The Smorgasbord

Last year in 2007 I remember when the Amazon Kindle was launched, and I thought “that’s kinda cool”. But it’s yet “another device” that does something you can already do on your mobile phone AND computer AND laptop! So, my first impression (back then) was that it was “cool” but not completely necessary. Now, let’s talk about what makes it viable as a gadget and why it’s becoming more popular.

The Amazon Kindle is an “eReader”. It’s meant for you to take it with you and read things, from novels and books, to newspapers and blogs. Battery life is long and it only needs a charge about every other day, and the screen is what they call “ePaper”. It’s not like your cellphone, laptop, or monitor screen - it has no glare (and it’s not backlit). It’s easy to read in any light, just like a book or newspaper.

Kindle has an “EVDO” connection just like the high speed connections of cell phones. This means that it’s “wireless”. The Kindle is different than other eReaders because it can get new content, download new books, or get fresh newspaper or blog content from RSS feeds “on the go” wherever you are. Don’t be fooled - you have to buy the books, but the “e” version is much cheaper. A latest New York Times best seller might be $26.99, but on Kindle it’s probably $9.99. Newspaper subscriptions cost money too, but with Kindle you can download the first few chapters of a book or read two weeks for free on a newspaper subscription before you pay anything. At least you can test drive before you pay. Magazines are available too like Time and Forbes.

You can’t exactly surf the web with Kindle, but one feature that is available is the ability to look anything up on Wikipedia. The included of the New Oxford American Dictionary could be very handy as well. It also has an annotation feature and bookmarking - so you can keep notes or keep track of where you were. One of the more controversial features are the RSS feeds. You can subscribe to any one of hundreds of RSS feeds (which are freely available on the web) for about $2 per month. Many people feel these should be completely free, as they are on the web. What they fail to realize is that kindle has no wireless charges at all - once you buy the unit there are no monthly fees. Your subscription fees basically cover the EVDO wireless access charges.

I didn’t even mention that it has an SD memory card slot, and that you can email documents to your Kindle for review, like pictures, PDF files, and Word docs. Now - it’s a tool you can use to review documents for school or work.

Here’s an Amazon Kindle review from a tech evangelist that has used many other eBook readers before he got the Kindle, this was his first review 12 hours after he got it.

Another Kindle video review:

I think that the Kindle could be one of the few gadgets you could give as a gift to people that are so “geeky” if you know what I mean. It’s easy to use, and Amazon has done a good job of taking away all the technological barriers away. It doesn’t have to be charged that often, and it never has to be connected to a computer or anything to work - it’s completely independent. This could actually be a really cool gift for Mom or Dad, Grandma or Grandpa. If you’re an avid reader or on the go a lot - the Kindle may be for you. There’s two ways to get one, and they are of course “new or used” Amazon Kindle’s. There are some for sale on eBay - check out these auctions.

US $330.00 (20 Bids) End Date: Monday Oct-06-2008 17:32:09 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $394.00 End Date: Monday Oct-06-2008 21:12:50 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $394.00 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $290.00 (14 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 13:30:29 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $299.00 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 13:56:03 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $309.00 Bid now | Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $7.99 (0 Bid) End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 20:00:00 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $389.99 End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 20:28:34 PDT Buy It Now for only: US $389.99 Buy it now | Add to watch list

US $285.00 (9 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 20:36:44 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

US $325.00 (12 Bids) End Date: Tuesday Oct-07-2008 21:02:39 PDT Bid now | Add to watch list

In addition, you can buy one new directly from Amazon itself here:

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