MY KINDLE EXPERIENCE

Bassamatic · #1 10-13-2010, 10:55 AM

My wonderful wife gave me a Kindle as a gift. The new ones are so cool, slim, fast and readable. Really well done. The e-paper screen is beyond amazing - so clear and sharp and takes nearly zero power - on month on a charge.

The problem with the Kindle (and probably all readers)? The cost of the media. I found it to be ridiculously expensive - nearly the same as the printed item. OH - I can download anything in a minute anywhere in the world? Not worth it. My paperbacks that I get for $1or 50 cents travel anywhere in the world, too.

For example, books are $8 compared to $9 for the print edition.
Newspapers - $12.99 a MONTH for the NY times? It is FREE on the iPhone as are many other papers that are costly for the Kindle.

If I read a few papers, I could easily have a monthly bill that rivals my cell phone!

There is no printing cost and low distribution costs - these should be much more reasonable. I felt exploited. Get REAL Amazon.

I did find that since it reads PDFs, I can store our set lists and lead sheets very easily, but the 7" screen is too small for that to be usable. Too bad.

It is going back and I am putting the money towards the next iPad.

Am I being foolish?

BurningSkies · #2 10-13-2010, 11:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gio S

My wonderful wife gave me a Kindle as a gift. The new ones are so cool, slim, fast and readable. Really well done. The e-paper screen is beyond amazing - so clear and sharp and takes nearly zero power - on month on a charge.

The problem with the Kindle (and probably all readers)? The cost of the media. I found it to be ridiculously expensive - nearly the same as the printed item. OH - I can download anything in a minute anywhere in the world? Not worth it. My paperbacks that I get for $1or 50 cents travel anywhere in the world, too.

For example, books are $8 compared to $9 for the print edition.
Newspapers - $12.99 a MONTH for the NY times? It is FREE on the iPhone as are many other papers that are costly for the Kindle.

If I read a few papers, I could easily have a monthly bill that rivals my cell phone!

There is no printing cost and low distribution costs - these should be much more reasonable. I felt exploited. Get REAL Amazon.

I did find that since it reads PDFs, I can store our set lists and lead sheets very easily, but the 7" screen is too small for that to be usable. Too bad.

It is going back and I am putting the money towards the next iPad.

Am I being foolish?

Its because you buy cheap books. If you compare the price vs. what a hardcover new release book, then the savings is apparent. We gave my mom a Kindle last year. She goes through 2 or 3 new hardcover books per week, then gives them away. Its a big savings for her to do it with a Kindle.

Yerf Dog · #3 10-13-2010, 11:06 AM

I have the Kindle app for my Droid X. I mostly download free classics.

BurningSkies · #4 10-13-2010, 11:10 AM

There's also a ton of free stuff at the Internet Archive:

http://www.archive.org/details/texts

MatticusMania · #5 10-13-2010, 11:14 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gio S

My wonderful wife gave me a Kindle as a gift. The new ones are so cool, slim, fast and readable. Really well done. The e-paper screen is beyond amazing - so clear and sharp and takes nearly zero power - on month on a charge.

The problem with the Kindle (and probably all readers)? The cost of the media. I found it to be ridiculously expensive - nearly the same as the printed item. OH - I can download anything in a minute anywhere in the world? Not worth it. My paperbacks that I get for $1or 50 cents travel anywhere in the world, too.

For example, books are $8 compared to $9 for the print edition.
Newspapers - $12.99 a MONTH for the NY times? It is FREE on the iPhone as are many other papers that are costly for the Kindle.

If I read a few papers, I could easily have a monthly bill that rivals my cell phone!

There is no printing cost and low distribution costs - these should be much more reasonable. I felt exploited. Get REAL Amazon.

I did find that since it reads PDFs, I can store our set lists and lead sheets very easily, but the 7" screen is too small for that to be usable. Too bad.

It is going back and I am putting the money towards the next iPad.

Am I being foolish?

The only thing you were foolish about was buying an unneccesary piece of technology. I won't say these things don't have their uses, but until the cost of the media is reasonable its just an unnecessary expense.

Komakino · #6 10-13-2010, 11:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gio S

It is going back and I am putting the money towards the next iPad.

Am I being foolish?

Yes, not because you're sending the Kindle back, but because you're putting the money towards an iPad - the most pointless computing device ever invented.

I think the Kindle is aimed at people with truly voracious appetites for reading - the sort of people who would take 8 or 9 books on a holiday. Otherwise, like you say, you're better off with the paperback. Plus you can't show off your Kindle purchases on a shelf in your house for everyone to comment on

L-A · #7 10-13-2010, 11:53 AM

www.gutenberg.org - Most cheap paperback books, because of their age, are actually public domain and available for free there. I also use Calibre to sync my Nook (it supports the Kindle just as well) with local and international news websites daily, which gives me my own newspaper to read.

You'll be foolish only if you buy the iPad and have no idea what it can/will do that's useful to you. If you know it can do something that's worth 600$ to you, then all is well.

i_got_a_mohawk · #8 10-13-2010, 12:10 PM

That was also one of the big problems I have with eReaders. I've walking to charity shops and come out with 20+ books at times for £10 or less (often books that have just come out that year).

I can see the point if you are someone who only buys books new, or reads a lot of classics etc. But, not really for me (+ the eInk screen still does my eyes in)

Phalex · #9 10-13-2010, 12:51 PM

Try checking out an E-book from the libarry with it.

Jonyak · #10 10-13-2010, 12:56 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Gio S

My wonderful wife gave me a Kindle as a gift. The new ones are so cool, slim, fast and readable. Really well done. The e-paper screen is beyond amazing - so clear and sharp and takes nearly zero power - on month on a charge.

The problem with the Kindle (and probably all readers)? The cost of the media. I found it to be ridiculously expensive - nearly the same as the printed item. OH - I can download anything in a minute anywhere in the world? Not worth it. My paperbacks that I get for $1or 50 cents travel anywhere in the world, too.

For example, books are $8 compared to $9 for the print edition.
Newspapers - $12.99 a MONTH for the NY times? It is FREE on the iPhone as are many other papers that are costly for the Kindle.

If I read a few papers, I could easily have a monthly bill that rivals my cell phone!

There is no printing cost and low distribution costs - these should be much more reasonable. I felt exploited. Get REAL Amazon.

I did find that since it reads PDFs, I can store our set lists and lead sheets very easily, but the 7" screen is too small for that to be usable. Too bad.

It is going back and I am putting the money towards the next iPad.

Am I being foolish?

What kind of book are you buying for $1 or 50cents new? what book are you buying for $9 new???

I would liek to find them.

every book, even paperback, I buy is at least $15, usualy more like 16-20$ for paperbacks.

Komakino · #11 10-13-2010, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonyak

What kind of book are you buying for $1 or 50cents new? what book are you buying for $9 new???

I would liek to find them.

every book, even paperback, I buy is at least $15, usualy more like 16-20$ for paperbacks.

Who said he was buying them new for $1 or 50 cents? He just said he bought them for that price - could be a charity shop, thrift store or car boot sale.

New books from amazon are pretty good though. I bought two novels recently for a total of £10 or around $16.

MatticusMania · #12 10-13-2010, 01:38 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Jonyak

What kind of book are you buying for $1 or 50cents new? what book are you buying for $9 new???

I would liek to find them.

every book, even paperback, I buy is at least $15, usualy more like 16-20$ for paperbacks.

Hit up amazon.com. You can get used books in excellent condition for $0.01 plus shipping. I just got a book that looks brand new shipped to my home for $4.