AT A GLANCE
- 9.7-inch E-Ink Display
- Free Global 3G Wireless (Yes – Free!)
- Stores up to 3,500 books in memory
- Rotating display
- Books download in under 60 seconds
- One-click purchasing
If first impressions are the infatuation stage of the relationship, second impressions are the deep and lasting love. I've spent the last week reading books on the Kindle for hours at a time in every possible condition – from bright sunlight to low lamplight - and can report that all the claims made for its E-Ink display are true. There is no screen glare, no reflection, and absolutely no more eye strain than you would experience from reading a paper book.
The 2nd Generation Kindle boasts a higher contrast display than its predecessor. This means the text is now crisper and easier to see against its lighter background.
(Warning! The Kindle will land on your nose with a nasty bump if you happen to fall asleep while reading it in bed.)
Buying New Books
Once you have set up an account with Amazon you are just one click away from a new purchase. Browse the Kindle store from your device, make your selection, and click buy. In less than 60 seconds your new book will have finished downloading. It couldn't be more instantly gratifying if it were designed by a hyperactive toddler on Jelly Tots.
Multifunctionality
The Kindle started out by positioning itself as a fully immersive reading device – one that mimics the book reading experience as closely as possible. Then the iPad came along and upset the, ahem, Apple cart with its powerful multifunctionality. Amazon's response was to offer limited browsing capacity, a dictionary and Wikipedia look-up, and a Facebook and Twitter sharing function in the 2nd generation device.
These, to put it very mildly indeed, are not great. The little joystick for mouseing around the device is sluggish and uncomfortable. The Qwerty keypad is designed to fit no known human hand. The browsing options are hidden away in various hard-to-find sub-menus. This is definitely not the Kindle's strong point. So if you are looking for a tablet laptop with reading capacity, this isn't the device for you. But if you're a book-lover wanting to add the ease and convenience of e-books to your life, the Kindle can't be beaten.
Turn ons:
- A library of over 800,000 titles to choose from with an absurdly easy shopping experience
- Large E-Ink display
- Free global 3G with no set-up or password required
Turn offs:
- The device remains Amazon-specific. You have no access to any of the other online bookstores and libraries out there.
- The browsing function is clunky and hard to use.
Rating 4.5/5
Both as a reader and as a writer, I couldn't be happier with the stylish, effortless presentation of text on the Kindle. It's just the extra browsing features that let it down – but they aren't what I want from an e-reader anyway.
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