After reviewing Amazon.com I thought it might be logical to review the Kindle as well. If you have read the Amazon review you know I bought it back in June just before my vacation were coming up. I actually looked at several options before I decided to buy the Kindle. I was looking at some cheaper pads like the ZTE light or Creative ZiiO and use the Kindle app but they had backlit screens which would tire the eyes after longer sessions of reading. So the choice was quite obvious. It had to be the Kindle.
The Good
The 6" screen. The kindle uses electronic ink on it's screen which makes it look like an ordinary book. Obviously it's not backlit so if you read outside when it's sunny it works extremely well. You need light to see the text just as if it was an ordinary book.
Memory. 4 GB is built in. That means that it will hold up to 3500 books. That is simply amazing.
The size. It's thin, light and small. Compared to the 2nd generation of the Kindle it has now shrunk the body by 21% while keeping the same screen size.
Battery life. Amazon states that if you read for an half hour a day it will last for 2 months. I don't now if that's true but I did not need to recharge it during my vacation which lasted 4 weeks. I read like 5-6 hours a week.
Options and features. There are a lot of them. You can for an example change the font size, typeface, line spacing, and words per line which will make the reading experience how you would prefer it. One great feature that I just love about the Kindle is that you can use Text-to-Speech. I find it much easier when the words are spoken to me while I'm reading. Ok the voice might sound a bit corny and robotic but you'll get used to it. There is an English dictionary installed if there's a word you're having difficulty of understanding. Simply move the cursor to the word and the dictionary will display what it means. The device supports pdf files and mp3 files. That means you can listen to audio books as well as music.
Getting books. As I mentioned in my earlier review on Amazon.com it's very simple to get books on the device. The Kindle comes personalized with your account. That means that you just press shop in Kindle store and your log in automatically to your account. You can then choose your book and it will be transfered thru the WI FI netwok. It only takes a few seconds then you'll find the book you ordered in your library. There is a 3G version of the Kindle which comes handy if you are travelling a lot and might want to buy a book if you're out of range of a WI FI network.
Right or left hand. The Kindle is designed so that you can use either the right or the left hand.
The Bad
The page buttons. You can some time accidentally press the next /prev page buttons. It happens to me all the time.
The Store. When browsing the store it can be a bit messy browsing around. A touch screen would have made it all easier instead you need to use the arrow keys to navigate which can get a bit frustrating.
It's a tad laggy when turning pages.
It's doesn't say which page you are on. Instead it shows the percentage how far you have gotten. That means you cannot really refer to a page.
Conclusion
I must admit I'm not much of a reader but The Kindle actually have changed that. I rather enjoy reading books now. The Text-to-Speech feature has a lot to do with it of course. It is much easier to concentrate when it's on and it keeps me in a steady pace. I highly recommend this device especially if your read a lot of books. I mean it will hold 3500 books for you wherever you go at the size of one book. You got to love technology! :D
Score 8 of of 10
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