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Live outside the UK? Kindle is available on Amazon.com for shipment outside the UK. Click here to shop on Amazon.com.
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The Kindle is a triumph. It's a beautifully designed eBook reader with a gorgeous display offering a superbly integrated book-buying experience. ... Amazon has delivered a game-changing device at a bargain price; it is deservedly onto a winner here. " - PC Pro |
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They've cracked it — this is the future." - London Evening Standard |
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Its e-ink display is a thing of great beauty." - The Independent |
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Battery life is long enough for space shuttle missions." - Wired |
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Kindle's winning combination of noteworthy upgrades—an improved screen, better battery life, lighter weight, and lower price—vaults it to the top of the e-book reader category." - CNet |
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Just as digital music knocked down the price of an album… …Kindle is doing it for books. It's about time." - Live Magazine, Mail on Sunday |
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Speaking as a consumer, I’ll be buying a Kindle." - Matt Warman, Telegraph.co.uk |
Kindle is Amazon.com's #1 bestselling item for two years running. It's the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon.com. Now it's even better.
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Kindle at a Glance
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E Ink 101: Compare Kindle's Screen to Traditional LCDs |
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How Electronic Ink WorksElectronic ink screens work using ink, just like books and newspapers, but display the ink particles electronically. People who see the display for the first time do a double take because the screen looks like real paper. No Eye Strain--Reads Like Real Paper, Not a Computer ScreenKindle's electronic ink display is ideal for reading because it does not create the same eyestrain as reading on traditional backlit LCD tablets or laptops. Clearer Text and the Sharpest DisplayElectronic ink uses actual ink to create crisp, print-like text similar to what you see in a physical book. Kindle's proprietary, hand-built fonts take advantage of the special characteristics of the ink to make letters clear and sharp. No Glare, Even in Bright SunlightKindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper, eliminating the glare created by backlit LCD displays on tablets or smart phones. Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. Not all E Ink is the Same--Kindle Uses Latest Generation E Ink for 50% Better ContrastWhen considering an ereader, you should ensure that you are getting a device with the latest generation E Ink technology, referred to as "Pearl". Our all-new Kindle uses Pearl, resulting in the best reading experience possible with 50% better contrast and the sharpest text. Read Before Bed Without Affecting SleepAccording to some sleep experts, reading on closely-held backlit screens before bed inhibits melatonin production, which is critical for a good night's sleep. "The take-home lesson is that insomnia and electronic gadgets emitting light should not [be] mixed before bedtime" says UCLA Neurology Clinic Director Alon Avidan. "Kindle is better for your sleep." Why is E Ink Easier on the Eyes than LCD?Here are some of the technical reasons:
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Fonts on Kindle's ink-based display looks smoother and more natural than an LCD display. 
What Customers Say About Kindle's Electronic Ink Display"My first impression of Kindle's screen was: 'That's a screen?! It doesn't look like a screen.'... It looks like a book page, only perfect. No grain or pulp."—Jeremy "I love how the screen really looks like a page, because I do work at a computer all day, and the last thing I want to look at is another screen."—Amy P "I found the contrast to be soothing and I was able to read in direct sunlight with no glare."—M. H. |
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Kindle Comparison
Kindle (Wi-Fi) is a great choice if you already have a high-speed internet connection and wireless router setup at home, and do not want the added convenience of a 3G connection which enables you to download books anytime, anywhere on the go. If you do not have Wi-Fi setup in your home, Kindle 3G would be a better option.
Kindle 3G (Free 3G + Wi-Fi) is the easiest option because there is no wireless setup—you are ready to shop, purchase, and read right out of the box. Built-in Free 3G connectivity uses the same wireless signals that cell phones use, but there are no monthly fees or commitments—Amazon pays for Kindle’s 3G wireless connectivity. The added convenience of 3G enables you to download books anytime, anywhere on the go—without having to find a Wi-Fi hotspot connection. With wireless coverage in over 100 countries and territories, Kindle 3G is a great option for travelers. Check 3G coverage area. See How the Latest Kindle Compares to the Previous Generation
Features
All-New Design
Lighter & Thinner - Only 241 Grams When reading for long periods of time, we know that weight matters. That's why we worked hard to make our newest Kindle lighter than ever – only 241 grams – so you can read comfortably for hours with just one hand. Kindle is lighter than a typical paperback, and thinner than a magazine. Just 8.5 mm in profile, Kindle fits perfectly in your hands. Ergonomic Design Kindle is easy to hold and read. We designed it with long-form reading in mind. When reading for long periods of time, people naturally shift positions and often like to read with one hand. Kindle's page-turning buttons are located on both sides, allowing you to read and turn pages from any position. The new soft-touch, textured back is comfortable to hold and never gets hot in your hands. Never Gets Hot Unlike a laptop or tablet, Kindle never gets hot so you can read comfortably as long as you like. Simple to Use, No Computer Required Unlike most electronic devices, we wanted to keep Kindle simple. Kindle is wireless and ready to use right out of the box – no setup, no software to install, no computer required.
Long Battery Life - Up to Two Months
Battery Life of Up to Two Months A single charge lasts up to two months with wireless off based upon a half-hour of daily reading time. If you read for one hour a day, you will get battery life of up to one month. Battery life will vary based on wireless usage, such as shopping the Kindle Store, web browsing, and downloading content. Charge Via USB Kindle is delivered with a UK power adapter and a micro-USB cable for charging your Kindle from a computer USB port. The UK power adapter supports voltages 100V-240V. Get Books in as Little as 60 Seconds Whispernet utilises Amazon's optimised technology plus Wi-Fi networks to enable you to wirelessly search, discover, and download content on the go. Your books and periodicals are delivered over Wi-Fi via Whispernet in less than 60 seconds. Wireless download times can vary based on file size. New, Built-In Wi-Fi Kindle automatically detects nearby Wi-Fi networks at school, home, or your favourite café. At a hotel or café that requires a password? Simply enter the password and connect to the network. Once you have added a Wi-Fi network, Kindle will automatically connect to that network the next time you're near the hotspot. Kindle does not currently connect to enterprise or peer-to-peer networks.
Carry Your Library in 241 Grams
Holds Over 3,500 Books The ultimate travel companion, Kindle weighs 241 grams and holds up to 3,500 books. No longer pick and choose which books to fit in your luggage. You can always have your entire Kindle library with you. Worry-Free Archive Delete with abandon. We automatically keep an archival copy of your Kindle books—-re-download for free, anytime. We even back up your last page read and annotations, so when you re-download to the device you can pick up where you left off with all of your notes still in place. Please see more information about your library content. Collections Organise your Kindle library into collections, or categories, to easily access any book you are looking for. You can add an item to multiple collections to make organising and finding titles even easier. For example, you can add the same book to your "History" and "My Favourite Authors" collections. Real Page Numbers Easily reference and cite passages or read alongside others in a book club or class with real page numbers that correspond to a book’s print edition. We’ve added real page numbers to tens of thousands of Kindle books, including the top 100 bestselling books in the Kindle Store with matching print editions. Simply press the “Menu” button while reading to display page numbers.
Reading, Revolutionised
Lose Yourself in Your Reading The most elegant feature of a physical book is that it disappears while you're reading. Immersed in the author's world and ideas, you don't notice a book's glue, the stitching, or ink. Our top design objective is to make Kindle disappear — just like a physical book — so you can get lost in your reading, not the technology. Paper-Like Screen with New E Ink Pearl Display for 50% Improved Contrast Our latest Kindle uses Amazon's new, high-contrast E Ink Pearl display with 50% better contrast, for the clearest text and sharpest images. With Pearl, the most-advanced E Ink display on the market, text "pops" from the page creating a reading experience most similar to reading on printed paper. Sharp and natural with no glare or backlight, reading on Kindle is nothing like reading on a computer screen. Those who see it for the first time always do a double-take. New Proprietary Screen Technology - Faster Page Turns, New and Improved Fonts Kindle's new, high-contrast display is further optimised with Amazon's proprietary waveform and font technology to make pages turn faster and fonts sharper. Waveform is a series of electronic pulses that move black and white electronic ink particles to achieve a final grey level for an image or text. We have tuned Kindle's waveform and controller mechanism to make page turning 20% faster. This waveform tuning, combined with new hand-built, custom fonts and font-hinting, make words and letters more crisp, clear, and natural-looking. Font hints are instructions, written as code, that control points on a font character's line and improve legibility at small font sizes where few pixels are available. Hinting is a mix of aesthetic judgments and complicated technical strategies. We've designed our proprietary font-hinting to optimise specifically for the special characteristics of electronic ink. Read in Sunlight with No Glare Kindle's screen reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays. As a result, Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. Adjustable Text Size Kindle has eight adjustable font sizes to suit your reading preference. You can increase the text size of your favourite book or periodical with the push of a button. If your eyes tire, simply increase the font size and continue reading comfortably. Now every book in your library can be large print. New Font Choices Kindle now has three font styles to choose from - our standard Caecilia font, a condensed version of Caecilia, and a sans serif option - so you can change your font style along with the font size. Screen Rotation Manually rotate the display from portrait to landscape to view maps, graphs, tables and Web pages. Newspaper Reading Using Kindle's 5-way controller, you can quickly flip between articles, making it faster and easier to browse and read the morning paper. Want to remember the newspaper or magazine article you just read? Clip and save entire articles for later reading with a single click. Newspapers are auto-delivered wirelessly to Kindle before they hit the news agent. Sharp Display of Images and Photos Kindle's high-resolution screen boasts 16 shades of gray and 50% improved contrast, for the sharpest text and images. Support for Non-Latin Characters Kindle can now display Cyrillic (such as Russian), Japanese, Chinese (Traditional and Simplified), and Korean characters in addition to Latin and Greek scripts for certain file types. To view your personal documents with non-Latin characters on your Kindle, send your file as a Microsoft Word document (DOC) attachment to your Kindle's e-mail address ("name"@free.kindle.com). The file will be converted to Kindle format and sent to your Kindle via the Wi-Fi connection and also to the e-mail address associated with your Amazon.com account at no charge. See more details about Kindle’s Personal Document Service via Whispernet here. Loading TXT files containing non-Latin characters over USB is currently not supported as some characters may not display properly. Full Image Zoom Images and photos display crisply on Kindle and can be zoomed to the full size of the screen. Precise 5-Way Controller Kindle has an easy-to-use 5-way controller, enabling precise on-screen navigation for selecting text to highlight or looking up words. No on-screen fingerprints.
Search, Annotations, Dictionary, and Wikipedia
Search Kindle's keyboard makes it easy to search within an book, across your library, in the Kindle Store, or even the Web. To use the Search feature, simply type in a word or phrase you're looking for, and Kindle finds every instance in your book or across your Kindle library. Looking for the first reference of a character in your book? Simply type in the name and search. You can extend your search to the Kindle Store to find related titles you may be interested in. Explore even further by searching Wikipedia and the Web. Bookmarks and Annotations By using the QWERTY keyboard, you can add annotations to text, just like you might write in the margins of a book. And because it is digital, you can edit, delete, and export your notes. You can highlight and clip key passages and bookmark pages for future use. You'll never need to bookmark your last place in the book, because Kindle remembers for you and always opens to the last page you read. Share Meaningful Passages Share your passion for books and reading with friends, family, and other readers around the world by posting meaningful passages to social networks like Facebook and Twitter directly from Kindle, without leaving the page. Want to post or tweet about a great new title or newspaper article? When you highlight or create a note in your book or periodical, you can easily share it with your social network. Help your network of family and friends discover new authors and books. Public Notes Share your notes and see what others are saying about Kindle books. Any Kindle user--including authors, book reviewers, professors and passionate readers everywhere--can opt-in to share their thoughts on book passages and ideas with friends, family members, colleagues, and the greater Kindle community. Learn More Popular Highlights See what our community of millions of Kindle readers think are the most interesting passages in your books. If several other readers have highlighted a particular passage, then that passage will be highlighted in your book along with the total number of people who have highlighted it. Now it's easier to review, remember, and learn more from the books you read. Learn More Built-In Dictionary with Instant Lookup Never get caught without a dictionary. Kindle includes The Oxford Dictionary of English with over 250,000 entries and definitions, so you can seamlessly look up the definitions of English words without interrupting your reading. Come across a word you don't know? Simply move the cursor to it and the definition will automatically display at the bottom of the screen. Never fear a sesquipedalian word again – simply look it up and keep reading. Wireless Access to Wikipedia Kindle also includes free built-in access to the world's most exhaustive and up-to-date encyclopaedia, Wikipedia.org. With Kindle in hand, looking up people, places, events, and more has never been easier. It gives whole new meaning to the phrase walking encyclopaedia.
Carry and Read Your Personal Documents
Improved, Built-In PDF Reader Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go. With Amazon's Whispernet service, you can send your documents directly to your Kindle and read them anytime, anywhere. Now you can add notes and highlights, use the dictionary look-up, and read password-protected PDFs. You can also magnify PDFs by viewing them in landscape mode, and zoom into any area of a PDF up to 300% and pan around to more easily view small print and detailed tables and graphics. You also have the option to have your PDF document converted to the Kindle format so that it reflows. Learn More Personal Document Service Via Whispernet Kindle makes it easy to take your personal documents with you, eliminating the need to print. Each Kindle has a unique and customisable e-mail address. You can set your unique e-mail address on your Manage Your Kindle page. This allows you and your approved contacts to send Word, PDF documents, and pictures to your Kindle via Whispernet—see details. Kindle supports wireless delivery of unprotected Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX), PDF, HTML, TXT, RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP, PRC and MOBI files. Some complex PDF and DOCX files might not format correctly on your Kindle. You can transfer personal documents to your Kindle via USB or using a Wi-Fi connection for free at any time. Learn more. Password Protection With new password protection functionality, you can choose to lock your Kindle automatically when you're not using it.
New UK Kindle Store
You can search and shop the Kindle Store wirelessly straight from your Kindle, allowing you to click, buy, and start reading your purchases in 60 seconds. The Kindle Store offers the same great Amazon.co.uk customer experience you're used to, including customer reviews, personalised recommendations, and low prices. We auto-deliver your selections wirelessly, so the next time you hear about a great book, just search, buy, and read. Over 700,000 Books With the biggest selection of any ebook store in the UK, you can shop more than 700,000 books, including bestsellers and new releases. UK and international newspapers, magazines, and blogs, plus more than 1 million free books, are also available. Lowest eBook Prices We check hundreds of prices every day to make sure our prices are the lowest of any ebook store in the UK. Compare our prices--you'll like what you find. Read First Chapters for Free No need to judge a book by its cover. Kindle lets you download and read the beginning of books for free. Sample a new author or book--if you like what you read, simply buy and download the whole book with 1-Click, straight from your Kindle, and continue reading. Sample length will vary by book. Buy Once, Read Everywhere Our Whispersync technology synchronises your Kindle library and last page read across your devices, so you can read a few pages on your mobile phone or computer and pick up right where you left off when you return to your Kindle.
Experimental Features
The experimental category represents features we are still working on to enhance the Kindle experience even further. Try them out and let us know what you think. Read-to-Me With the Text-to-Speech feature, Kindle can read English newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book's rights holder made the feature unavailable. You can switch back and forth between reading and listening, and your spot is automatically saved. Pages automatically turn while the content is being read, so you can listen hands-free. You can choose from both male and female voices which can be sped up or slowed down to suit your preference. In the middle of a great story or article but have to jump in the car? Simply turn on Text-to-Speech and listen on the go. Voice Guide New text-to-speech enabled menus allow customers to navigate Kindle without having to read menu options. In addition to listening to books aloud, users now have the option of listening to content listings on the home screen, item descriptions, and all menu options. To turn Voice Guide on or off, press the Menu button from your Home screen. Select Settings and then press Next Page to go to Page 2 of Settings. Select "turn on" or "turn off" next to the Voice Guide setting. New WebKit-Based Browser Kindle's new web browser is based on WebKit to provide a better web browsing experience. Now it's easier than ever to find the information you're looking for right from your Kindle. Experimental web browsing is free to use over Wi-Fi. Listen to Music & Podcasts Transfer MP3 files to Kindle to play as background music while you read. You can quickly and easily transfer MP3 files via USB by connecting Kindle to your computer.
Read on All Your Devices with Whispersync
Our Whispersync technology synchronises your Kindle library and last page read across your devices, so you can read a few pages on your phone or computer and pick up right where you left off when you return to your Kindle.
Technical Details
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4.4 out of 5 stars (27) £24.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
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4.5 out of 5 stars (1,248) £49.99
What Customers are Saying
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Customer Reviews
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
6,057 of 6,145 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
Everything I hoped it would be,
By
This review is from: Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology (Electronics)
I hemmed and hawed a lot before ordering the Kindle; my first e-reader. I thought perhaps I'd miss something about the experience of reading a book. Perhaps I'd miss the feel of it, or the smell, or turning the pages. In actual fact, the only thing I miss is being able to re-read the cover and back page when I put it to rest after a long read. There's something satisfying about absorbing the cover and imprinting it on your memory, especially after you finish the last page of a book. Anyway, it's a minor point. In every other detail the Kindle is a superior reading experience.
The weight of the Kindle is a significant factor. A large paperback or hardback can be annoying to read, especially if you're in bed. Remember holding a heavy paperback above you? Or how annoying it is when you lie on your side and one page of the open book is easier to read than the other? Or pinning a book open on the pillow with one hand as you read? Well, all that's out the window. Reading a lightweight e-reader is comfortable and handy and it's almost impossible to lose a page. Need to stop reading for a moment? Just put the Kindle to one side, and when you return it's still there, on the same page. The only time I lose a page is when I grip either side of the device wrongly and turn a page forward or backward unexpectedly; easily resolved though. I've tried turning pages on other devices. For example, on the iPad there's a page-turning graphic where the page rolls across the screen under your fingertips. Fact: page-turning is NOT the exciting part of reading a book. If you're enjoying a book you don't even notice that you're turning the pages. However, when I tried a different brand of e-reader I was dispapointed at the slowness of the page turns and the way the device seemed to have a fit as the page refreshed. It was distracting. This is not a problem the Kindle suffers from. The page turns are swift and delicate and do not interrupt the reading experience. On top of all this, you've got a crystal clear display and the ability to adjust the font size. The first book I downloaded and read was "I Shall Wear Midnight" by Terry Pratchett, which had just been published. I found that, just like with a book, you soon forget you're turning pages and you get lost in the story. This is exactly what I hoped for. If the device had intruded into the reading, it would have been a lesser experience than using a book. I hope the day never comes when the Kindle beeps when an email arrives - this device is geared toward reading and I hope it stays that way. At the moment it is unobtrusive and the reading experience is fantastic. The book browsing and buying experience is good, as expected. It's perfectly fast on WiFi. I haven't really had cause to test the 3G yet. The experimental web-browsing function works quite well on Wikipedia, although is not something I'm particularly interested in on an e-reader. The music plays nicely, and the text-to-voice function is pretty good, although everything sounds like it's being read by Stephen Hawking. However, the quality of the speakers is very good (better, I think, than on my iphone) and so proper audiobooks come across loud and clear. These are certainly interesting features and it doesn't do any harm for them to be there. There's a free Minesweeper game if you press ALT+SHIFT+M. This is quite a fun 'easter egg', but I wouldn't want to encourage Amazon to detract from the main function of the device: reading. Not sure why there's an unused microphone on the device either. Goodness knows what they're planning. :) I've had the device running with WiFi turned on for 6 days now and it's just started telling me that the battery is beginning to run low. I'd say there's still about 10% left in it, judging by the little battery symbol. That's impressive, considering I've been using it a lot. I'll probably turn the WiFi off between book purchases in future, though. It's going to be great for holidays. I've also tried sending a Microsoft Word document by email to the device. It was a fast transfer and the final result was startlingly decent. It was nice seeing it displayed so well on the device. The pricing of the ebooks is a bit odd; always shifting, and sometimes books disappear from sale (not from the device, though, as far as I know). I've been lead to believe this is because the UK prices are sometimes tied to the US prices. As the exchange rate fluxuates it affects the pricing. There's also some kind of dynamic pricing where Amazon will beat competitors' prices while they're having a sale. I don't know if this is true, but it seems to go some way to explaining why a Stephen King book will be £5 one day and £9 the next. It seems at the moment that there's a lot of significantly discounted bestsellers - which is a Good Thing. :) Hopefully prices will continue to drop as Kindle uptake increases. It certainly seems to be common sense that the saving made by publishers not having to print and distribute books should be passed on to the reader. Overall, I'm so pleased that the device is as good as the advertising made it out to be. I'm going to start ditching the hundreds of paperbacks that I have in the house as I feel confident that e-readers - and in particular the Kindle - are the way forward.
795 of 808 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
I just love it!,
By Mrs L.C (Surrey) - See all my reviews
This review is from: Kindle Wireless Reading Device, Wi-Fi, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology (Electronics)
I just love it. I first saw an e-reader a few months ago when I was shown a Sony one - I wasn't that impressed. Then I was shown a Kindle 2 while in America - this was more like it I thought. On returning to the UK I thought I would have a look in more detail at the Kindle and compare it to other readers. How thrilled and surprised was I to log on to Amazon and see there right in front of me the all new Kindle 3! I read all about it with mounting excitement. It did so many things, was Wi-Fi (I don't need the 3G version), so many of the classic books are free, and it just seemed to have all the added extras to make it almost too good to be true. The most amazing thing was the price - I couldn't believe it. Although it was out of stock I thought I shouldn't rush into buying it, it wasn't my birthday or Christmas so how on earth could I justify buying myself a present?
I pondered this purchase for a few days, and gradually the reviews started coming in which confirmed all my aspirations for the Kindle - the more reviews I read the more I felt that I just had to have one. I placed my order on August 20th and also bought a Kindle cover in burnt orange. The cover came very quickly which was almost unkind as it felt incomplete (as obviously it was waiting for the Kindle)! I waited and waited for the actual device to arrive and kept checking back to see if I was lucky to have the 'dispatching' notice. When I read that other people were receiving their Kindles from a later ordering date, I decided to ring CS. They were very helpful and although they said I would still have about a week to wait, that very day I received the 'dispatching' notice and it arrived within a few days. If anyone else has been waiting longer than they think they should, my advice would be to give CS a ring - it can't do any harm. I was so excited when I opened the 'easy open' box - very clever minimal packaging, makes such a change from all this horrid plastic that comes encasing everything. My one dread about switching my Kindle on was that it would not recognise our WiFi and then I wouldn't know what to do. No worries. I switched it on, up came our WiFi network and within a couple of seconds I had downloaded a free book that I had been wanting. Amazing. All the instructions that came with the Kindle were superb. The simple fold-out paper ones in the box were brilliant and the manual actually on the Kindle is very good. I have looked through all of it, but every now and again I like to go back to particular sections of it to refresh my mind of how to do something. The reading experience is brilliant. I am not a great reader - I would like to be, but there always seem to be other things to do and I find actually going in to a bookshop quite muddling. With the Kindle I can look in the comfort of my own home, find a book of interest, download a sample and click 'buy now' if I so wish. So much easier than going to the shop or library. I was recommended a book the other day while talking to a friend, within seconds I had it on my Kindle ready to read! How clever is that! I very much like the in built dictionary. I changed the default dictionary to the Oxford English - very simple. When I am reading I just highlight the word and instantly the definition comes up. I can then highlight it and save it to look at a later date - my vocabulary is already improving (I have to add that this is a very old classic that I am reading with unusual and unfamiliar words!) I find the different size fonts very useful. I also like the way the screen can be changed from portrait to landscape instantly. Mostly I read my Kindle in portrait with the keyboard at the bottom, but at night when I am in bed I change it so that the keyboard is at the top - I find this less intrusive and somehow easier to use. Although the Kindle is compact and comfortable to use, I have found that I find it easier to prop it up in a stand on a table to be even easier when I am sitting on a chair, or in bed I lay it on a small cushion which just gets it at the right angle without having to hold it all the time. Luckily the well designed cover folds completely back and the inside of the cover is non slip. I think it would be very useful if it had a folding support at the back, similar to a free standing picture frame, so that it could prop itself up on a hard surface. Likewise Kindle should design some 'Kindle inspired mini bean cushion' for use on a lap or in bed. All in all I think it is a superb piece of kit. I never thought I would want an e-reader let alone buy one, but I have and I am very very pleased with my purchase. I can highly recommend it to everyone.
2,793 of 2,853 people found the following review helpful:
5.0 out of 5 stars
The most useful purchase since the first generation iPod!!,
By
This review is from: Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device, Free 3G + Wi-Fi, 3G Works Globally, Graphite, 6" Display with New E Ink Pearl Technology (Electronics)
I preordered my Kindle in mid August and it arrived a couple of days ago (mid September). Eagerly I opened up the Amazon Easy open box (which, as the name suggests, was remarkably easy to open!) and inside was my new Kindle, charger/synch cable and limited instructions (there are more complete instructions on the device).
I had spent a lot of time researching ereaders prior to my purchase but to be honest I was still not prepared for how great the Kindle would look in the flesh. Smaller and lighter than I imagined it just felt right. Also some reviewers had talked about thinking of trying to peel off the actual image on the screen, well I can confirm that even knowing that the thought crossed my mind - The e-ink looks absolutely great. After plugging it in (not for long) I then switched it on and after setting up the account/wifi etc (I have the 3g and WiFi version but figured I was better using WiFi to start with) I had a look. What a great experience this was, the device is very intuitive and not once did I have to refer to the instruction manual. Some books I had ordered had already appeared and I had a look and first impressions were spot on, easy to move the pages and easy to hold and read. Since then I have got to know this device and I would like to take you through my early experiences. Firstly prior to ordering it I could not believe the price and how competitive the Kindle 3 is. I had been looking at the Kindle 2 International and Kindle DX and both were well over the price of the Kindle 3. Likewise compare the Kindle 3 with the Barnes & Noble Nook, Sony PRS series and the like and it is very competitive. So the price was convincing. Then the user experience just got better: The Kindle Store - very easy to use. Very simple to access from the device and you just browse and, if you want to buy and you have set your Amazon account to 1 click ordering then you just select your book and it is straight on your device to read. The charger/sync cable - Looks really nice and the plug detaches from the USB adapter so that you can plug it straight into your Laptop etc. The upside of this is that it will also charge from any USB enabled adapter or plug, so charging from your car etc will be very easy. Please note one thing that causes confusion. A lot of people refer to the end of the cable that plugs into the Kindle as a standard USB Mini B connection. Please note it is NOT it is a proprietary connection. I had been looking forward to charging with a regular USB to Mini B cable so please don't make the same mistake I did. However it is not a big deal and Amazon are already selling replacement cables on their site. Screensavers - When the Kindle goes to sleep Artwork and famous historical figures appear on the Kindle. Some people I noticed were moaning about this. Why? They look FANTASTIC, and I love looking to see which one has appeared! Ergonomics - I find the Kindle excellent to hold. I read a lot in bed and it is really easy for me to grip the Kindle with my thumb hovering over the page turn button so I do not have to move to turn the pages - Way easier than a book and it just works in a seamless, easy and immersive way. To be honest that has been my experience of the Kindle - I don't notice it is there is the same way I do not notice the physical element of a paper book when I am reading it. Whispernet - Utterly brilliant - If you have purchased the book from Amazon then the page you have ended on synchs across all your devices (Please note you need to go to the Manage my Kindle section of your Amazon account and enable this feature). I have an iPhone, iPad and Laptop enabled with Kindle reading software and it is a brilliant feature. For example I was in the airport and did not want to use my Kindle while I was going to my gate so read some of the book on my iPhone and then on the plane just carried on from the same place with my Kindle (make sure that you turn it on prior to the plane taking off so that it can access Whispernet otherwise it cannot synch the last read page). However note this does not work if you have not purchased the content from the Amazon store. Newspapers - I have tried a trial Newspaper subscription and it is ok - To be honest navigation is more intuitive on an iPhone/iPad but it is a useful feature - I am not sure if I will continue with a paid subscription though. One thing here that took me a while to figure out that makes moving through the articles easier is that you can instantly move from article using the 5 way control pad (right click to go forward) rather than using the page turn button and having to go through all the article pages before you get to the next one. Text to Speech -Tried it and it is pretty cool and also a bit weird! I don't listen to many audio books anyway so I don't think I will be using this feature much. Again nice to have though! MP3 Playback - The rear speakers are surprisingly good and the music sounds good to my admittedly non sophisticated ears. However the fact that you cannot organise your music and the relatively small 4gb storage provided on the kindle means I won't be giving up my iPod any time soon! Internet - Again your iPhone is more intuitive here on the move and a better experience. However if this is not available to you or you want to avoid roaming charges when out of your service providers country it is a surprisingly useable experience in black and white. Very much in the `Nice to have' box. Battery life - Excellent. I have not quite managed the 10 days that are mentioned with Wireless always switched on but then again I have been using the Kindle a lot over the last couple of days! Comics - Hmm, I have tried this with a couple of things. Something like `Calvin and Hobbes' works brilliantly so newspaper cartoons are a definite plus. However I also put on a couple of Batman comics on PDF and these were not great - I could not really zoom properly so changed the viewing mode to landscape (just press the Aa button on the keypad and change it from there) and this just chopped the comic page in half which is not ideal. I think this would be a much better experience if you used the 9.7 inch screen on the DX. This is still going to be in black and white though - Comics are better served by the iPad which leads me to - iPad vs Kindle - Why does everything I read have these two products as an either or? I am a total Apple devotee, own Mac Laptops and PowerPC, iPhone/pad and plenty of other Apple products and I still think that to be honest they absolutely complement each other. I think if you can, get both! The iPad wins hands down on areas like e-mail, Web Browsing and Comics - Then it should - It is a relatively heavy LCD screen with an Apple A4 processor that does a great job of multitasking. The Kindle does a GREAT job of doing what it does best - reading books! There is no way that I `forget' my iPad is there when I am reading but I do with a Kindle. There is no way that the iPad has a battery life long enough to just leave in the bedside cabinet and read whenever I want, whereas the Kindle does. The Kindle does not make my eyes tired after extended use as the iPad does. Comparison between the amounts of books in the respective Kindle and iBook stores is irrelevant as you can have the Kindle store on the iPad also. However what is relevant is that if you have the 3G kindle you can download books from anywhere without the crazy data prices and initial buy cost of the 3G enabled iPad. The Kindle is dedicated to reading books and it does it better than the iPad full stop - Despite many comments I have seen to the opposite I still think that e-ink is the future for book reading on electrical devices and the Kindle has been the only device where I have thought, wow, I am going to be reading most of my books on this moving forward. Screen Quality - I am blown away by the Kindle screen and e-ink every time I use it - I think if you have not seen one then you should it just looks superb. Calibre - This takes the Kindle to a whole new level and simply blew me away. Anyone who has a Kindle really ought to download this brilliant program. It is free (just type Calibre into google etc) and is compatible with Mac and PC. Installation is easy and the program itself just moves the Kindle user experience from the great to the must have purchase that I now believe it is. Calibre allows you to convert and hold all of your previous ebooks or ebooks that you download from free sites like Gutenburg etc into the Kindle Mobi (.azw) file format. Conversion is so simple my gran could do it and even if you cannot manage that then if you try to download it onto the Kindle in the wrong format it will automatically convert it for you! You can also set it up to email your Kindle via your .kindle.com email address (This is set up in the `manage my kindle' section of the Amazon site). Please note if you do not want to be charged by Amazon for doing this set it up to email your free email address (just add free in front of your kindle.com email address) however your Kindle will ONLY download the documents when it on a WiFi network and not over 3g (no great hardship!). In this way if you email books etc from Calibre you do not even have to plug your Kindle into your laptop etc to get new books, so you can either just download from Amazon Kindle store or send from your Calibre program!! The icing on the cake is that you can also set it to automatically (using templates provided on Calibre) set the program to download magazines like Wired etc and e-mail it straight to your Kindle so it is autodelivered without you having to go anywhere near your mac or pc. I said at the start of this review that the Kindle is the most useful thing I have purchased... Read more ›
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