Originally Posted by
BearX220
My family got me a K2 for Christmas, tentatively, not knowing if I'd really like it... I love physical books (approx. 1500-vol library) and the Kindle aesthetic is obviously different. Well, I love the Kindle 2... it's an amazing device.
Pros:
Whispernet download of the NY Times every morning is addictive. Reading a "newspaper" on the K2 is very different -- I'm more methodical, consume more of the NYT, sample more articles, and learn more than I ever did scanning the paper or web editions. Until the K2 I would read the NYT on Blackberry every morning using the overnight email billboard as a main menu, but I've given that up for good. HAVEN'T TRIED THIS - MAY HAVE TO DO SO.
Low barriers to entry for buying new e-books; I buy more titles now, and try titles I wouldn't think to pick up and buy in a bookstore. You can read free samples of many titles. AGREE - ALTHOUGH ON THE FLIP SIDE MANY BOOKS AREN'T AVAILABLE IN KINDLE FORMAT, WHICH IS ANNOYING - AS I'VE RAPIDLY GOTTEN TO PREFER READING ON THE K2!!
Highly readable screen -- e-type far easier on the eyes than a PC / laptop screen. AGREE
Aesthetically pleasing, Appleish form factor. Nice heft to it. AGREE
Incredibly easy startup process -- I got mine going in seconds on Christmas morning. AGREE - ALTHOUGH IN GENERAL (ASIDE FROM SIMPLY READING, WHICH IS 99% OF MY USAGE OF IT, ITS OPERATION IS NOT AT ALL APPLEISH/USER-INTUITIVE. FIGURING OUT HOW TO ACCESS WIKIPEDIA, ETC. TO CHECK THINGS IS NOT EASY. NOT A HUGE ISSUE FOR ME AS I REALLY WANTED IT AS A DEDICATED READING DEVICE (AND NONE OF THOSE OTHER FUNCTIONS ARE AVAILABLE ON THE OTHER READING DEVICE I USUALLY USE (A BOOK). STILL, OS COULD WORK BETTER.
Cons:
You miss the variety of fonts, page layouts, and paper choices that differentiate physical books. I HAVEN'T - THIS NEVER EVEN OCCURRED TO ME. I GENERALLY DON'T WANT TO NOTICE THIS STUFF - IF I DO THAT IS DISTRACTING FROM THE MESSAGE (THE STORY). All Kindle content looks identical.
If you're a fast reader you'll be pressing "Next Page" every 15 seconds given the small screen. (I AM A VERY FAST READER - CAN DOWN BRAIN CANDY IN 2-3 HOURS, ALTHOUGH NON-FICTION TAKES LONGER - AND BEFORE BUYING THE K2 THIS POTENTIAL ISSUE, GIVEN THE APPARENT SMALL SCREEN, WAS A BIG CONCERN OF MINE. HAVE INSTEAD FOUND IT TO BE A COMPLETE NON-ISSUE.)
Wish there were a backlight option for night flights or reading in bed next to snoring spouse. (SURE, BUT THAT DOESN'T WORK WITH E-INK, WHICH IN GENERAL, AS YOU NOTED ABOVE, IS VERY READABLE. AND REMEMBER, FOR MOST PEOPLE THE OTHER MAIN READING TECHNOLOGY - BOOKS - DOESN'T INCLUDE A BACKLIGHT EITHER - AND I AT LEAST HAVE ALWAYS GOTTEN BY WITHOUT ONE. BUY A SLEEPING MASK FOR THE SPOUSE .... (JK)).
Not so impressed with battery charge retention. If you leave the K2 unused for two or three days, it's dead and needs to be gassed up. HASN'T BEEN AN ISSUE FOR ME. I'VE NEVER GONE BELOW 50%, ALTHOUGH I TYPICALLY REMEMBER TO PLUG IT IN FOR A BIT EVERY FEW DAYS. YOU SHOULD MONITOR THIS - THAT IS SURPRISING GIVEN REPORTED BATTERY CHARGE LIFE.
I worry about durability -- having it crack while traveling in my briefcase, etc. GET A CASE, AND DON'T BE DUMB (WITH IT). (I DON'T MEAN THAT MEANLY; JUST IN GENERAL A GOOD RULE OF LIFE.)
It'll never make more financial sense to own a Kindle than just keep buying books or newspapers. The NYT is expensive @ $14./month. DISAGREE RE BOOKS, ASSUMING YOU A BUYER (RATHER THAN BORROW FROM FRIENDS OR THE LIBRARY). IF YOU BUY, IT IS GENERALLY JUST AS GOOD, OFTEN BETTER (ESP. RE THE NUMBER OF FREE CLASSICS AVAILABLE ON THE WEB -AND AS MORE BOOKS RUN OUT OF THEIR COPYRIGHT PERIOD MORE AND MORE WILL BE FREELY AVAILABLE).
I don't know what the Kindle's long-term future is. With interoperability the new Internet buzzword the closed Kindle ecosystem, with its limited and controlled content universe, may soon be obsolete. GUESS TIME WILL TELL HERE. (BOOKS!? WHO NEEDS THOSE NEWFANGLED, EXPENSIVE THINGS? THIS HERE VELLUM SCROLL SUITS ME JUST FINE!)
Still, it's impressive and I'm happy with mine. DITTO!!