What are your thoughts on the Amazon Kindle?

Its kind of ridiculous. Why not read a book the good ol’ fashioned way? I think there are some areas where we don’t need any new technology.

I’m not going to throw my opinion into this because it seems like you are looking for opinions from owners. You don’t need a rant.

Sounds like a good gift idea.

I think it’s cute and it works well (my dad has one and I’ve used it) but I personally prefer to read real books. So does my dad, but he always has to have all the gadgets. I think it can be fun, though. Depends on if you think he would actually use it or not. But the product itself is good.

It’s on my Amazon Wish List :D
I want it because I can read about 3 books a week and it looks like the prices to download are competitive to ordering or going into a store and buying a physical book. The Kindle would be portable with me as a book would but it’s slimmer and could be read hands free. I’m not sure but I think it would also allow me to read multiple books at a time if I wanted, at least that’s a feature I’d really like.

I think you’d do better with a hefty gift card to Barnes and Noble. The Kindle is ridiculously overpriced and the books cost more on top of it. I think Sony has one (or is making one, can’t remember) for $200, but that’s still way too much in my eyes.

/me gags

Nothing compares to old fashioned book-in-hand reading

I agree with Ivan. Ridiculously overpriced for something that I consider no more than a trinket. I can picture many people liking it, but I’m not one of those people. I like the real books.

It’s good for people who are out and about a lot. I can read 3–5 books a week and I don’t necesarily want to keep them all with me. I would love to have a kindle.

Don’t forget to check out thesse similar questions:
http://www.fluther.com/disc/42980/is-the-kindle-2-worth-buying/
http://www.fluther.com/disc/29891/anyone-have-a-kindle/
http://www.fluther.com/disc/24561/what-do-you-think-about-amazons-kindle/

The main selling point to me is that books are a lot cheaper from the kindle store than in a bookstore. It is really expensive but I am not the only one who would be paying for it.

@Ivan I have checked out others, like the Sony, but the kindle is unanimously better.

My fiancé just purchased the Kindle II for me. I absolutely love it! I read one to three books a week and books have 400 to 600 pages each. They are awkward and can be darn heavy. On the other hand my Kindle only weighs 6oz…
It holds 1500 books, it takes less than 60 seconds or less to download any Book, magazine, Newspaper and I can read any PDF file. WTF (my fiancé) also purchased the Leather kindle cover as well as the detachable light! You see as much as I read, well we are running out of space. Too many bookshelves. Too many boxes. Well, no longer. Oh! By the way, it is very thin only a 1/4 inch, 8” tall and 51/4 wide. It comes with the Kindle 2 User’s guide 2nd Edition. Heck I can even go to fluther.com and read the comments. Whether That was a fluke? I can’t say for sure. But I can say, is that I was able to read Q&A’s. This kindle is awesome. I can’t tell you how happy I am that I have this. I take it everywhere I go. Gosh, I love WTF! As for your question whether you should get one for your dad? I say, MOST DEFINITELY!

Oh! I forgot one last feature that comes with the kindle!!
The New Oxford American Dictionary. If you are not certain of the word’s meaning, just put the cursor in front of it it will tell you… Oh yeah!! Here’s another cool feature. If you eyes get tired or you just don’t feel like reading anymore but you’re dying to know what’s going to happen in the next chapter, just switch it to voice to word and a man or woman’s voice will continue to read, so you don’t have too! Okay, I’m finished!!

I know people who own the first Kindle and they absolutely LOVE IT! Of course, you have to love reading and be an avid reader. The thing about the Kindle is that, like a cell phone with an MP3 player, you can download books, magazines and newspapers from ANYWHERE. You don’t download them to a computer and THEN to the Kindle (like you would to an iPod for songs in iTunes). And they’re forever telling me how INEXPENSIVE their book purchases are.

I have one and I really like it. It’s definitely not for someone who doesn’t read all the time, you have to love books to be able to get into. I’m amazed by how much I can still get lost in what I’m reading even though I’m not holding the actual book.

i got one for christmas. really love it. much handier than carrying several books around. i wish it had the option of a backlit screen for reading at night.

Seems like it’s a worthwhile purchase but of course if you’re dad’s a person who places sentimental value on reading a book while actually holding it, methinks he’ll appreciate an honest-to-goodness book much better. Really depends on what sort of a person he is…...safest to go with something you’re sure your dad will like!

I really really want the kindle. I think it’s the ultimate but doesn’t top an actual book ofcourse. Nothing beats reading the old-fashioned way. But the kindle really is a technological ‘make-our-lives-easier’ product. As long as Amazon doesn’t turn it into a moneymaking, strategic revenue resource, we should all be ok.

I am one of those people who views it from the practical side. The paper saved, the features. The convenience. I think it is great. I shudder when I think of all the paper that goes into all books.

If this technology were made truly affordable, I can see the Kindle (or something similar) being used for textbooks, especially at the primary level.

I personally do not own the Kindle, but I have the app for my iPhone. I enjoy it.

I want a Kindle. I do not like to read off the monitor, it is exhausting.

it’s amazin…..

You know what I would like? a gadget that would receive downloads of script from the web and would allow me to hold it just like a book – in other words, a Kindle. But I can’t justify the cost at this time.

This is just crazy! Whats wrong with a good ol’ book, one where you can turn the pages, write on, add to the shelf in the livingroom, or loan to a dear friend.

Nothing. It’s just that being able to store one’s entire personal library in a gadget smaller than a laptop… of course the technology can/will be overtaken by another, one cheaper and more efficient, then what?

The device itself is overpriced, as are some of the ebooks. While it’s nice not having a boatload of books to tote around, especially when moving, sometimes it’s just nice to have the actual book to add your collection. The one big pro is that it saves big time on paper.

One of those thoughts that occur sometimes: imagine the scene, the yard of a primary school somewhere in Trinidad and Tobago. Note the two children complaining to Teach that Adam (or Cleon, or Hanna, whatever) is hitting them with his Kindle.

Kindle Fire HD tablets are outstanding. Besides the full color, high definition display, the tablets come with the Silk web browser that opens up the entire internet to the tablet user. There is an ever expanding array of Apps (many completely free) that increase the versatility of the tablet.