Kindle Yet Again

The Kindle DX, $489, will be released this summer. Has a 9.7" screen and a built-in accelerometer that allows for auto-rotation of content between portrait and landscape

And for Mac fans - Rumors of an Apple "media pad" are becoming more heated

I love my Kindle 2 -- for me, it's the right size for travel. It also syncs the last page read with the Kindle app for iPhone, which is fantastic. Of course, Whispersync doesn't work once I leave the country (the Kindle loses its network), but it's useful for domestic page syncing.

Since I haul around hundreds pounds of gear when I travel, it's impossible to bring enough paper books to keep me occupied on trips. The Kindle really has started me reading again, and that is worth much more than its $349 retail price.

There is a ton of debate out there about whether the Kindle is the Best Thing Evar or simply a useless piece of crap. While people debate for hours on end, I'll be reading...

I think the Kindle (only have the 1) is great as well; much more convenient than buying books. I tend to read 5 or 6 books at once, and my bedside table begins to get pretty cluttered, so the Kindle saves space even at home.

It will be interesting to see how Apple plans to position the media pad, and if / how they plan to go head to head in the book market. I see some real potential if one can do books, movies, tunes, photographs all on one device and in color.

I read the other day that more people read books on a iPhone than on the Amazon. Interesting that Amazon bought Stanza which is the program that is used to read books on iPhones and Macs.

I read an "insiders" story on try a prototype Apple media pad. Think of a giant iPod touch. Suppose to be smaller than the kindle but with a larger screen. Don't know if a larger screen than the new kindle that is suppose to come out for college text books.

Said the media pad will do music, movies, games, and books. Said that it will revolutionize the field the same way that the iPod did to mp3 players. The quote was that when other companies see the device they will be saying "why the hell didn't we think of this"

Of course it was with a selected audience and I'm an Apple head.

Since I haul around hundreds pounds of gear when I travel, it's impossible to bring enough paper books to keep me occupied on trips. The Kindle really has started me reading again, and that is worth much more than its $349 retail price.

I hear that (I think all of use do) I keep on looking at the Mac Air for just such a reason. Not a powerhouse, but enough to surf the web, take a look at photos and the rest, and save the heavy processing for later. Still throw a paperback or two into the mix though right now.

There is a ton of debate out there about whether the Kindle is the Best Thing Evar or simply a useless piece of crap. While people debate for hours on end, I'll be reading...

It will be interesting to see how Apple plans to position the media pad, and if / how they plan to go head to head in the book market. I see some real potential if one can do books, movies, tunes, photographs all on one device and in color.

Of course it was with a selected audience and I'm an Apple head.

Being an Apple head myself, something that is portable, sort of a iPod Touch on Steroids with iApps, and a connector to download photos, would be great.

Kindle are great but are also fragile POS. My K2 e-Ink screen cracked in transport, even with the $30 leather protection. Insurance is taking care of it but at $180 for replacement instead of repair (no matter what's wrong, there's no repair), it's not all that green or cheap. My K1 battery died 2 times but is still running ok. At least the battery is replacement in the K1. But the K2 interface is much more ergonomic.

Eric, that hack for using USB internet connection doesn't work with the latest firmware.

I must say that reading from the iphone and other LCD screen causes more eye strain than the e-ink on planes with the reading light on. That's my own observation. If the Apple product is LED/LCD screen based, it better do PDF zooming and scanning and don't have this current DRM BS like Sony, Amazon and Fictionwise. A book while using paper and ink, at least is recyclable to future generations. I can't share my books with my friends because of DRM and/or format issues.

At least the classics are easily available online and free!

I just wish they were priced a bit cheaper and like Drew said, read pdf. Add .cbr format (comic book reader, great for graphic novels) support and I'd be sold.

I just got a Kindle2 this last week and am really stating to enjoy it. It's light enough to hold comfortably and small enough to carry around. The screen is very easy to read, despite some complaints I've seen on this point. I just hope that more and more books start to become available for Kindle. Quite a few books that I have on my reading list are not yet available.

My only complaint is the DRM that Amazon enforces. I download a lot of audio and ebooks from the Seattle public library, and the formats they use are not the same that Amazon uses. I'm sure there are some hacks to transcode things, and I hope to get this worked out before too long...

Dave

Oh this new one DOES support .pdf. My bad hehe.

Hani

The Kindles all support PDF (through conversion with the K1/2). The problem is that PDF documents can be scanned so the text can be very small and illegible. The KDX still doesn't have a zoom function for PDF but in landscape mode it is enlarged apparently.

As a PDF reader, it also needs to have some sort of security before confidential documents can be installed there. Amazon still charges 15 cents to email non-amazon files like PDFs to the device. I think the KDX is aimed at the student and home reader. The K2 will still be the travel reader. It's not perfect but it's a great device to have on the road.

BTW, the "robustness" of the K2 isn't great. Since my screen cracked, I've googled the issue and it seems quite a few people have cracked the screen in the upper right corner due accidental drops or even pressure from bags (like mine).

I too note the batteries aren't real stellar in the original Kindle anyway. Next trip my wife plans on leaving her Kindle home and doing the Kindle reading on her iTouch instead for less packing.

I too note the batteries aren't real stellar in the original Kindle anyway. Next trip my wife plans on leaving her Kindle home and doing the Kindle reading on her iTouch instead for less packing.

If the new version can really work with textbooks and PDF, then I am hooked.

Bill

I've got a MacBook Air. The greatest over priced gadget since my Galileo Sol. Both are on tops on my list of must have gadgets.

I'm waiting for really good software to let me read books on my Air. Preferably seamless integration with iTunes.

It seems as if both the Sony and Amazon reads don't do color. This would seem a good thing to have.

I think the E-Ink works well because it doesn't try to do color. E-Ink color is available but very expensive apparently. I'm sure it'll come.