What do you readers think about this?

The Amazon Kindle?

Came across it this morning, seems to be one of the first generation of electronic paper devices. Most reviews seem positive, but the initial price is a little bit of a shock. Will I buy one? No, but 3 years down the road when the price is 1/4 it's current...

No. I like books, I like having them around, I like the feel, it's just timeless. I can see this having a place for specialized reading (like, textbooks or something), but to replace my dog-earned Papazian? Nah.

If they could get the format correct it would be good for newspaper to cut down on waste.

I agree on books though, I have a nice collection and books I really like I get in hardback.

how did your dog earn CJOH, bird?

Yeah, I don't really see myself spending that kind of money on a reader. Maybe if they gave them away as a promotion, like a loss-leader to get you to buy the books, then maybe. Then again, I don't like the idea of having to worry about battery life on my books...but, at the same time, it'd be nice to have a backlit reader so I didn't have to carry around a book light.

I don't really see to many positives, even reading the good feedback on it. Aside from the rediculous price tag, it doesn't support PDF's and it won't work outside the US. I think they were a bit premature on the release of this one.

As one poster put up on the feed back " Hand this project to Steve Jobs and Apple to Re-design"

Also i can pretty much do those things on my phone already i really don't see a market for these things until they can make it more affordable and a little more versitile.


Cheers

I think the ebook reader is a good idea but it will take a long time to catch on. I think it would be nice to go on vacation with several books in one device. Also the ability to cross reference things would be nifty. I think the ideal market for this will be text books though. Get rid of the laptops in the class (with everyone im'ing each other instead of listening to the prof) and use these instead. Sign up for a class and download the book. No standing in line at the bookstore. The price on this one though is way too much. Four hundred clams and it should come pre-loaded with 40 books.

My problem is not the hardware but the chioce of wireless backbone and subscription model for things you can already surf for for free.

Uses the CDMA (Edit EVDO) network so you're paying a cell network through subscription fees. Newspaper subsrcription for $10 - $15/per month.
$9 per book is good though.

Since this is third or fourth generation, it looks workable. The textbook idea is a real winner. They are rarely something you keep and since the volume is so low, the prices are insane. It would also cut down on the weight kids have to carry around. Since most schools don't have lockers any more, kids are developing back problems lugging all of their books around.

I don't like reading books on screens. Too much like the jobs I've had over the last 35 years. Software that only has electronic documentation also causes me pain.

looks liek it would be fecked if i dropped it in the toilet. not so with a book....

Have you read many wet, Urine soaked books? Seems like the pages might be SLIGHTLY damaged.

Having had to pony up AT LEAST $100 per book (and some as much as $300), on MBA text books, I would LOVE to have one of those. Of course, publishing is only one part of the cost of a book, but it should drastically reduce costs.

I see that being a big winner for kids too. I know that schools have a heck of a time keeping text books up to date. Something like that could really help.

Ya, it needs work and the price is CRAZY, but it has potential.

RadicalEd said:

The Amazon Kindle?

Came across it this morning, seems to be one of the first generation of electronic paper devices. Most reviews seem positive, but the initial price is a little bit of a shock. Will I buy one? No, but 3 years down the road when the price is 1/4 it's current...

Click to expand...

Great. Another thing to drop in the toilet in the reading room.

No way. I have a book habit that makes heroin addicts nervous. The idea of electronic books gives me the heebie jeebies. Audio books on my iPod? You bet. Electronic books without real covers and the real smell of aging paper? No thanks.

Chad

I don't really see the point in this. At least not for me anyway. I always have a laptop with me and I can get WiFi access pretty much anywhere I go.

Wait... can you automatically download subscriptions to nudie magazines on this thing?

I like books too much and I think I remember what I read better in print than on screen. It seems so many placed have tried this over the years I just don't see why I would want a little screen that is so limited in functionality. And I really like books I like owning books, I like libraries and book stores.

ohiobrewtus said:

Wait... can you automatically download subscriptions to nudie magazines on this thing?

Click to expand...

Maybe, but the pic's would all be in black and white.

ohiobrewtus said:

Wait... can you automatically download subscriptions to nudie magazines on this thing?

Click to expand...

Yes, and with the optional "glory hole" feature, you're reading enjoyment is greatly enhanced.

Sooo, let me sum up so far:

Concerns:
The price.
Non-water proof.
The price.
Reading off of screens sucks.
The price.
Battery life.

Could be awesome if:
it could buy and hold textbooks.

IMHO, we can't really judge the quality of the reading experience (ie does the screen suck to read off of) unless we see it ourselves. While normal screens do indeed suck to read off of, the whole point of the product is to utilize new electronic ink technology to make it as close as possible to reading from a regular book. And the battery life should be very good as well; the screen only uses power while turning "pages", ie just leaving the screen displaying something will consume zero power.

I too think that this would be a stupendous product for textbooks, but would need to come in a much, much larger size. The little paperback size screen, while great for regular text, is far too small for a lot of the diagrams and equations that I deal with on a regular basis. Seeing as how text often relies on the neighboring figures in a textbook to provide examples etc, they really can be wrapped around onto different pages. So perhaps come out with an 8.5"x11" version (or larger), and market it directly towards textbooks. If they can provide e-textbooks at reasonable prices, the things would pay for themselves in a couple years of college.

I think it would be sweet, and will probably own one once the price is about 1/2 of what it is now. I love books, but they really pile up on you. I tend to only buy the "classics".....books I know I'll probably keep for a very long time. I'm hesitant to spend my money on something new, that I'm unsure about. For that type of reading, this thing would be about perfect.

Since we're a homeschooling family, our basement and upstairs is now already loaded with books, books, books of all kinds.

So many books, so little time................

Sony has something similar for half the price and it holds 160 books at a time.