Kindle 2

flyersfan31

flyersfan31

Touchdown! Greaser!
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Freiburgfan31
Anyone have one? I'm feeling this curious urge to get one, even though:

1) it seems nuts to me to drop, what? $350 on a book reader?
2) I really like hard copy
3) It's not like carrying a book is a hardship for me.

I mentioned this to my wife and, surprisingly, since she is a confirmed Luddite, she indicated that she thought it was an interesting idea too.
 
I like the current format.

It is portable, works in low light or sunlight, never runs out of battery power, is always on, never suffers a memory lose and is water resistant.

If the Kindle can claim that then get one, otherwise stick with the current book format.
 
smigaldi said:
It is portable, works in low light or sunlight, never runs out of battery power, is always on, never suffers a memory lose and is water resistant.
Click to expand...
Huh? Might not break, but not particularly readable, and then you run into the other problem... they're not mold and mildew-resistant!

And as for the low light, I think the Kindle would win out there, since it'll work in no light or low light.

That said, while intriguing, I just don't see it for me at this point. Something about the feel of paper.
 
gprellwitz said:
Huh? Might not break, but not particularly readable, and then you run into the other problem... they're not mold and mildew-resistant!

And as for the low light, I think the Kindle would win out there, since it'll work in no light or low light.

That said, while intriguing, I just don't see it for me at this point. Something about the feel of paper.
Click to expand...
Actually books are very good with water, they usually do not get damaged until they dry out. I know several guys who were doing underwater exploration of the cave in n. Florida. They would have very long decompression times and would read books while they waited at each stop. Just before surfacing they would put the books into zip lock bags of water and store them in that until the next dive. The books lasted long enough.
 
for the life of me, I cannot figure why they have no backlight or some form of illumination so they can be read in low-light situations!
Seems like the screen on 2 is smaller than 1?
 
Amazon == Sirius Cybernetics Corporation???

kindle.png
 
Coworker of mine has a Kindle 2, and she absolutely loves it
 
I have the original Kindle and love it. I got it (asked for it as a gift) with the hope that if I had one I'd force myself to read more, but that didn't really pan out. But it's great: The "Whispernet" functionality is awesome... If you want a book and are anywhere Sprint has EVDO service you can download it in about 60 seconds. The screen is very clear in any light (it's not much different than a book) and the refresh rate between pages is fast enough (it's better on the 2nd gen) that after a few page-turns, you don't even notice it anymore. Also, I have the NYTimes and a few blogs delivered; leave the radio on and they're there before you wake up. And you can put a TON of books on it. All in all, to me, it's as enjoyable and comfortable as reading a book but with a bunch of added benefits.

The negatives? It takes a little getting used to in order to hold it without accidentally pushing a button to turn the page, but they did improve that in version 2. Also things like notes in the margins (Stephen Colbert's book uses that a lot) don't really translate well. Also reading newspaper articles is... different. Not bad, I guess, but it's not the same as reading the paper.

I also have the Kindle reader app for my iPod Touch; I've found that it's sufficient for shorter reading spells (my 30-35 minute commute is about long enough) but the smaller screen doesn't compare to the Kindle's. But what's really nice is that it keeps track of where you're at in a book and sync's it across all your devices... If I read 5 pages in a book on the iPod, the next time I pick up the Kindle, it'll pick up in the same spot. Pretty slick.

My boss has a 2nd generation Kindle and I had the chance to play around with it a bit. It's much, much thinner. I could be wrong but it "felt" a little heavier and generally I didn't find it any more comfortable to hold than the first generation. Also they changed the navigation device; it's now more of a eraser-head type deal instead of the scroll-wheel on Gen 1. It's not bad, but I don't think there was anything wrong with the scroll-wheel.

Overall, if you read a lot, I say find somebody who has one and see if you can borrow it for a bit to give it a try. I kinda get the feeling that people either can transition to it pretty much seamlessly and immediately like I did or just won't ever be as comfortable with it as they are with a book. If you use it for 20 or 30 minutes and haven't gotten used to/happy with it, you probably won't ever. YMMV, but I highly recommend giving it a shot! :yes:
 
I've never heard of the Kindle for iPhone. Gonna have to look that up.
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
for the life of me, I cannot figure why they have no backlight or some form of illumination so they can be read in low-light situations!
Seems like the screen on 2 is smaller than 1?
Click to expand...
I did not realize that it does not have a backlight. There goes my argument for being better in no light than a paper book!
 
smigaldi said:
Actually books are very good with water, they usually do not get damaged until they dry out. I know several guys who were doing underwater exploration of the cave in n. Florida. They would have very long decompression times and would read books while they waited at each stop. Just before surfacing they would put the books into zip lock bags of water and store them in that until the next dive. The books lasted long enough.
Click to expand...
Bringing a tub of water with in order to keep the book always wet seems to kind of ruin that whole portability thing, though!:yikes::rofl:
 
Let'sgoflying! said:
for the life of me, I cannot figure why they have no backlight or some form of illumination so they can be read in low-light situations!
Seems like the screen on 2 is smaller than 1?
Click to expand...

I have a Kindle 1 and love it. I've sworn off paper books.

The Kindles use E-Ink technology. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_Ink Essentially, it renders a page that looks just like a page from a paper book. It uses very little power.

Actually, backlighting it would ruin the concept. To backlight it would require significantly more power, making it larger and heavier, and it would destroy the look of the rendered page.

The only drawback I see is that it doesn't render pictures / maps well at all. They are mostly unreadable.

You can also send files to Amazon (free), and they will convert to Kindle and email back to your device in PDF format. Essentially, you can send anything you want to the device.

Most Kindle users use a $20 clip on high intensity light that works great. When you don't need it, you remove it.
 
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Both the Kindle as well as the Irex devices can also hold approach plates. The Irex screen supports more shades of gray, and is larger. I have one, as did a friend on the field. Both died due to screen failures (very fragile), so I'm still not convinced it is the way to go as a primary source for charts. It is good for books, but the cost of books (except classics) is the same as a retail store, so there are no savings by doing downloads.
 
) it seems nuts to me to drop, what? $350 on a book reader?
2) I really like hard copy
3) It's not like carrying a book is a hardship for me.
Click to expand...

4) Flipping to page 217, 362, and 27 to cross reference maps, drawings and other stuff without loosing one's place on an unknown page number is very easy and quick with paper. (Not sure how easy that is on something electronic but I could take a pretty good guess)

I wonder what the file compatability of the electrogizmo is in say 20 years..especially after the hardware has failed about 10 times and the manufacturer (assuming they didn't go out of business) no longer supports older file formats because the older stuff is obviously obsolete and inferior. Don't forget about out of print type situations where a replacement isn't possible when a stray electron flips a logic gate the wrong way sometime.

Paper failure rate is much much MUCH lower than electronic failure rates.
 
fgcason said:
4) Flipping to page 217, 362, and 27 to cross reference maps, drawings and other stuff without loosing one's place on an unknown page number is very easy and quick with paper. (Not sure how easy that is on something electronic but I could take a pretty good guess)
Click to expand...

That depends on how it's done... Most things like citations and footnotes and whatnot are contained in links on the Kindle page... Click on it and it takes you to the reference. Click the "Back" button and you're back where you were. Now I'm not sure if all Kindle books are set up that way, and if the original text did say something to the effect of "Refer to page 139" or whatever, that wouldn't work. There aren't "page numbers" as such with the Kindle; it's referenced by "location." So depending on how I have my Kindle configured (font size, etc.) "location 1914" might correspond to page 139 of the hard cover book, but might be found 300 page-flips on the Kindle.

That all makes it sound much more complicated than it is... Short version, in every instance I've seen, it's pretty well-done and really easy to use.

fgcason said:
Paper failure rate is much much MUCH lower than electronic failure rates.
Click to expand...

That's true. Having the battery die on you when you're in the middle of a flight or train ride or whatever is really frustrating. Fortunately, though, the battery life is really, really good... With the wireless radio turned off, I can go a week without charging.
 
alaskaflyer said:
Buy an iPhone, download the Kindle reader application.
Click to expand...

Only if you want to read a few more pages when you left the Kindle at home.

http://www.suntimes.com/business/1451062,ihnatko-kindle-2-review-022609.article
http://www.suntimes.com/business/1451078,ihnatko-kindle-2-experience-022609.article


...The actual reading experience is sort of a mixed bag, compared with the purpose-built Kindle device. I like that the iPhone has a crisp, backlit screen instead of the crisp but flat e-ink display of the Kindle. I love that the iPhone is always in my shirt or pants pocket wherever I go, whether I anticipated getting stuck in line at the post office or not.

I’m not quite so demonstrative about the iPhone’s eensy little screen size. Its pocket dimensions make it more appropriate for sneaking in ten or twenty minutes of reading on the train; the experience is comfortable, but not wholly satisfying. The Kindle’s screen is big enough for a conventional Curling Up On The Sofa With A Good Book literature attack vector.
http://www.suntimes.com/business/1461776,ihnatko-kindle-apple-amazon-itunes-books-030409.article
Click to expand...

I'll pass only because my current living and work situation and mental deficiency leaves me unable to make time to read much of any one thing for very long. If I still had the daily train commute, I'd be all over it.
 
flyersfan31 said:
Anyone have one? I'm feeling this curious urge to get one, even though:

1) it seems nuts to me to drop, what? $350 on a book reader?
2) I really like hard copy
3) It's not like carrying a book is a hardship for me.

I mentioned this to my wife and, surprisingly, since she is a confirmed Luddite, she indicated that she thought it was an interesting idea too.
Click to expand...
Carrying a book is not a hardship to me, but storing hundreds of the books I like *is*. I have quite a number of books I enjoy re-reading on occasion. Any Patrick O'Brian or Heinlein fan will understand....

The editions themselves are not of collectible quality, so I end up with shelves crammed with cheap paperbacks. I'd *love* to have those in electronic format instead, so I could call one up when I felt like it without all the space devoted to storage. I'd re-buy many of these books in electronic format in a shot.

Sadly, of course, the logistics just wouldn't work. Many of the books I re-read are older and out of print; Kindle versions are unlikely.

Ron Wanttaja
 
I love the Kindle and read much more because of it. Ended up getting a second one for my son, and we can share books on them. A couple of weeks ago I got the Kindle2 and my wife was very excited to get the hand-me-down Kindle1.

If you are committed to traditional paper books, and they meet your needs, then there is no reason to spend the money on a Kindle. Same if you tend to pass paper books around from one user to another, or buy your books at a used book store, or just like to have shelves full of dead trees.

But, if you:

1) like to carry multiple books without the bulk (like hundreds in 10 oz), or
2) like to buy best sellers when they are still newly released (most are $10), or
3) like to highlight, or make notes about what you read, or
4) like to have available a dictionary (Oxford) or other references, or
5) like to immediately buy a book after hearing an author on the radio or tv, (ready to read in about a minute) or
6) are a gadget freak, like me, then

You want to reward yourself with a Kindle2. The reading experience is at least as good as paper, and in many ways it is better.

Beware of those who say reading on a iPhone is a substitute for using a Kindle -- most have never used a Kindle. Totally different experience. iPhones are great and versatile devices, but lousy book readers - and do you really want to consume your phone battery reading for a few hours???

If you love to read, you will probably get your money's worth from a Kindle.
 
The big problem with a Kindle for me is that I do a lot of reading on airline flights...and not being able to read during taxi, takeoff, approach, and landing would be more than a little annoying.
 
NetSpeaker said:
Beware of those who say reading on a iPhone is a substitute for using a Kindle -- most have never used a Kindle. Totally different experience. iPhones are great and versatile devices, but lousy book readers - and do you really want to consume your phone battery reading for a few hours???
Click to expand...

All the rest is spot-on, but I'll quibble with this -- just a little.

A "substitute" for the Kindle? You're right, it's not even close. But it is a good supplement to it, though. For example, I have a relatively short commute (35ish minutes, about 25ish of which is time during which I can actually read.) It's not really worth it to pull the Kindle out of my laptop bag, take it out of the case, and read. But my iPod Touch -- which I'm always already listening to music on anyway -- makes for perfect reading over that short duration.

So no, it's not a substitute, but it does serve a good role. I wouldn't go out and buy an iPhone/iPod Touch just for the Kindle app, but if you already have one, it's worth checking out.
 
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