opinion that's mega cool.