Electronic Book Readers

[Reedu]

Amazon Kindle 2 - Released on February 24, 2009
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154JDAI

The Amazon Kindle is an electronic book reader that's 3G wireless enabled, enabling you to download books wirelessly anywhere. No monthly fees, books are typically 9.99 and download in about 60 seconds after you click "Buy".

Screen is E-Ink technology it's not backlit and it reads like a sheet of paper, not a computer monitor. It can store over 1000 books, which is more than I'll ever need. Free wireless access to Wikipedia.

This device enables me to read more often and read a wider variety of books because it's so easy to get new reading material anywhere and any time of day. If you enjoy reading and can afford the $360 price tag, I highly recommend it!

[greekrefugee]

I've always wondered about these. Is the screen honestly like paper, ie less eye strain than a normal monitor? As it is, I can get most books I want for free (thank you online piracy) but I often end up paying money for the real thing since a) even with a laptop, they're not exactly portable and b) eye strain. I'm in front of a monitor enough as it is.

Also, does the Kindle have any analog to taking notes in the margin?

[Reedu]

Yes, Kindle does have the functionality for note taking and highlighting, but I haven't used it. Briefly trying it seems somewhat awkward to me. The keyboard is pretty tiny.

As for the screen, it's extremely easy to read even in bright sunlight. It's exactly like reading paper because the screen is opaque. http://www.eink.com/technology/

[Rael]

If I could get a Kindle in Canada I would. I really liked it when I saw Kelly's last year. I looked at the Sony ebook this Christmas as a potential present and didn't like it. It did a wierd flash when it turned pages and since I'm a fast reader that would drive me nuts. For now, I have an app called Stanza on my Apple iTouch that I can use to download and read books. It works pretty well, and I'm catching up on my classics on the train.

[greekrefugee]

Hm, tempting, especially for casual reading. I don't know if I could live without being able to jot things down in the margin for school/serious reading though :/

Also, can you import books you already have (pdf, djvu, chm, etc), or is it some proprietary Amazon format that you can only get through their store?

[Raeus and Ashra]

Always seemed like a good way for people to lose their library in a flinch in any number of ways. How long is the battery life? The one plus, one doesn't have to carry a separate bag half their weight when going somewhere for several months...

[Aus]

Always seemed like a good way for people to lose their library in a flinch in any number of ways. How long is the battery life? The one plus, one doesn't have to carry a separate bag half their weight when going somewhere for several months...

I presume you could back the files up on your computer as well as on the reader.

[Reedu]

Also, can you import books you already have (pdf, djvu, chm, etc), or is it some proprietary Amazon format that you can only get through their store?

I know you can email yourself pdfs and read them, not sure about the others.

Always seemed like a good way for people to lose their library in a flinch in any number of ways. How long is the battery life?

For all books that you download from Amazon, you can re-download them for free. So, if you run over your Kindle with a car, its OK!

Battery life is on the order of days, not hours. The e-ink technology doesn't require power to maintain an image on the screen, so it goes into a low-power state between page turns. Exact battery life depends on your use of the wireless technology and audio. I just plug the Kindle in next to my cell phone every night, and I've never run out of power.