Kindle Keyboard, Wi-Fi, 6″ E Ink Display
The all-new Kindle has a new electronic-ink screen with 50 percent better contrast than any other e-reader, a new sleek design with a 21 percent smaller body while still keeping the same 6-inch-size reading area, and a 17 percent lighter weight at just 8.5 ounces. The new Kindle also offers 20 percent faster page turns, up to one month of battery life, double the storage to 3,500 books, built-in Wi-Fi, a graphite color option and more—all for only 9.
List Price: $ 139.00
Price:
Find More Keyboard Products
M-Audio SP-2 US65010 Sustain Pedal Piano Style Sustain Pedal for KeyboardsThe M-Audio SP-2 Sustain Pedal is the perfect product for keyboard players who want the most realistic pedal action. The SP-2 mode…
Standard USB Keyboard, BlackOur smooth-feel USB keyboard is 100% Windows-compatible and is the ideal replacement for your dirty ol’ keyboard clunker….
Casio CTK-3000 Premium Pack with Power Supply, Keyboard Stand and Professional Closed Cup Stereo HeadphonesThe Casio CTK-3000 is an affordable instrument with a 61 Key Piano Style Touch Sensitive Keyboard, 400 total onboard Tones, 150 Rh…
Yamaha YPT-320 61 Key Personal Keyboard with AC Adapter, Deluxe Keyboard Stand and Professional HeadphonesThe YPT-320 is a touch sensitive instrument that features 482 dynamic, authentic voices, with 361 XGlite voices, 12 drum kits and …
HP Wireless Elite KeyboardThe HP Wireless Elite Keyboard combines style and high-tech key design to deliver an ultra-thin design and silent operation. Built…
Casio WK-200 76-Key Personal Keyboard Package with Stand, Headphones and Power SupplyThe Casio WK200 Personal Keyboard offers great tones, sampling, and lessons in one great keyboard! Casio is showing how much they …
Microsoft Natural Keyboard Elite – BlackMicrosoft Natural Keyboard Elite A11-00348 Keyboards & Keypads…
Yamaha YPG-235 76-Key Portable Grand Piano Premium PackThe Yamaha YPG235 76 Key Portable Grand Piano delivers a piano-focused sound set that will propel your music to the next level. Th…
Foldable Portable Roll-Up USB 2.0 Keyboard KeypadLooking for a practical new keyboard? This black silicone roll-up USB 2.0 keyboard is convenient, lightweight, portable, and ultr…
Casio PX-130 88-Key Digital Stage PianoThe new Casio Privia PX-130 redefines the digital piano category with unprecedented sound quality and performance in a sleek packa…
Logitech Wireless Illuminated Keyboard K800With laser-etched, backlit keys you can see easily in any light, a sleek look, and comfortable, fluid typing, the logitech wireles…
Kindle vs. Nook (updated 6/2/2011),
When I wrote this review in August 2010, there was only one Nook, which is now called “Nook First Edition.” It continues to be available, but there are two new Nooks. The Nook Color was introduced last fall – it’s basically a tablet computer, and runs the Android software that is popular on many smartphones nowadays. It’s twice as heavy and costs twice as much as a Kindle, but compared to other tablet computers, it is a very good value.
And now (early June 2011), a new e-ink based Nook is coming out. It’s called the “Nook Simple Touch.” It is just now starting to ship, so obviously I don’t have one and can’t tell you anything about it that you can’t learn by reading online reviews. But the reviews are very favorable, so if you’re considering a Kindle, you should take a look at the new Nook Simple Touch, too.
But the Kindle is nonetheless still a compelling option. It’s a mature product, very well designed and easy to use, performance is very zippy, it’s competitively priced, and no e-ink based reader has a better, more readable display than the Kindle, not even the new Nook Simple Touch. Also, the Kindle universe is quite extensive: the Kindle store is great and has many thousands of free e-books as well as good deals on most other e-books, and once purchased, you can read your Kindle books on nearly any device you own (computer, phone, tablet), not just your Kindle. And there are tons of great cases and other accessories for the Kindle.
So, while my review compares the Kindle to the older Nook, I’ll leave it here because it has a ton of information about the Kindle, a great e-reader that deserves your attention, and because the original Nook continues to be available. That said, I urge you to NOT buy the original Nook. It was a respectable e-reader when it came out in 2009, and still had some value when I wrote about it in August 2010, but it is clearly inferior by today’s standards.
———— my original review ————–
If you’re trying to choose between a Nook and a Kindle, perhaps I can help. My wife and I have owned a Nook (the original one), a Kindle 2, and a Kindle DX. When Amazon announced the Kindle 3 this summer, we pre-ordered two Kindle 3′s: the wi-fi only model in graphite, and the wi-fi + 3G model in white. They arrived in late August and we have used them very regularly since then. For us, Kindle is better than Nook, but Nook is a good device with its own advantages that I will discuss below. I’ll end this review with a few words about the Nook Color.
First, reasons why we prefer the Kindle:
* Speed
In our experience, the Kindle is very zippy compared to the Nook. Page refresh speed (the time it takes a new page to appear after you push the page-turn button) was WAY quicker on Kindle 2 than on Nook, and it’s quicker yet on Kindle 3. Yet, I read a whole book on the Nook and didn’t find the slower page refresh to be annoying – you get used to it, and it’s not a problem.
For me, the more important speed difference concerns navigation – moving the cursor around the screen, for example to pick a book from your library, or to jump to a chapter by selecting it in the table of contents. On Kindle, you do this by pushing a 5-way rocker button, and the cursor moves very quickly. On Nook, you do this by activating the color LCD touchscreen (which normally shuts off when not in use, to conserve battery). A “virtual rocker button” appears on the screen, and you touch it to move the cursor. Unfortunately, the Nook cursor moves very sluggishly. This might not be a big deal to you, but it really got annoying to me, especially since my wife’s Kindle was so quick and responsive.
In November 2010, Nook got a software upgrade that increases page refresh speed and makes navigation more responsive. I returned my Nook months ago, so I cannot tell you if the Nook’s performance is now equal to the Kindle’s, but Nook owners in the comments section have convinced me that the software update improves the experience of using the Nook. If performance is a big factor in your decision, visit a Best Buy and compare Kindle and Nook side by side.
* Screen contrast
You’ve seen Amazon’s claims that the Kindle 3 e-ink has 50% better contrast than Kindle 2 or other e-ink devices. I have no way of precisely measuring the improvement in contrast, but I can tell you that the Kindle 3 display definitely has more contrast than Kindle 2 or Nook. The difference is noticeable, and important: more screen contrast means less eyestrain when reading in poorly lit rooms.
In well-lit rooms, the Nook and Kindle 2 have enough contrast to allow for comfortable reading. But I often read in low-light conditions, like in bed at night, or in a poorly lit room. In these situations, reading on Nook or Kindle 2 was a bit…
Read more
Was this review helpful to you?
|A hesistant buyer rejoices on his choice,
I researched the purchase of a Kindle for a long time. I couldn’t decide whether or not it was worth buying a dedicated e-reader. Boy am I glad I made this purchase. The downside to Amazon’s online selling of Kindle 3 is that the customers don’t get to see it in person. It is much better in person. This may sound stupid, but when I got my new Kindle, I thought there was a stuck-on overlay on the screen containing a diagram of the unit’s buttons, etc. I actually tried to peel it off. Doh! The e-ink on this unit is THAT good. I didn’t realize that I was staring at the actual display. I also didn’t realize that no power is required until the display changes. (thus the great battery life) I do a lot of reading, but was facing the prospect of reading less or buying large type books because of my variable and deteriorating eyesight. The new Kindle has been a godsend. Now, I can decide the size of type I need depending on my level of fatigue among other things. The weight and ergonomics are very good. For someone, like me, with neuropathy in his hands, it is extremely easy to manage and enjoyable to own. To me, it is easier to read than print books. The ease of navigation is great as is the speed. The battery life, so far, has been extraordinary. It easily connected to our home Wi-Fi, which by design does not broadcast an SSID. It downloads books so fast that I almost thought they were not completely received. I did not buy the 3G version because of the price difference and the fact that there is no coverage where I live. If you are not constantly traveling, I don’t see the need to spend the extra bucks, but that is a matter of personal choice. For those who have no Wi-Fi at home, remember that you can always download the material to your computer and transfer it via USB. Just today I was watching an interview with Tony Blair on TV. He was talking about his new book, which sounded interesting. I picked up the Kindle and downloaded a free sample before the interview was over. I have only read the preface so far, but will probably buy the book. Now THAT is a great way to buy a book! I haven’t used online browsing extensively yet, but find it reasonable for what the device is. This is primarily a book reader, not a laptop or notebook. They are great for what they do, but can’t match the e-ink display, or the light weight. For those of you worrying about the wait for the new Kindle, let me end with, “It is worth the wait” This new Kindle is all about the quality of experience. There are many format choices for electronic reading. If you want the best experience, go with the Kindle.
Was this review helpful to you?
|Worth the money. Not perfect, but very very good for start to finish novels in good light,
The Kindle is my first e-ink reader. I own an iPad, an iPhone, and have owned a Windows-based phone in the past that I used as an ereader.
My overall impression of the device is good.
The good:
I’d honestly rather read linear (read from page one to the end, one page at a time) fiction from it than a book, because I can’t always get comfortable with a book. Hardcovers are sometimes a bit heavy, and paperbacks don’t always lie open easily. The Kindle is incredibly light and thin. I can hold it in one hand easily. The page turn buttons are conveniently located. Page-turns aren’t instant, but they’re probably quicker than turning a physical page in a printed book (there are just a lot more page-turns unless you choose a small font). The contrast is better than other ereaders I’ve seen. There is zero eye strain in good light. My eyesight isn’t the greatest and I like being able to increase the font size and read without glasses. I love being able to browse the Kindle store and read samples before deciding to purchase. The “experimental” browser is surprisingly usable, but isn’t great. It is useful for browsing wikipedia and blogs. The biggest drawback to the browser is the awkward pointer navigation, using the 5-way pad. It syncs your furthest read page over the internet so you can pick up where you left off using your iPhone or iPad.
The so-so:
The kindle store could use more categories and sorting options. You can’t sort by “top rated,” and there is no category for “alternate histories,” for example. Finding a very-specific type of fiction relies on keyword searches, which don’t do a great job. The wifi sometimes doesn’t connect before it times-out. You rarely need the wifi, but it is annoying if you change a setting, answer “OK” to the prompt to connect, and the thing tells you it failed to connect two seconds later (the exact moment it indicates that it did finally connect, then you need to go back to update the setting again). Most settings don’t require a connection, but it is a minor annoyance. Most of your time will be spent reading, and of course your books are stored on the device and a connection is not required. Part of me wishes I’d bought the 3G model, because the browser is good enough that having lifetime free 3G wireless would be worth the extra money. Magazines don’t look very good and are not very easy to navigate. There is minor glare in some lighting conditions, mostly when a lamp is positioned behind the reader’s head.
The bad:
The contrast is fair to poor in dim light. It is much easier to read a printed page in dim light. In good light, contrast is on par with a pulp paperback. In dim light it feels almost like reading from an old Palm Pilot (resolution is better than an old Palm, but contrast is bad in dim light). The screen is small enough that the frequency of page turns is pretty high. Even in good light, the light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page. You must tell it to sync before you switch it off, if you expect the feature allowing you to pick up where you left off using other devices to work correctly. The copy protection prevents you from using the files on anything other than Kindle software or devices.
Vs iPad:
IPad is a lot better for magazines, reference materials, and illustrated materials. Kindle is worlds better for reading novels. IPad is pretty heavy, making it more difficult to hold in your hand or carry with you everywhere. Kindle is much more portable and easier to hold. IPad has some amazing children’s books and magazines, which take advantage of its multimedia features. IPad is unreadable in sunlight and glare is bad in bright light. Kindle is as good as a printed page in bright light. Ipad serves as a creative tool, a computing tool, a gaming tool, and a communication tool. Kindle is only a novel machine. I don’t regret buying either one of them. An iPad won’t replace books, but a Kindle can, if the book is text-only.
I highly recommend this device at its new low price if you are a frequent reader of novels. I love my kindle. Just don’t expect it to be more than it is. Leave the magazines and such to the tablet computers.
Was this review helpful to you?
|