# Anyone have an Amazon Kindle?



## SuSana (Jan 13, 2009)

What are the pros & cons?  

I want one but for $359.00 I want to make sure it's worth it!

TIA!


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## Shimmer (Jan 13, 2009)

my brother does. DEFINITELY worth it.


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## lara (Jan 13, 2009)

Janice has one (had one? Did you ever find it after it went walkabout, J?) and was always super positive about it.


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## Janice (Jan 13, 2009)

Had one, but left it on a plane. Yeah, I know. It was a great investment that I never doubted once I read my first book on it. Will be swallowing the price tag again when they are back in stock. Also I gander at craigslist once a week or so in case I can find a used one. I think the second generation Kindle's aren't too far away either. So I haven't minded them being sold out 'cause I would kick myself for buying a first gen right before the new ones come out.


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## SuSana (Jan 14, 2009)

Second gen. huh, I might wait a bit then.  Thanks for the info!  

Left on a plane though --->


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## Janice (Jan 14, 2009)

Yeah tell me about it. I cried (whined) about it for a month straight.


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## KristyVictoria (Jan 14, 2009)

I'm waiting for the pricetag to drop a little bit, but I think I will be getting one as a gift for my mother, who is one of the most voracious readers I have ever met.


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## MAC_Whore (Jan 14, 2009)

Don't you miss that warm cuddly feeling of a paper book?  I think I would.


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## KristyVictoria (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MAC_Whore* 

 
_Don't you miss that warm cuddly feeling of a paper book?  I think I would._

 
I guess I would if I was reading Great Expectations, but when you're citing a 500 or 600 page reference it's SO much easier to find things instead of flipping through hundreds of pages. Especially for textbooks, or scholarly works which cite other publications - that way you can easily access source material without having to get up, look up an author, find where the article was published, who has archives of that journal, and then go dig it up.

I incidentally work in an electronic publishing department, and all of the people who works in Books HATE US. They're like "You're going to be responsible for the demise of print!!" but the truth is that we bring in enough profit to the Press that we keep the books department running, producing highly specialized scholarly material that will not bring in much of a profit and is more of a scholarly pursuit.

I don't think print will ever go away. It's pretty highly fetishized among humans.


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## MAC_Whore (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Janice* 

 
_Had one, but left it on a plane. ...._

 
Ouch.  My condolences.


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## Janice (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MAC_Whore* 

 
_Don't you miss that warm cuddly feeling of a paper book?  I think I would._

 
I've been downloading books as PDF's while I don't have a Kindle. I bought my first paperback since losing my Kindle bc I like the author and this book was only availble in print. I recieved the book and have had a hell of a time reading it. It just doesn't seem right to me anymore, and I REALLY want to get into the book but I can't! WEIRD I know.


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## SuSana (Jan 14, 2009)

Can you transfer books from the kindle to a PC?


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## Janice (Jan 14, 2009)

You can put any PDF file on your Kindle. I think MP3's can be put on it too.


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## KristyVictoria (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Janice* 

 
_I've been downloading books as PDF's while I don't have a Kindle. I bought my first paperback since losing my Kindle bc I like the author and this book was only availble in print. I recieved the book and have had a hell of a time reading it. It just doesn't seem right to me anymore, and I REALLY want to get into the book but I can't! WEIRD I know._

 
Actually I think that's pretty awesome. Just think of how many trees we're saving, and how errors can be fixed easily, and information updated!


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## MAC_Whore (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *KristyVictoria* 

 
_Actually I think that's pretty awesome. Just think of how many trees we're saving, and how errors can be fixed easily, and information updated!_

 
I feel you, but you're talking to a girl who constantly carries a Blackberry, yet can't stop lugging around a moleskine cahier and a fountain pen.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I'm a hard sell.   I am a bit of anachronism with certain things.


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## MzzRach (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MAC_Whore* 

 
_I feel you, but you're talking to a girl who constantly carries a Blackberry, yet can't stop lugging around a moleskine cahier and a fountain pen. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




 I'm a hard sell. I am a bit of anachronism with certain things._

 
I'm with you.  And I don't have a PDA either.  I'm old school like that.


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## KristyVictoria (Jan 14, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *MAC_Whore* 

 
_I feel you, but you're talking to a girl who constantly carries a Blackberry, yet can't stop lugging around a moleskine cahier and a fountain pen.  
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




  I'm a hard sell.   I am a bit of anachronism with certain things._

 
Writing is totally more efficient for some things. I can't use any sort of digital calendar or planner - I HAVE to have a paper one I can write on or it just doesn't work. When it comes to school, I have to take hand written notes as well... no clue why, I think just the act of writing it helps me to learn. 
	

	
	
		
		

		
		
	


	




There are many others like you though - I was at a club the other day talking with a buddy of mine, and after he had just put his iPhone away, after using google to reference something, he decided he needed to add something to his "To Do List" - which was a stack of index cards held together with a big paperclip.


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## Lissah (Jan 15, 2009)

I have a kindle and i love it!  I don't miss books at all.  I read alot and my shelves are overfilled with books  that i can't bear to throw out.  To me, I don't want another book laying around that I'm not going to reread.  If I bought alot of art books or something with pictures I would prefer a real book.  I love being able to download a new book but not have more clutter.  It's great to just throw in my purse when I will need something to read.

Bad points:  not all things I read are avail for kindle.  Although the selection is good, I read alot of books that aren't top bestsellers and they're not all available for kindle.  My kindle doesn't fit securely in the pleather cover.  I wouldn't dream of reading it in the tub.  Sometimes I guess I accidentally hit a button (still not sure which one) and it takes me out of my current book and I sort of have to refind where I left off lol.  I have no doubt that it is MY error though.

A weird thing to say but one of the things I love about it is that I can read while eating.  Unlike a paperback that wants to shut when I take my hands off it, it stays open.  You can change the text size easily to make it smaller or larger.  While the dimensions are larger than many paperbacks, it is thinner and takes up less space in my purse.  You can bookmark spots in your book for later reference and look up unfamiliar words.  It also remembers where you left off automatically.  Downloaded books are cheaper too!

Re the price:  My husband bought mine around August 08 I think.  They had some sort of deal where if you accept the Amazon Visa you got a discount on the kindle.  I want to say the discount was 75 to 100 dollars but I'm not sure on that.  Keep an eye out for a similar deal and it's totally worth it.


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## Janice (Jan 15, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lissah* 

 
_Re the price:  My husband bought mine around August 08 I think.  They had some sort of deal where if you accept the Amazon Visa you got a discount on the kindle.  I want to say the discount was 75 to 100 dollars but I'm not sure on that.  Keep an eye out for a similar deal and it's totally worth it._

 
Hubby did the same thing for me! It was a $100 discount.


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## SuSana (Jan 15, 2009)

Damn it!  I already have the Amazon Visa.  Oh if they do that again I'll ask my Mom to open one up for me.  I was telling her that I wanted a kindle and she told me that my great Aunt has one and loves it, so much in fact she bought one for all of her kids & grandkids for Christmas!  Lucky them


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## LMD84 (Jan 15, 2009)

i've not seen the amazing kindle in real life but i personally reccomend the sony e reader! plus you guys in america have just had released the one with a backlight built in so it's even easier to read!! with the sony reader you can use e book format, pdf, word documents and jpeg pictures. plus it stores mp3's so you can listen to music as you read! oh plus it had inbuilt memory but if you run out you can use a sd card or sony memory stick in it!

so yeah! check out the sony one! (and this has nothing to do with the fact i work for sony!)


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## Icecaramellatte (Jan 15, 2009)

Lissah said:


> I have a kindle and i love it!  I don't miss books at all.  I read alot and my shelves are overfilled with books  that i can't bear to throw out.  To me, I don't want another book laying around that I'm not going to reread.  If I bought alot of art books or something with pictures I would prefer a real book.  I love being able to download a new book but not have more clutter.  It's great to just throw in my purse when I will need something to read.
> r
> 
> 
> ...


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## kylieteng (Feb 18, 2009)

Quote:

   Originally Posted by *Lissah* 

 
_I have a kindle and i love it!  I don't miss books at all.  I read alot and my shelves are overfilled with books  that i can't bear to throw out.  To me, I don't want another book laying around that I'm not going to reread.  If I bought alot of art books or something with pictures I would prefer a real book.  I love being able to download a new book but not have more clutter.  It's great to just throw in my purse when I will need something to read.

Bad points:  not all things I read are avail for kindle.  Although the selection is good, I read alot of books that aren't top bestsellers and they're not all available for kindle.  My kindle doesn't fit securely in the pleather cover.  I wouldn't dream of reading it in the tub.  Sometimes I guess I accidentally hit a button (still not sure which one) and it takes me out of my current book and I sort of have to refind where I left off lol.  I have no doubt that it is MY error though.
	

	
	
		
		

		
			






A weird thing to say but one of the things I love about it is that I can read while eating.  Unlike a paperback that wants to shut when I take my hands off it, it stays open.  You can change the text size easily to make it smaller or larger.  While the dimensions are larger than many paperbacks, it is thinner and takes up less space in my purse.  You can bookmark spots in your book for later reference and look up unfamiliar words.  It also remembers where you left off automatically.  Downloaded books are cheaper too!

Re the price:  My husband bought mine around August 08 I think.  They had some sort of deal where if you accept the Amazon Visa you got a discount on the kindle.  I want to say the discount was 75 to 100 dollars but I'm not sure on that.  Keep an eye out for a similar deal and it's totally wor
th it._

 

Well analysis, downloaded books are good


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