Amazon Kindle 2

[justine]

"I don't care about books, I care about Literature" (French writer Jean-Edern Hallier)

[Faust]

the best thing about it is a feature where you can highlight a word and get an immediate definition from the built-in dictionary. it could be fun to read the classics this way. if i took the train more i'd get one.

It's definitely a huge plus if you live a nomadic life style. If I traveled a lot, I would think about getting it.

[Sombre]

I have bad sight, so an electronic book isn't very practical for me right now, especially not when I need to spend hours contemplating that one existential paragraph of a book that mocks the very thoery of existentialism.

As for dead trees, I believe it is possible to make books from 100% recycled paper. That may be a bit utopian, but it's still possible.

Also, I'm sure there have been studies that prove that people focus better when intermediate goals, such as reaching the end of a page, and corresponding mini-breaks, like turning the page, are achieved.

I do have to concede point number 6. That's just great. I'm sure even the most conservative literary critic would concede the convenience of CTRL+F over skimming 600 pages of text.

Given all of the above, however, I don't think the market will really notice the Kindle 2 as a competitor for books until it starts stealing market share, just as no one cared about digital music until Napster and the decline of album sales. That I don't see happening for a long tims, because unlike the music industry, schools are a big market for books, and I don't see schools switching to digital anywhere in the near future.

Ok I take all of this back. I just checked it out. It's really cool. As soon as the library expands to include books in Spanish as well as English (not to mention a better English selection) I'm getting one.

[Faust]

yes, I don't think glare and other common problems with reading from the screen apply to kindle - they really did a great job there. of course i haven't tested this myself, but looks like it.

Justine - I hate you - now I keep thinking of trees when I buy a new book :-(. No PETA advocate could ever have that effect on me.

[Silk]

I know someone who recently bought it and loves it. I guess you can have the kindle READ TO YOU so you don't even have to read, which I found hilarious. I seen the display and it is very crisp and nice. Aside from the obvious lack of the "organic" book experience there aren't many bad things to say about it. Some books are only around $5 and I know they bought a few for around $7. I was thinking about getting one, but I don't read enough books anymore to justify it.

[DamageX]

From my experience using my friend's Kindle, the text is crisp but you are still dealing with pixels which the eyes will have a harder time focusing on. I do get the same eye strain sensation as when I'm reading from an LCD computer screen.

When I read a printed book, it's much easier on my eyes. Maybe my eyes are just sensitive.

At any rate you can buy a bunch of books for $300 and as others have said, the tactile sensation is much more pleasant.

[Faust]

Thanks for the review. That definitely rules it out. I spent too much time in front of a computer as is.

[Flokk]

Try one out before you rule it out Faust, i don't have one but i have played around with one. The text has a very different quality to on screen lcd text, i spend my whole day as a graphic designer looking and typefaces on screen and i still want one of these. I do often read 3 or 4 books at a time though, and i'm always jumping between them and it would be nice to able to carry a lot of books around.

Is there any sort of a homebrew community for these? It would be cool to be able to put any ebook on it and also reading manga on it would be great...

[Faust]

I would imagine there should be. There are forums for everything.

[zamb]

the best thing about it is a feature where you can highlight a word and get an immediate definition from the built-in dictionary. it could be fun to read the classics this way. if i took the train more i'd get one.

Aaahhhhhhhhhh, I really miss those days, my reading time has plunged at least 60% just because i no longer take the train.

[Nigger]

If my school/schools in general would pick up on it and start to release .PDF packages for their textbooks, then I could see myself getting a Kindle. Purely based on not wanting to haul around all these textbooks everywhere I go.

[Faust]

/\ If you want to stay on SZ, change your screen name.

[thehouseofdis]

I think Kindles (digital books) are only appropriate for text books, or when you need to have a lot of books with you at once.

[DRRRK]

^Welcome to my personal best of SZ list.

[Faust]

I think Kindle is appropriate for disposable books like Grisham or Dan Brown, stuff that people plow through for entertainment and then toss out and don't go back to. Then it's highly beneficial.