Trying to decide which two or three or four books to take is not easy. In fact, I’d like to cart along a couple of dozen, and then to read those that happen to strike my fancy at a given time. Or to have the freedom to quit one book whenever it loses its appeal and then to start another. But the prospect of adding the weight and bulk of 20 or so books and travel guides to our luggage, cameras, computers and gifts – that’s just not an appealing prospect.
It’s precisely this dilemma that seemed to make the Amazon Kindle so appealing to me. This recently introduced pocket-book-size electronic reader has the capacity to store over 200 books, and even more with an optional storage card. It offers some other intriguing features, including subscriptions to publications that are automatically downloaded. But my main interest, and I suspect that of most purchasers, is to read books on it.

So three weeks before we left New York for the Far East, I went to amazon.com and tied to buy a Kindle. But it wasn’t immediately available. I added my name to the wait list, and waited. And waited. Two weeks later, still no Kindle.
Eager to take it on the Asia trip, I canceled the amazon.com order and bought one on eBay. The $399 Amazon list price had now escalated 50% to $600. But I received my Kindle in time and loaded it up with books. Instead of horsing 10 to 20 pounds of physical books and trying to find room for them in carry-on bags, I had the equivalent stored in my new 10-ounce Kindle.
How has it worked out? Well, here is my interim report:
The good news
Capacity – It’s great to have so many books available in such a light, compact device. I’ve already read a couple of books and sampled several others.
Choice – It’s always nice to have War and Peace on call, just in case you get the urge to re-read it for the first time since high school. But even if you don’t, you at least didn’t have to lug those 1,000 pages all that distance. Besides War and Peace, there are close to 100,000 other books available. That’s a lot of choice.
Cost – While the price of the Kindle reader gets your attention (especially if you buy it on eBay), the price per book is heavily discounted, with many of my purchases costing less that ten dollars, and well below their physical counterparts.
Ease and speed of purchasing – With an Amazon account, it’s fast and simple to search for and order a book. Once purchased, the book downloads seamlessly off the cellular network (no computer link is needed) in a minute or so and billing is automatically posted on your Amazon account.
Long battery life – The battery lasts for at least a couple of days’ worth of reading, and it recharges in a couple of hours.
And now for the bad news
Inadequate contrast – The black type is set on a gray background. And while the resolution is high, and the type is perfectly legible and adjustable to six different sizes), I just cannot get used to reading black on gray. And the more I read on the Kindle, the less I like it. I’m just spoiled by the vastly superior black-on-white contrast that one is so used to with physical books and even with computer screens.
Changing pages – When a page is changed, the screen flickers to black and then advances to the next page. It’s a one-second process, and is mildly annoying. One gets somewhat used to it, but then one also can also get used to a pebble in your shoe. You’d just rather not have that pebble there.
Accidental page changes – To change a page, either forward or back, there are thin vertical panels on either side of the Kindle that one depresses. But because of the poorly thought out way in which the reader is designed, accidental page changes are so frequent as to be unacceptable. It’s hard to find a comfortable position to hold the reader, and it’s hard not to trigger inadvertent page changes.
Industrial design – Amazon dearly needs to enroll in the Apple School of Industrial Design. Both functionally (see above) and aesthetically, the Kindle suffers by comparison. The operative word for the design: klutzy.
A few other shortcomings – Occasionally my page in the book would mysteriously get lost, and searching for it was cumbersome in the extreme… A number of the books I wanted to buy weren’t available, particularly some popular travel guides, forcing me to tote along six city and country paper guides… Maps in one book were almost illegible… Color renderings are not possible.
Final thoughts
Look, the Kindle is an incredible technical achievement. The idea that thousands of books can be easily ordered, stored and read on a 10-ounce device is no mean accomplishment.
But for a new product to be a major success, it has to be a lot better than the product it is trying to replace. Especially when that existing product functions pretty well at a reasonable price. So I’d rate the Kindle as an ambitious first try – perhaps a release 0.6 -- but not yet a solution.
In fact, the Kindle may actually be a solution looking for problem. In a way, it reminds me of the high-tech toilet we encoutered last week at the Tokyo Peninsula Hotel. That toilet was the Vegematic of bathroom fixtures. The lid and seat went up and down automatically, there were spray jets, there were air jets, the flushes were automatic, the seats were heated, and several other capabilities were listed on the control panel whose utility I have yet to divine. Did it solve a problem that anyone had? I doubt it.
There remains one final hill for the Kindle to climb. It has to compete with the aesthetic pleasure of holding a book, of flipping through its pages, of reading words that are black on pages that are white. For at least one reader, that’s hard to beat.
mont blanc, babyliss pro, wedding dresses, lululemon outlet, ghd, bottega veneta, juicy couture outlet, ugg, moncler outlet, moncler, celine handbags, jimmy choo, ray ban, gucci, reebok outlet, converse shoes, instyler ionic styler, tn pas cher, ugg, juicy couture outlet, p90x, ugg boots, canada goose outlet, beats by dre, soccer shoes, rolex watches, asics, canada goose, uggs on sale, mcm handbags, uggs outlet, moncler, moncler, canada goose, nfl jerseys, valentino shoes, soccer jerseys, canada goose outlet, oakley, ugg boots, giuseppe zanotti, marc jacobs, canada goose, ferragamo shoes, canada goose, herve leger, insanity, chi flat iron, new balance shoes, moncler
ReplyDeletefangyanting20150930
nike outlet store, http://www.nikeoutletstore.us/
hogan, http://www.scarpehogan-outlet.it/
chanel handbags, http://www.chanelhandbags-outlet.co.uk/
nike huarache, http://www.nike-airhuarache.co.uk/
nike air max shoes, http://www.nikeairmaxshoess.co.uk/
louis vuitton handbags, http://www.louisvuittonhandbag.us/
pandora jewelry, http://www.pandora.eu.com/
oakley outlet, http://www.oakleyoutlet.in.net/
air jordan 4, http://www.airjordan4.org/
oakley sunglasses, http://www.oakleysunglasses-outlet.us.com/
michael kors factory outlet, http://www.michaelkorsfactoryoutlets.in.net/
ugg boots, http://www.uggboot.com.co/
nike mercurial, http://www.nikemercurial.org/
replica watches, http://www.replicawatchesforsale.us.com/
mcm outlet, http://www.mcm.in.net/
louis vuitton handbags, http://www.louisvuittonhandbags.org.uk/
louis vuitton outlet, http://www.louisvuittonoutletstore.name/
soccer jerseys, http://www.soccerjerseys.us.com/
prada shoes, http://www.pradashoes.us/
chanel handbags, http://www.chanelhandbagsoutlet.in.net/
cheap snapbacks, http://www.cheapsnapbacks.us.com/
gucci handbags, http://www.guccihandbags-outlet.co.uk/
michael kors outlet, http://www.michaelkorsoutletcanada.in.net/
oakley sunglasses, http://www.oakley.in.net/
michael kors handbags, http://www.michaelkorshandbag.co.uk/
ugg boots, http://www.uggbootscheap.eu.com/
louis vuitton, http://www.louisvuitton.in.net/
kobe bryant shoes, http://www.kobebryantshoes.in.net/
coach outlet, http://www.coachoutletus.us/
north face jackets, http://www.thenorthfaces.in.net/
dv
adidas superstar
ReplyDeletegucci
sac longchamp pliage
longchamp pas cher
abercrombie
louboutin
http://www.CoachOutletOnlineSpick.org
tod's shoes
canada goose uk
ugg sale
lebron james shoes
ugg boots clearance
cheap uggs
michael kors outlet online
supra shoes
ugg boots sale
fake oakleys
gucci shoes
jordan pas cher
insanity workout
moncler outlet
cheap oakleys
burberry outlet
tommy hilfiger outlet
hollister co
louboutin pas cher
ghd hair straighteners
oakley sunglasses cheap
kobe bryant shoes
christian louboutin shoes
20151023yuanyuan
Coach Outlet http://www.coachoutletfactory-stores.us.com
ReplyDeleteNorth Face Outlet http://www.northface-outlets.com.co
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadefactoryoutlet.in.net
ED Hardy Outlet http://www.edhardypopsale.com
Coach Outlet Store Online http://www.coachstoreonline.in.net
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadeoutletstore.in.net
Cheap Jordans http://www.cheapjordansretro.us.com
Coach Purses http://www.coachpurses.eu.com
Coach Outlet http://www.coachoutlet2016.us.com
Tory Burch Shoes http://www.toryburchoutlets.us.com
Longchamp Outlet http://www.longchampoutlet.in.net
Michael Kors Handbags http://www.innnov8.com
Coach Outlet http://www.innnovate.com
Red Bottom Shoes http://www.redbottomshoes.us.org
Moncler Jackets http://www.monclerdownjackets.us.com
North Face Outlet http://www.northfacestoreoutlet.in.net
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadeoutletstore.us.com
Moncler Outlet http://www.moncleroutletonline.in.net
Coach Factory http://www.maganates.com
Coach Factory Outlet http://www.coachfactorysoutlet.in.net
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadesoutlet.us.com
Ray Ban Outlet http://www.raybanoutletstore.in.net
Christian Louboutin Shoes http://www.christianlouboutinshoes2016.in.net
North Face Outlet http://www.northfaceoutlets.us.org
Coach Factory Outlet http://www.coachoutletstore.name
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadeoutletonline.name
Coach Outlet http://www.coach-outlets.us.org
Nike Roshe Run http://www.tanie-nikerosherun.pl
Buty Nike Air Max http://www.airmaxsprzedazdla.pl
Nike Air Max http://www.nikeairmax.us.org
Red Bottom Shoes http://www.redbottomshoe.in.net
Christian Louboutin Outlet http://www.christianlouboutinoutlet.us.org
Balenciaga Handbags http://www.balenciagaoutlets.us.com
Balenciaga Handbags http://www.balenciaga-handbags.us.com
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadefactoryoutlet.in.net
Toms Shoes http://www.tomshoesoutlet.us.com
Hermes Belt http://www.hermes-belts.us.com
Prada Outlet http://www.pradafactoryoutlet.com
Louis Vuitton Outlet http://www.louisvuittonsoutlet.us.com
North Face Outlet Store http://www.northfaceoutletstore.in.net
North Face Jackets http://www.north-face.in.net
North Face http://www.north-faceoutlets.us.com
Louis Vuitton Outlet http://www.louisvuitton-outlets.us.org
Timberland Boots http://www.timberland-outlets.us.com
Cheap Timberland Boots http://www.timberlandoutlet.us.com
Tory Burch Outlet http://www.toryburch-outlets.us.com
Ralph Lauren Outlet http://www.ralphlaurenstoreoutlet.us.com
Gucci Shoes http://www.guccifactoryoutlet.name
Gucci Outlet http://www.guccioutletinc.us.com
North Face Jackets http://www.northfacefactoryoutlet.us.com
Prada Outlet http://www.pradaoutlets.in.net
Hollister Clothing http://www.hollister-clothing.us.com
Ferragamo Shoes http://www.ferragamoshoes.us.org
Tiffany Outlet http://www.tiffany-outlets.us.com
Tiffany Outlet http://www.tiffanyco-outlet.us.com
NFL Jerseys http://www.nfljerseys.name
Toms Outlet http://www.outlettoms.us.com
Cheap Jordans http://www.cheapjordans.eu.com
North Face Outlet http://www.thenorthfaceoutlet.us.org
Prada Handbags http://www.pradaoutlet.us.org
Chan Luu Sale http://www.chanluu.us.com
Toms Outlet http://www.tomsoutletstores.us.com
Kate Spade Outlet http://www.katespadeoutletofficial.us.com
Beats By Dr Dre http://www.beatsbydrdre.us.org
Coach Outlet http://www.coachstoreoutlet.us.org
Christian Louboutin Shoes http://www.christianlouboutinshoe.eu.com
Valentino Shoes http://www.valentinoshoes.eu.com
Michael Kors Outlet http://www.michaelkorsoutlet.us.org
Coach Factory Outlet http://www.coachfactoryoutlet.us.org
Coach Outlet Online http://www.coachoutletonlinestore.us.org
Coach Purses http://www.coachpurse.us.com
jacksonville jaguars jersey
ReplyDeleteair force 1 shoes
patriots jerseys
michael kors handbags
replica watches
cheap ray ban sunglasses
michael kors handbags wholesale
eagles jerseys
this is very nice article, your Website is very simple, like mines, if you dont mind you can visit our web at Jasa Pembuatan Website di Jakarta. We provide paket harga website murah for every business, thanks for sharing this usefull post
ReplyDeletecoach factory outlet
ReplyDeleteralph lauren outlet
ugg boots
christian louboutin shoes
air jordan 8
polo ralph lauren outlet
ugg outlet
ugg outlet
nike blazer low
los angeles lakers
2017-6-13 xiaozheng6666
ReplyDeletemichael kors
coach factory outlet
pandora outlet
fred perry polo shirts
ray ban sunglasses on sale
polo ralph lauren outlet
nba jersey
uggs outlet
true religion outlet
coach factory outlet
Thanks for sharing the information
ReplyDeletePengobatan Fistula Ani
Cara Mengangkat Kista Payudara
Obat Atasi Ginjal Bengkak
Pengobatan Untuk Sembuhkan Radang Amandel
Pengobatan Radang Paru-Paru Basah (Pneumonia)
Cara Mengobati Vertigo Sampai Tuntas
I think reading with book is the better way rather than on the tablet or smartphone, but the text must be clear and not tiny, i hate a book with tiny words, greeting from Stevan jasa pembuatan website
ReplyDeletevery good article and useful once for my admin and pardon me permission to share articles herein may be useful and helpful Obat anemia
ReplyDeleteavriq yellow pages
ReplyDeleteavriq Desktop/Laptop Repair
avriq business services
avriq
I can only express a word of thanks, nothing else. Because with the content on this blog I can add knowledge Thank you very much has been sharing this information. Do not forget to visit our website to share information and knowledge about health
ReplyDeletecara mengobati bursitis
jagonya obat darah manis
cara Mengobati gangren
obat gatal jamur
شركة تنظيف وصيانة مسابح بخميس مشيط
ReplyDeleteشركة تنظيف الاثاث بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف شقق بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف موكيت بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف مجالس بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف منازل بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف ستائر بخميس مشيط
شركة تنظيف فلل بخميس مشيط
شركة جلي بلاط بخميس مشيط
This comment has been removed by the author.
ReplyDeletegiven article is very helpful and very useful for my admin, and pardon me permission to share articles here hopefully helped :
ReplyDeleteObat lambung kronis alami
Cara menyembuhkan tbc
Cara menyembuhkan asma
Obat limpa bengkak
Cara menyembuhkan arthritis
Obat fatty liver ampuh
Cara mengatasi susah BAB
I love all the posts, I really enjoyed, I would like more information about this, because it is very nice. Thanks for sharing. cara menurunkan leukosit yang tinggi
ReplyDeleteIf you have a history of illness that is difficult to recover, maybe our next article will help you to recover
ReplyDeleteCara Mudah untuk Mengatasi Nyeri pada Lutut
Cara Menghilangkan Gatal Pada Kelamin Pria / Wanita
Cara Merawat Luka Operasi
Inilah Obat sariawan yang aman
Obat Herbal Untuk Menyembuhkan Nyeri Dada
Obat Luka Diabetes
I think this is an informative post and it is very useful and knowledgeable. therefore, I would like to thank you for the efforts you have made in writing this article
ReplyDeletecara menghilangkan bekas jerawat
Tips Membersihkan Kulit Wajah dari Jerawat Batu
Cara menghilangkan benjolan di leher
Cara Mengobati Pengapuran Tulang
Cara Ampuh Mengatasi Sering Kencing Diabetes Penyebab Diabetes
Cara Menyembuhkan Kanker Laring
Cara Menghilangkan Kista Coklat
Cara Mengobati Radang Hati
the website you manage is very good and in my opinion this is the best wesbite
ReplyDeleteobat leukosit tinggi
This is such a great resource that you are providing and you give it away for free. I love seeing websites that understand the value of providing a quality resource for free. It is the old what goes around comes around routine
ReplyDeleterisa herbal
penyebab sakit pinggang
obat penyakit mata glaukoma
obat gagal ginjal
obat penebalan dinding rahim
obat penghancur kanker
obat varikokel
The post is written in very a good manner and it contains many useful information for me :
ReplyDeleteobat radang hati
cara membersihkan darah kotor
Gejala penyakit tbc
obat syaraf kejepit
cara menyembuhkan pendarahan di otak
cara menurunkan trombosit tinggi
obat batu empedu
Thank you, your article is very inspiring, hopefully useful for many people.
ReplyDeleteCara Mudah Mengobati Prurigo
Biaya Operasi Benjolan Di Leher Akibat Kelenjar Getah Bening
Cara Mengobati Cacar Air Agar Cepat Kering Dan Sembuh Tanpa Bekas
Cara Mengatasi Nyeri Ulu Hati Dan Perut Kembung Yang Terbukti Ampuh
Obat Gatal Pada Kemaluan Yang Terbukti Ampuh Dan Efektif
Given article is very helpful and very useful for me, thank you
ReplyDeleteCara Mengobati Kaligata Tips Menyembuhkan Patah Tulang Obat Kanker Payudara Obat Bisul Alami
تيقن من أن تلك الخطوة ممكنة. إذا كنت في شقة ، فحاول حجز مصعد وقت الانتقال. الارتفاع والهبوط على الدرج سوف يكلفك العديد من الوقت وهكذا - المال. خاصة لو كان يتم تحصيل ضرائب نقلك بالساعة.
ReplyDeleteشركة نقل عفش
شركة نقل عفش من الرياض الى الدمام
شركة نقل اثاث من الرياض الى الدمام
شركة نقل عفش بالجبيل
ReplyDeleteشركه تنظيف منازل بالدمام
أيضاً تسبب في سقوط الطلاء وظهور التشققات، ولكن من الآن لا داعي
شركه مكافحة حشرات بالجبيل
شركه تنظيف منازل بالقطيف
شركه تنظيف منازل بالجبيل
Hi Very Nice post you can also watch Philippine tv shows on our website, Pinoy ako, Pinoytv1, Pinoy Teleserye, Pinoy Tambayan, Pinoy Channel and free download here all videos.
ReplyDeletePinoy Ako Tv, Pinoy Tv Replay, Pinoy Tambayan, Pinoy Tv Show, ABS-CBS Tv Show All HD Quality ,GMA Show,Full Episode Watch On PinoyTvShows.Our team at Pinoytvs.su care for our community and bring you daily fresh episodes of your favourite tv shows. You can enjoy your favourite shows, Pinoy Tambayan, Pinoy Teleserye
Watch Manmohini Zee Tv Online Latest Indian Drama Serial Full Episodes In HD, We Try Our Best To Make Available All Latest Full Episodes, Manmohini Zee Tv.
ReplyDeleteGuddan Tumse
An impressive share, I just given this onto a colleague who was doing a little analysis on this. And he in fact bought me breakfast because I found it for him.. smile. So let me reword that: Thnx for the treat! But yeah Thnkx for spending the time to discuss this, I feel strongly about it and love reading more on this topic. If possible, as you become expertise, would you mind updating your blog with more details? It is highly helpful for me. Big thumb up for this blog post!
ReplyDeleteClick Here
Visit Web
I am often to blogging and i really appreciate your content. The article has really peaks my interest. I am going to bookmark your site and keep checking for new information.
ReplyDeleteClick Here
Visit Web
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most individuals will go along with with your website.
ReplyDeleteVisit Web
Developer.jabra.com
Information
I’m impressed, I must say. Really rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
ReplyDeleteClick Here
Visit Web
I’d have to check with you here. Which is not something I usually do! I enjoy reading a post that will make people think. Also, thanks for allowing me to comment!
ReplyDeleteClick Here
Visit Web
Shor.by
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most individuals will go along with with your website.
ReplyDeleteIamerinelizabeth.com
Information
Click Here
Visit Web
I’m impressed, I must say. Really rarely do I encounter a blog that’s both educative and entertaining, and let me tell you, you have hit the nail on the head. Your idea is outstanding; the issue is something that not enough people are speaking intelligently about. I am very happy that I stumbled across this in my search for something relating to this.
ReplyDeleteMibotanicals.com
Information
Click Here
Visit Web
You made some decent points there. I looked on the internet for the issue and found most individuals will go along with with your website.
ReplyDeleteSaigon-ict.edu.vn
Information
Click Here
Visit Web
There are some interesting points in time in this article but I don’t know if I see all of them center to heart. There is some validity but I will take hold opinion until I look into it further. Good article, thanks and we want more! Added to FeedBurner as well
ReplyDeleteEmergenzadebiti.eu
Information
Click Here
Visit Web
Aw, this was a really nice post. In idea I would like to put in writing like this additionally – taking time and actual effort to make a very good article… but what can I say… I procrastinate alot and by no means seem to get something done.
ReplyDeleteWpdemo.nusatekno.co.id
Information
Click Here
Visit Web
Oh my goodness! an amazing article dude. Thank you However I am experiencing issue with ur rss. Don’t know why Unable to subscribe to it. Is there anyone getting identical rss problem? Anyone who knows kindly respond. Thnkx
ReplyDeleteBlend.io
Information
Click Here
Visit Web