Due to the demand for the nifty new gadget I had to wait about a month to receive it.
The day it arrived in my mailbox my heart was pounding with delight as I opened the little brown package. There it was in all its glory. A small marvel of a machine capable of holding about 3,500 ebooks. Wow!
Say goodbye to overstuffed bookcases and books on the floor. Now it's possible to carry a complete library right in the palm of your hand. My first impression was that it was a bit heavier then I thought it would be but still light enough for prolonged use.
Now I must admit I'm a "book junkie". I love paper and buying books from Amazon is one of my many obsessions. So how will I feel with e-books no longer being allowed to touch and smell a "real book"? Only time will tell.
So far I'm impressed with the battery life. I charged it when I first got it and it's been weeks and I've yet to plug it in. Amazon states that with wirelss off, battery life should be about a month. With it on, about 10 days. That's still a long time. With so many electronics it's annoying to reach for one, only to find it has a dead battery. So far the Kindle has always been ready when I am.
The unit I purchased comes in at 7.5"x 4.8"X0.335" with the screen size about 6". I paid 189.00. There is a cheaper unit for 139.00 and the Kindle DX at 379.00. My logic was to choose the middle buying point as it seemed to have all the features I was looking for.
One of the improvements with this new model is the high contrast E-Ink screen thta boosts 50% better contrast. It's also 15% lighter and weighs less than a paperback. The Free 3G Wireless has no monthly or annual contracts and gives you global coverage.
The built in Wi-Fi allows you to connect at Wi-Fi hotspots. There also were some enhancements made to the PDF reading ability. And I'm really excited about the new WebKit-Based-Browser which allows me to browse websites. Amazon has not overlooked the importance of social media and now allows you to share meaningful passages of books with friends and family via Twitter and Facebook integration.
If I'm particularly lazy I can choose to have whatever I'm reading read out loud to me in a male or female voice. Pages turn automatically when content is being read. Great, no physical labor on my part.
Now I admit I'm hoping to find a lot of free ebooks (and so far I have) and not have to spend a ton of money obtaining reading material so the free book samples are great. I can download a sample chapter and decide if I really want to part with my hard earned cash for the rest of it. Anything I do purchase is automatically backed up for me at the Kindle Store in my personal library. I can delete books off my Kindle and re-download them at anytime.
Charging of the device can be done via plugging it in or with the USB port on your computer. Now I admit my vision is not what it use to be so I do like the fact that text size is totally adjustable. There are also three different font styles to choose from. It's also easy to add personal notes to text or export certain passages. It may not be a yellow highlighter but hey, it works.
Documents can be emailed to your Kindle with the personalized email address Amazon gives you with your purchase. The Kindle can read documents in these formats: HTML, Txt, Word Docs, PDF Docs, and pictures in Jpeg, Gif, PNG or BMP formats.
I don't think I'll run out of reading material anytime soon as Amazon has over 670,000 books for my downloading pleasure. Including over 1.8 million free out-of-copyright titles. The Kindle includes 4G of storage so I don't think I'll run out of space either.
Listening to music and podcasts is also possible and can be played in the background while reading. Transfer of files can be done with the included USB cord.
Look, there are a lot of choice when it comes to choosing a book reading device but I'm loyal to Amazon. They were there in the beginning and I believe they'll be there in the end. It's a strong company that makes buying books a breeze so when it came time to purchase a reading device it was an easy decision.
I personally love Amazon and have been buying books from them from the very beginning. I'm a loyal customer, period. As the weeks fly by I'll share my thoughts and experiences with my new favorite toy and where free books can be found. So far I’m pleased as punch!
Buy your own Kindle using the link below:
Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, 6" Display, Graphite - Latest Generation
