Legal Research

Kindle: Part Two

By scott

When I decided to buy the Kindle I have to confess I was more interested in having the new toy than anything else, and was not expecting to find that it would be something I would use, except for holidays, to actually read things.

However, after making it three quarters of the way through Peter Carey’s - Parrot and Olivier in America, I have to say that reading on it is an absolute joy. The text is clear ( and clear as a very clear thing in sunlight too) on the grey screen; the buttons either side of the device make ‘turning’ a page simple and the time for the screen to clear and reappear is pretty fast. Also it is no heavier than a large paperback you can easily hold it in one hand without fear of your arm dropping off.

Buying books can be done from the device over wifi or online, and transferred to the book by wifi or by downloading the file to your computer and dropping it into the documents folder of the Kindle when you have it connected to your machine.

Kindle and Kindle Apps

If you have a book on more than one device - then you can sync between them. So, If you have been reading a book on your Kindle and then you decide to you want to carry on when you are out later on using the Kindle app for your smartphone, it will present you with a pop up message telling you where you are on that device, but also tell you the furthest point you have reached on the other device and ask you if you want to go to that point or not. Pretty good.

Experimental

The Kindle comes with 3 ‘experiments’ included that Amazon wants feedback on. The inclusion of the capability to play mp3s on the device; a text-to-speech function, where (as long as allowed by the rightsholder) you get a Stephen Hawking type voice reading the book to you; and a Web Browser.

The Mp3 function works ok, but not sure I will use it - that is what my ipod is for.

The text-to-speech function also works pretty well, but i’m not really sure I want things read to me in that computer voice - lacking all emotion - way.

The Web Browser is plain horrible. Trying to use the Kindle’s 4 way directional control buttons to navigate a webpage is painful, akward, and slow and if you get to impatient will crash the device. Your smart phone will do it better and quicker. If Amazon are going to keep this, then they need to add either touchscreen (there, I said it) or a laptop style touchpad - otherwise it should be ditched.

Newspapers and Periodicals

The Kindle store has a selection of these and you can try for free for 2 weeks. Being as I buy The Independent during weekdays I have been experimenting with that in e Format. It’s ok, although still a bit clunky - Not having a list or article titles within the sections is a pain. On the plus side it does seem to contain the full paper’s content [Not a given I am lead to believe from comments on the Amazon website] Will I pay £13.99 a month for it? No. For now I’ll stick with the actual paper. [You can get The Daily Mail for £8.99 and The Telegraph for £9.99 a month]

Verdict

I have to say, at £109, this is well worth it. By mostly sticking to keeping it as a text reading device and not a ‘oh look how shiny we can make it and charge you £550 plus for it’ (you know who you are), Amazon are onto a winner. What I want from a book reader is the ability to read books, not my email, or be able to watch video of the author speaking about the book. I just want to read. For doing that, this does what it says on the tin. Whilst I won’t be abandoning actual physical books anytime soon, my Kindle is likely to see much more use than even I imagined when I bought it.

NB: The issue of eBook prices is one that I will come onto another time, but for those familiar with my arguments about digital album pricing, you’ll know what my position is on that one already. Also the issue of DRM and formats is one I will touch on later too.

Full post as published by Information Overload on September 13, 2010 (boomark / email).