I recently got my first look at the Kindles as I wanted to get my wife one for Christmas, so I thought I would share some thoughts. I knew nothing of the Kindles, and needed to know which one was the the right fit for my wife, who is a hardcore book-worm.
There are about 5 different versions of the Kindle now. When I began looking at them, I really had no idea what they were other than Amazon's reading device. It didn't take long to figure it out though. There are three versions of the orginal Kindle, then the Kindle Touch that is a touch screen interface of the oringal Kindle with pretty much the same menus. Then there is also the highly talked about Kindle Fire, Amazon's first real attempt at a tablet. So take this for what it is worth; after seeing and reading many reviews, I think this is pretty reliable information I am going to give you. Keep in mind, I am looking for something for my wife who has threatened to never put her books down.
Before I began my research, I asked around. Everyone who owned a Kindle said they absolutely LOVED it, and they willingly shelved their library of books. Yes, that sounds like a sad story, but it is yet another paradigm shift that we are seeing in our culture. Can you imagine having any book you want at your finger tips everywhere you go? No going to the bookstore, just click a few buttons and you have it. That is where we are at today!
I looked at the Kindle Fire first. The one thing consistant in all the reviews is that the price is unbeatable, and this is true. And at that price, you really can't go wrong, it is a great device for the price! However, I really don't have a lot of good to say about it. As a Kindle, it no longer has the incredible reading interface with the e-ink. Now that it is a tablet, it has a backlit screen like a laptop or tablet, so reading for long amounts of time is not going to be as enjoyable on this device. It is also very heavy, even for a tablet, let alone a Kindle. Basically, it is a poor Kindle. However, Amazon was shooting for something different, so it wouldn't be fair to compare it to the Kindle. It hosts an Android OS, so it will have a lot of features that your phones have, except the Droid Market place. Amazon has restricted your content purchases to strictly Amazon's stores. There is quite a bit there, the movies, music, books, apps, and much more. This is the reason for the low cost of the Kindle Fire, they count on making their money back from you as you purchase from the Amazon market place. (And by the way, you can download an app on the Amazon market that will allow you to install droid apps, so there is a work-around!) Some would argue that Amazon wasn't trying to get into the tablet market, they were simply trying to create a device to access Amazon resources. And that is what the Fire is all about. If you like Amazon, this may be the device for you. If you are looking for a tablet, this is a poor tablet in my opinion. The interface is very slow, much slower than an iPad. It is heavy. And her are some other things I have seen in reviews: No camera. No volume controls on the device. Poor interface with web browsing. Power button in the way. Speaker in a poor location.
I understand there are many who love their Kindle Fire, but if you are an avid reader, stick to the old Kindle with the amazing e-ink technology. And if you want a tablet, save your money and get a good tablet. Otherwise, the Kindle Fire is a great value for the price.
I decided this was not what I was going to get my wife. So I played with a couple of the e-ink version Kindles. I simply couldn't believe my eyes! It is no wonder book lovers love them. There is no backlight on these devices, so reading is a pleasure, in fact, it looks like a page in a book! The battery life in these devices is rated to last two to three months! They were extremely light devices, and very comfortable to hold. There was one thing I didn't like about any of them, and that is the menu system. It is sloppy and almost archaic...I have a problem with sloppy interfaces, that is why I have never liked the Android OS. :) The question has to be asked, "why didn't they upgrade the interface in the newer models?" Moving on...
Which Kindle should I buy? Well, I assumed it was between the Kindle III and the Touch. There is also older models with keyboards, and models with 3G for internet access wherever you go. The 3G is not a monthly subscription, a one time purchase of the device and you have unlimited 3G access for free. The catch is, you can't really do anything on a Kindle outside of shopping for books, which takes very little bandwidth...so Amazon struck a deal with AT&T, sounds good. I actually liked the button interface on the older Kindles for flipping pages, but the reviews showed users really liked moving to the touch screen. And there was a few benefits to the touch - like sharing books online with other Kindle users. So I chose the Kindle Touch. To my surprise, my wife has been using it quite a bit, so I am waiting for the final verdict...
This is my first experience with the Kindles, hope this was helpful information.
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