Do I get a Kindle or not? Which one?

[chewbacca]

I am a big book worm and am toying with the idea of getting a kindle. Please share your reviews (good or bad) and which version.

Thanks!

 

[The Princess]

Just got my kindle the other day and love it!!! I just got the regular one not the kindle dx one. At first my dd thought it was stupid to get (she's 17) BUT she told me the last night that she is jealous now and would want one for Christmas lol!!!

 

[Ephany]

My vote is for the Kindle 2, the price just dropped this morning.
http://www.amazon.com/

Oh, and I love mine, it's so portable and easy. I currently have around 200 books/magazines and short stories on mine. It's amazing.

 

[RitaE]

Just got my kindle the other day and love it!!! I just got the regular one not the kindle dx one. At first my dd thought it was stupid to get (she's 17) BUT she told me the last night that she is jealous now and would want one for Christmas lol!!!

See my post about the price just dropping. If it has been < 30 days they'll refund you the difference.

The Kindle 2 is awesome if you don't need to read PDF files... ie mostly just leisure reading. If you have alot of PDF documents that you want to load, they don't always transfer well into the Kindle format. Then you might consider the Kindle DX or another brand.

 

[The Princess]

how do I go about getting the price difference credited to my account?

 

[amid chaos]

Love my kindle 2. Perfect size to carry around and makes reading in bed so comfortable.

 

[The Princess]

Thanks for the price difference information!!! I called amazon and they are going to credit me $40.00 thats 4 books!!!!!!
The dis is amazing with a great bunch of people!!!
Thanks again

 

[legalsea]

I was interested to see that the Kindle 2's price had dropped to $259.00. Heck, I paid $399 way back when (I bought the first Kindle, the the version 2 when it came out and gave the old one to my sister; my wife also has the first version).

I, of course, recommend purchasing the Kindle 2. I agree that there is no real need for the DX version unless you need the PDF ability. The DX (which another one of my sister's has) is a bit too large for handy reading, to my mind.

 

[thruthelookinglass19]

I knew I loved the Dis for a reason!!! I'm so glad to see the price drop I've been planning on getting one for months now for our upcoming trip to WDW!! Woohoooo!!!!

 

[DVCLiz]

I have both Kindles - well, actually I have all three - and I agree that for most users the Kindle 2 is perfect. I upgraded to the Kindle DX when it came out because I was going to get one for my daughter, and she ended up liking and keeping my K2 instead.

While I really enjoy the DX - I like the larger size and the fact that more text shows up on a page - it's totally NOT worth the extra $200+ bucks, especially considering I don't use the auto rotate feature or the text to speech feature, nor do I ever load any
PDFs. I'm a total recreational reader. I do like the better pictures on the DX but again, not in any way better enough to spend the extra money.

Love the Kindle, though!!!!

 

[legalsea]

I see that a new Kindle 2 version is due out October 19th that will work internationally (the map shows most of all of western Europe). I wish I had this when my wife and I were travelling overseas a lot. Such is life.

 

[belle&sebastiansmom]

I got my Kindle 2 about 2 weeks ago! Glad I read this thread. I called and got my $40 credited!

So far so good with the K2. It's amazing to have so many books so easily accessible.

Here are some examples of how I've been using my kindle:
The power went out yesterday, I had two sick, sleeping kids. I got on my kindle and downloaded for free the sample chapters of several books I was interested in. This saved me money from buying paperbacks because there were a couple of the books I knew I wouldn't be able to get into reading. One that I enjoy, I was able to buy immediately and begin reading. Easy and convenient, especially since I was confined to the house.

Another feature I enjoy is being able to use wikipedia. I was reading a historical fiction book. I was able to use wiki to check out the "characters." That was really helpful.

The K2 is an excellent size and weight. Though with the K2 it is harder to me to cheat and try to skim to the back of the book! And even though it keeps a percentage account of how far you've read in the book, it's not the same as seeing the amount of pages to go. I read "The Other Boleyn Girl" and didn't realize I was getting myself into a nearly 700 page epic!

I love it. I'm just a recreational reader. I don't go on business trips. I know over time it will save money! Plus, as a friend of mine said to try to convince her hubby, you're helping the environment by not killing trees for paper! lol

 

[Dancemom03]

My dad has macular degeneration. He's lost much of his vision but is still able to do bills/checkbook/ect with a magnifying glass when neccessary. He really enjoyed reading and misses that part of his life a lot.

I've heard Kindles are great for people with sight issues and was just talking with them yesterday about buying one. He also has problems raising his left arm very high to hold things in a raised position for more than a few minutes. Just wondering if those who've used the different versions see a difference in them that would make one preferrable to another for text/sight challenges?

 

[legalsea]

My dad has macular degeneration. He's lost much of his vision but is still able to do bills/checkbook/ect with a magnifying glass when neccessary. He really enjoyed reading and misses that part of his life a lot.

I've heard Kindles are great for people with sight issues and was just talking with them yesterday about buying one. He also has problems raising his left arm very high to hold things in a raised position for more than a few minutes. Just wondering if those who've used the different versions see a difference in them that would make one preferrable to another for text/sight challenges?

My wife has the wet form of macular degeneration and has the first generation Kindle. She loves it due to being able to easily change the font size; there are six sizes, although I can't imagine anyone using the smallest size (which is equivalent to the smallest possible type used on paperbacks). Go to the Kindle section of Amazon and I believe you will find an example of the font sizes.

I guess, though I do not know, that the Kindle DX, due to its larger size, would also have 'larger' print, especially if you turn it on its side (the text automatically switches).

 

[chirurgeon]

My dad has macular degeneration. He's lost much of his vision but is still able to do bills/checkbook/ect with a magnifying glass when neccessary. He really enjoyed reading and misses that part of his life a lot.

I've heard Kindles are great for people with sight issues and was just talking with them yesterday about buying one. He also has problems raising his left arm very high to hold things in a raised position for more than a few minutes. Just wondering if those who've used the different versions see a difference in them that would make one preferrable to another for text/sight challenges?

I love my Kindle. I use the smallest type to save the battery, but the large type is very easy to see. There are a lot of cases out there, one is JAVOedge (it is on Amazon) and it is a flip case that can be stood up, so no holding needed. I can rest on your lap, or a small lapdesk. And he can pick which had to use to "turn" the page. There is a next page button on either side. At least on the Kindle 2. If you can find someone with a Kindle, maybe you can give your dad a test drive.

Kim

 

[curlyjbs]

How much is it to download books/mags?
Thanks

 

[bumbershoot]

Hubby says you can increase the size of the text if you need.

I've seen the DX in action, and it's pretty cool to watch the text flip. If you get the iphone app, it does the same.

The int'l one isn't just Europe; if you expand that map and drag it around, you see quite a few other countries.

Once you download a book, turn the wireless off, and you will conserve so much battery life it's ridiculous (and a bit scary).

 

[M5ward]

Best gift I ever got!! I have a first generation Kindle that I got for Christmas last year. Now I never have to worry about running out of something to read at midnight.

 

[RitaE]

How much is it to download books/mags?
Thanks

It depends on what book or magazine you want to download. Anywhere from free to $1000.

No really. New Releases usually debut around $14 and then will drop to $9.99 if the title hits the NYT bestseller list. Usually - there is no guarantee of that. Some books, like the Lost Symbol, will start at $9.99.

Titles that are available in paperback from a Publisher might run from $4 to $9.99....

I've been trying to figure out the International Download thing all day. It says that if you download via whispernet while "International" there is a $1.99 fee in addition to the cost of the book. Or, you can still download via your computer for free. That's if you have a US Account.

Now if you are an International customer and shopping through one of the other storefronts - like Amazon UK, the books appear to be a little more expensive - $11.99 to $13.99 for the new releases. I think that might be due to the VAT.

 

[NotUrsula]

Some public libraries are experimenting with lending Kindles; you might check yours to see if you can do a test run.

Due to the DRM software on the Kindle, it cannot be used to read eBooks that the libraries already own in formats that come from sources other than Amazon. What the libraries that are lending them tend to be doing is to load a themed "set" of books onto a Kindle and lend out the machine. For instance, you might find something billed as a "Popular Mysteries Kindle Collection", or a "Great French Novels Kindle Collection."

Personally, I'm holding out for color and multi-format capability. (I'm watching the iRex pretty closely, because they are closer to making those capabilities reality right now than Amazon is.)