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Kindle - Wow!


Simon-the-censored
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[quote user="EmilyA"]I thought about it long and hard, but still think the downloads are quite expensive for more recent books. Yes, the classics are free, but we have got most of those that we have ever wanted to read. It just can't match the price of Abe books for most of the things we buy and I think biography, travel etc are seriously thin. (We have got about 7,000 books just to put my feelings about it in context.) Agree it's great for travelling and holidays. I will get one eventually I think, but didn't ask Father Christmas for one this year.[/quote]

I agree Emily.  MrR51 was going to buy me one - I'm an avid reader so he thought it would make a good present.  However, when I read more about it just seemed very limited.  Proprietary books at a price not much below a hard copy - and then not a comprehensive choice.  Like Chancer, I like to travel and tend to travel very light (viz 8kg for several weeks).  If I'm adding to my luggage weight I would prefer a device that provided more functionality than just e-books.

Mrs R51

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Hi Mrs R51 - don't understand?

The Amazon Kindle DOES have more functionality than just e-books - that was the point of my original post. It has a web browser with FREE internet access globally, an mp3 player, an audio book facility, dictionaries etc. And it weighs less than 250g!

And as for a comprehensive choice of books - I'd say 520,000+ books in the Kindle store alone is pretty comprehensive - no to mention all the other e-book sites you can download from. Plus, for EmilyA, nearly 24,000 auto/biographies and around 13,000 travel related books.

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing?

Simon :-)

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[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]pachapapa - looks great - how much and does it have free internet access? Simon :-)[/quote]

Don't get too excited just yet Simon[;-)]

The first true E Ink colour reader will be launched sometime this year - in the USA! It'll probably be closer to next Xmas before we have the opportunity to give it a try.

According to the manufacturers Hanvon it will come with both WiFi and 3G, and I wouldn't be in the least surprised if after a slight change in appearance, this doesn't appear under the title of the "Amazon Kindle Colour E-Book Reader".

No hint on pricing though. 

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[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]Hi Mrs R51 - don't understand?

The Amazon Kindle DOES have more functionality than just e-books - that was the point of my original post. It has a web browser with FREE internet access globally, an mp3 player, an audio book facility, dictionaries etc. And it weighs less than 250g!

And as for a comprehensive choice of books - I'd say 520,000+ books in the Kindle store alone is pretty comprehensive - no to mention all the other e-book sites you can download from. Plus, for EmilyA, nearly 24,000 auto/biographies and around 13,000 travel related books.

Maybe we're not talking about the same thing?

Simon :-)[/quote]

I prefer the iPad for look, feel and functionality.  Re relative pricing I just looked up Orhan Pamuk's 'My Name is Red' and it is £7.43 as a kindle book and £4.39 as a hard copy.  Nuff said.

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[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]that's around 400 € - double the price of a Kindle - for Wifi only with no free internet access. You;re getting into the realms of an iPad here - completely different product. It helps to compare apples with apples..... Simon :-)[/quote]

I suppose it's all down to which press release you regard as being factual. From a brief search, it would seem the price quoted could be as high as $560.00!!!!!

Personally, I think at those prices I'd opt for an Andoid device such as the Samsung Tab, with more flexibility to boot.

Can't find any mention of them being WiFi only for the export market, and Hanvon's own press release indicates they will be WiFi & 3G equipped. Taking into consideration the initial purchase price, plus the possible additional cost of internet access, for a reader it becomes rather an expensive bit of kit! 

[url]http://www.hanvon.com/en/news/news22.html[/url]

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Good points well made Salty Sam!

Let me just try and bring this subject back to my original point / s.

I received an Amazon Kindle 3 (Wifi & 3G) for Christmas - so that I could read electronic books.

For that purpose alone - it's amazing.

What I find even more amazing are the 'bonus' features I hadn't been expecting - i.e. web browser, mp3 player, audio book function and FREE INTERNET ACCESS.

The Kindle cost £149 all-in. I currently pay nearly about 530€ a year for internet access (ONLY) - so for me, the Kindle is brilliant - value, functionality, weight, ease of use, design, readability......

How often do you get something that really surprises you??? (probably a daft question and a whole other topic!!!!)

Simon :-)
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[quote user="Simon-come-lately"]How often do you get something that really surprises you??? (probably a daft question and a whole other topic!!!!) Simon :-)[/quote]

Quite right Simon and as you say, at £149.00 - not something to be sniffed at. Even installing the Kindle Reader software on my netbook doesn't provide me with the same reading experience as using the Kindle Reader proper. Seeing as it is very unlikely there will be a reasonably priced colour version in the offing, I shall be ordering a new Kindle to replace my current defunct one which unfortunately suffered a slight accident a couple of weeks ago, which has effectively killed it[:@].

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