Kindle

Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Display

 

 

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Having been a little overwhelmed by the choices between all the new Kindles and which one to get, I ordered this new basic $79 Kindle first to take for a spin. So far, I like what I see! I also own a Kindle 3 so that's the only device I can really compare it to at this time (I think a comparison between other tablets and this Kindle is meaningless, this device is all about content and delivery):

1. Form-factor - Compared to the Kindle 3, this Kindle feels a lot more compact, lighter and easier to hold. My hands wrap around this better than K3. Reading books for a few hours at a stretch will be a lot easier on this device compared to the K3. It is the lightest such device I have used compared to all previous Kindles and other tablets.

2. Screen - I actually like the fact that there are no keys on the device and that keys come up on the screen when you need them. Delivers a better overall reading experience. However, navigating through the on-screen keyboard with the 5-way controller can be taxing if you need to do a lot of searching, and you might miss the full physical keyboard. I hardly search on the Kindle itself, I search for books on my laptop so this is a non-issue.

3. Price! - At $79, you just can't go wrong. Compared to buying paperback or hardcover editions, you will recover the cost of this in a matter of a few months because most Kindle content is priced cheaper than print editions (and you get it instantly, and can access it wherever you are).

4. Display - almost the same E-ink display at the K3. No glare no reflection. You can sit in bright sunlight and read it just like a book. Page turns seem a lot faster on this compared to the K3.

5. Wi-Fi - this can be a pro or a con (no 3G) depending on a user's personal preference. If you travel often and would like to be able to download content anywhere without worrying about getting a wi-fi connection, you're better off with the K3 or waiting for the Touch/Fire. For me, 3G is not a major issue.

6. Text to Speech and Audiobooks - These two features are lacking in this device. I personally have never used these features on my K3. If you listen to audiobooks or TTS or music on your Kindle, again the K3/Touch/Fire might be better options.

7. Storage - this device can store 2GB which they claim is approximately 1400 books. For me, that's a massive storage capacity and it will be years before I get to that capacity. Again, if you download books occasionally and have a moderate Kindle downloaded content on your device, 2GB is plenty. Of course, think ahead and see how much you would expect to download in the coming 2 years (I am assuming the device will be outdated and replaced within this time-frame).

8. Battery life - too early to tell but Kindle battery life tends to be great. Specs state that the battery life of this device is 1 month compared to 2 months for the Touch or K3. 1 month is plenty (Android phones need to be charged every hour!). At least I know that if I'm going on a long flight, this device won't need charging if I charge it up in advance.

Bottom line - the choice between this basic Kindle, the K3 Keyboard, the Touch, and the Fire is really a personal preference. This device itself is meant for the minimalist Kindle user who, like me, reads say a 2-3 books a month, wants a device comfortable to hold, and doesn't need any fancy bells and whistles on the device. In my humble opinion, it depends on what you use your Kindle for. If it's just the basics, this is the perfect device to get.

If 3G, higher storage capacity, audiobooks/TTS, or touchscreen are definite requirements, go for the Touch. If you're looking for loaded full-on Amazon content experience with access to all the apps, streaming audio and video, and playing the "strangely therapeutic" Fruit Ninja, wait for the Fire!

The new Kindle with Special Offers ("KSO") arrived today - this review reflects my preliminary observations after using it for about two hours. A better, more-reflective review should (in my opinion, at least) be based upon a couple of weeks of use of loading it up with lots of books, deleting said books as they are read, loaded up again, etc. Not to mention a few games here and there like Scrabble. Please check back after a couple of weeks and I will update this review to reflect how "time tells" on this device. I am also writing this from the perspective of being a long-time Kindle user vs. someone brand new.

From an overall perspective, considering the pricing at $79 vs. close to $200 for the "regular" Kindle with 3G ("K3G"), this one is a hands-down bargain. If you have wanted to get your kids a Kindle to encourage reading as well as sharing of books but hesitated because $200 is a lot of money to risk with a child, maybe at $79 this is your price point. From a size standpoint, it is 1/3 of an inch less in width and 1 inch less in length than my K3G I've had for about a year now, and while noticeably thinner than the K3G I can't tell you how much as I can't see the well enough to count the millimeter lines - take my word for it, it is noticeably thinner. And lighter.

Opening up the box, the only thing that is included is the KSO, a USB cord, and a one-page instruction sheet that shows you what the various buttons do. One noticeable difference I like (so far) is the on/off control is a button vs. a switch. Let's see how that holds up for durability. The right and left page turn buttons are on both sides of the Kindle which is pretty handy, and the only other buttons you have are the five way controller, back, menu, home, and a new "keyboard" button to activate the keyboard. One thing that is a little annoying is with the included USB cord - there is no adapter plug to charge it into a wall socket: you either supply that yourself or plug it up, for example, into your computer to charge. I guess they had to cut 25 cents out of the manufacturing costs somewhere, and that was one of the places.

The display is crisp and dark. Looking at the display side-by-side in the same location of an eBook against my K3G, the text on the KSO is much darker. Considering the K3G after a year of use is still darker than my Kindle 2, I think that is saying something - you want to be able to read what you're supposed to, right?

As mentioned above, you press a special key to activate the keyboard. To change letters or numbers, you need to move the 5-way controller and individually pick your letters and numbers. I find that to be a little bit of a pain in the neck as you click a bunch of times to pick, for example the letter "l" then click a bunch more times to pick the letter "a." I think I have cured my "Scrabble" addiction on the Kindle so I don't use the keyboard very much, but that may bother some people who use the keyboard frequently. With this method, however, you run away from the graphite K3G issue of letters constantly being rubbed off and not being visible.

If you like the text-to-speech feature of previous Kindle models or listened to music with your previous Kindle, please be aware there are no speakers nor is there a plug for headphones.

Web surfing speed with the wireless only on with my K3G is about the same as with the KSO - my test was hitting the main pages of the mobile websites of Fox News, CNN, and Google. I pushed "go" or "enter" at the same time on each and did not see a visible difference in the load speeds start to finish. I did try to check one of my Google email accounts on both but it crashed on both - that has been a continuing problem checking email with your Kindle for some time now.

One last thing to point out - if you order one (or have ordered one), you probably saw the option to add a cover. The "official" Amazon cover is not available for about a month, but there are some available from third parties. I didn't order one because of the ship date, but I sure would like one as I like the feeling of thinking I am actually holding a book.

Reading over this review, it might seem a little negative - that is not my intention at all, but more of a comparison of what I am used to vs. what we have with this version of the Kindle. I actually love it, and think it will help explode the ebook revolution even further as they get in more people's hands. If you have not purchased a Kindle before due to price, and this one is in your price zone, I would strongly recommend this one!

I own a 3rd generation Kindle 3G with keyboard (now called Kindle Keyboard) and have tried the NEW $79 KSO Kindle. I plan to get my wife a Kindle for her birthday so I have seriously considered this model. Here are the main differences I see between the two models with some personal comments.

AUDIO: New $79 Kindle has NO Speakers Or Audio Jack. The Kindle Keyboard has a 3.5mm stereo audio jack & rear-mounted stereo speakers.
The new Kindle has no text-to-speech option or audio capability for audio books(think Audibles.com) or music. Kindle Keyboard has these features and at least gives you the OPTION to listen to audio books if you choose. If audio doesn't matter to you this is no real disadvantage for the $79 Kindle.

PAGE TURNS: The Kindle Keyboard has SLOWER page turns and refreshes the screen with every page turn so you get more flashing and black-outs while reading. This can be a little annoying at times, at least for me. The new Kindle has FASTER page turns and refreshes the screen every 6 pages so you get less screen flashing or black-outs while reading. I think this is the best feature of the new Kindle as it is one step closer to being more like reading a real book.

MEMORY: $79 Kindle has 2GB internal memory (1.25GB available for user content) & stores up to 1400 books. Kindle Keyboard has 4GB internal (approximately 3GB available for user content) & stores up to 3000 books.
With only half the store space of the Kindle Keyboard you may not be able to carry your entire library with you(if it is huge), but if you just want to store an average size collection of books, the 2GB will be more than adequate.

KEYBOARD: The $79 Kindle has NO External Keyboard, just an Virtual On-Screen Keyboard. Kindle Keyboard HAS an external keyboard.
With no external keyboard on the new Kindle you must use the 5-way cursor at the bottom of the device to highlight letters to write with the keyboard that appears on the screen. This is time consuming and tedious to use if you need to write anything very long or access the internet. It does, however, have a dedicated button that brings up the virtual keyboard which has letter, numbers & symbols COMBINED on one screen so you don't have to keep switching between screens to type something like "reader123@gmail.com" as you must do on the Kindle Keyboard. For those who use Kindles just to read books and rarely use the keyboard the new Kindle is a cleaner, sleeker design. Not having a keyboard gets you around the ongoing problem with the black Kindle Keyboard where the letters keep wearing off the keys.

BATTERY LIFE: 1 month for $79 Kindle. 2 months for Kindle Keyboard with minimal daily use.
With only half the battery life of the Kindle Keyboard I suspect the new Kindle has a smaller battery but I have not seen a teardown of this Kindle yet. I do know that the new Kindle also has a faster processor. Shorter battery life is never a good thing in an electronics product. Charging stuff is not my idea of fun.

POWER ADAPTER: The $79 Kindle DOES NOT INCLUDE a power adapter to plug into the wall to charge it. Kindle Keyboard INCLUDES a power adapter.
With the new Kindle you must purchase a $10 power adapter separately like the Amazon Kindle US Power Adapter (Kindle, Kindle Touch, Kindle Keyboard, Kindle DX) which is 50% off right now. If you just want to charge it in a USB port on your computer you don't need this. Also, if you already own a last model Kindle you won't need this as you already have one that will work with this Kindle. The Kindle Keyboard INCLUDES a power adapter so you won't have to pay extra for one. If you really like having an external keyboard you won't be happy with all the extra "click, click, click, select" iterations you have to go through to use the virtual keyboard.

INTERNET CONNECTION: Both models support Wi-Fi and access at AT&T; hotspots.
The new Kindle does not have a 3G wireless option like the Kindle Keyboard.

TURNING ON/OFF: The $79 Kindle has a dedicated button at the bottom edge that you press to turn the unit on/off with a green indicator light. The Kindle Keyboard has a slider switch bar. Having an actual button to press on the new Kindle is nice. I like it better than fiddling with a slider bar. Which one will function better in the long run we don't know yet.

E INK: Both Kindles use the SAME latest pearl E Ink technology which is crisp and clear. I did not notice a difference between the two models.

COLOR: New $79 Kindle is silver(not a real glossy silver). The Kindle Keyboard comes in white or black(graphite).
Color choice is very subjective and a matter of personal taste. The silver color may bother some people with sensitive eyes.

WEIGHT: $79 Kindle is 5.98 ounces, Kindle Keyboard is 8.5 ounces
Being 2.52 ounces lighter is a nice plus if you want to read for a long time and hold the Kindle in your hand.

DIMENSIONS: $79 Kindle is 6.5" x 4.5" x 0.34", Kindle Keyboard is 7.5" x 4.8" x 0.335"
New Kindle is 18% smaller with same 6" screen. Should fit better in pockets and take up less space in any bag/purse/briefcase.

PRICE: New Kindle KSO is $79 or $109 with No Ads. Kindle Keyboard KSO is $99 or $139 with No Ads.
The $79 KSO Kindle is $20 cheaper & KSO is a money saver if you shop a lot on Amazon and don't mind the ads. No Ads version is $30 cheaper.

CONCLUSION: The New $79 KSO and $109 No Ads Kindle is targeted for those people who just want to buy some books and read them. It is a very minimalist e-reader that anyone can use. It will do more, but that is not what it is designed to do easily. It has the same nice rubberized feel of the Kindle Keyboard, is easy to hold with one hand, and looks to be solidly built. I think it's going to be a big hit and please lots of people.

My personal preference between these two would be to keep my 3rd Generation black Kindle Keyboard 3G, which I would have bought in white if I had known that the letters would keep wearing off the keys. Having tried the $79 Kindle, I don't really like the silver color. I would prefer black because it is kinder to my eyes, but for most people that will be a minor concern(you could alway put a darker skin on it). I like to listen to audio books and this model doesn't provide that capability which doesn't make me very happy, but it may not matter to you. I like the option of 3G wireless if I'm not near a hotspot. If you already own a recent model Kindle, this is no upgrade. It is rather inferior even if you just consider the reduced battery life. However if you want an extra Kindle JUST for reading or for the kids, this is a good choice at a good price.

If you have never owned a Kindle and don't have more than $79 to spend I think this would be an excellent first purchase. That is unless you want to use it to access the internet a lot, which will be very clumsy on this model because it doesn't have an external keyboard. It will not be good for taking notes. If you JUST plan to buy books and read them it should be very good.

In my humble opinion, first time purchasers who can spend more and want some versatility in an e-reader would be better off paying a little more.
1) For an extra $20+ consider either one of the new Touch Kindles--IF you like touch screens, don't mind that the page turn buttons on the sides are now GONE and the text quality/clarity turns out to be as good as this one.

2) Consider the newly REDUCED $99 Kindle Keyboard Wi-Fi KSO (3G version if you need it) to keep the side page turn buttons, audio, better battery life, more memory & 3G option or pay yet a little more for one with No Ads(if that bothers you).

While the new Kindle Fire looks amazing in the marketing ads it is in essence a Tablet, not an E-reader. Of course it can be used as a casual e-reader, but it does not use the pearl E Ink technology that has made the Kindles so popular with serious readers. The Kindle Fire has an IPS LCD screen with backlight instead and no 3G wireless. But that is a matter for a later review once the Fires are available. I just mention it because I know people are trying to digest a lot of new information about the differences between the new Kindles in a short period of time so they know what to pre-order.

I apologize for the length of this review. It just seems there are so many things to evaluate that I just wanted to be as thorough as possible.

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3.0 out of 5 stars Don't get your hopes up if your from Canada
After seeing a Kindle advertised on amazon.CA I decided to get one. Little did I know how limited my reading choices would be here in Canada. Read more

Published 43 minutes ago by Lisa

5.0 out of 5 stars Love this thing
Got it in today and really love this little thing. I like not having a keyboard to make the device larger. It is super lightweight and thin. Read more

Published 1 hour ago by Francis C. Bicking

2.0 out of 5 stars Too small?!? That's crazy talk. Well, call me crazy.
I ordered the Kindle Touch the day they were announced as I'm a long time Kindle fan. I currently use the Kindle 3. Read more

Published 2 hours ago by J. E. Terryberry

5.0 out of 5 stars Just what I needed.
This review is about the $79 Kindle that Amazon recently released. I'm not going to compare it to other Kindles since this is the first Kindle I've owned. Read more

Published 3 hours ago by R. L. Frank

5.0 out of 5 stars Love it. Love reading. Cheap and good design
I have iPAd, iPad 2, iPod touch. But the thing is the iPad and iPod give me too many choices, most of the time, I cannot concentrate on reading. Read more

Published 3 hours ago by Ken CA94587

2.0 out of 5 stars Why?
Some interesting stats,

- 30% lighter.
- 18% smaller body.
- 40% more expensive than in the States.

Why? Read more

Published 4 hours ago by DomDB

1.0 out of 5 stars supported formats
The kindle sounds great,and I would love to buy one;but to be limited to a very short list of supported formats is a complete turn off. Read more

Published 5 hours ago by roadhammer324

5.0 out of 5 stars Super E READER Amazon!!
I was thinking of buying another Kindle with the ads and when I saw the price drop on Wed I bought one without hesitation for $79. Read more

Published 5 hours ago by S. Franklin

5.0 out of 5 stars Best Kindle yet! Feels to be of higher quality then K3, New Screensavers!
After owning a Kindle 2 and Kindle 3, I'm happy to say the current Kindle is my favorite one yet.

Compared to previous kindles, it leaves out some features: no sound... Read more

Published 5 hours ago by Rover

5.0 out of 5 stars Compact and lightweight!
I LOVE this Kindle! It is so much smaller and lighter than my previous Kindle 3! The display is about the same in terms of the quality. Read more

Published 5 hours ago by Jeff

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