Can It Kindle The Mind?

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Can It Kindle The Mind

Jeff Bezos may have outdone himself this time with the creation of this innovative electronic reader called Kindle. Can this dynamic electronic book Kindle your mind and give you the same experience you would have had if you were to read the "real" book?

 

New electronic device hopes to Revolutionize The way we read books.

kindle may be the single most important thing Amazon's Jeff Bazos has created. But, does it really work? As an avid reader, I was one of the first people to get my hands on the device and the first thing I found out was that for an electronic reader it fitted comfortably into my hand and the two gigantic NEXT PAGE and PREVIOUS PAGE buttons on the side allowed me to read at a fairly steady rate. One drawback, though, was I could hardly handle the device without inadvertently flipping to a new page due to the size of the two buttons.

I was, however, able to navigate the features of the device via a novel system centered on a clickable "select wheel" that moves a silvery cursor up or down a slim bar which is actually similar to an elevator moving through a shaft. And even though it is a bit slow, it was very simple to master.

The real test, though, was whether or not kindle had the power to hypnotize its reader into a trance-like state where the rest of the world became insignificant. I had my doubts, having used a Sony Reader which uses the identical E Ink technology, but was pleasantly surprised. I was able to read a John Grisham's and Ralph Ellison's novels without missing a beat. I mean the experience was just as gratifying as if I was reading the "real" books themselves.

This gratifying experience was easily transposed to my daily dose of the Washington Post among other papers. However, there was one drawback, the interface for newspaper reading was disappointing, I had to slowly go through article lists, only to read stories that were not describe in their entirety. However, I would not trade the convenience I had being able to get the Washington Post in one burst on a daily basis no matter where I was. I mean this was the closest it got to getting a hard-copy delivery at my doorstep in a jiffy as oppose to painstakingly picking out articles on the Web.

What is really cool about kindle is that I was able to connect wirelessly to its Whispernet, regardless of where I was and with just a CLICK, buy any book and have it delivered to me in less than a minute.

kindle copy protection, though, is limiting and annoying. It does not allow you to print a passage, email to a friend, or copy into a document. This means that if you buy a book, you cannot lend it to a friend or re-sell it after you are finished. You can, however, quickly and easily search inside the books and on the web. The page display is not that good either and there is no YouTube because it does not support animation yet.

As for battery life, I found that when you're warned that you have only 15-20 percent of your power left, you should recharge immediately because after that it goes quickly. And yes, you can replace a battery, for about 20 bucks.

That said, I think kindle is truly a well designed device that provides a truly useful service in electronic reading. Deciding whether it's worth the $399 price tag is a basic early-adopter question. History tells us that when a new device, such as kindle comes on the market, over time you will be be able to buy an improved version for less. In any case, any avid reader, particularly one who travels, would no doubt be delighted to receive a kindle by the fireplace this holiday season.

Buy Your Kindle Directly From Amazon Right Here! 

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Kindle: Amazon's Original Wireless Reading Device (1st generation)

Amazon Price: (as of 11/14/2009)Buy Now
List Price: $359.00
Used Price: $199.00

Amazon.com has put together a system for you to purchase Kindle and get a free two day shipping.

Included in your Kindle Package is a Kindle Electronic Reader, book cover, Power Adapter, and USB 2.0 cable.

Just open, plug-in, turn-it-on, download, and read. Its just that simple.

Enjoy the power of being able to buy books, magazines, newspapers wirelessly and download them in under a minute.

Get instant access over 90,000 books, major Newspapers, magazines and blog in a jiffy.

Check it out today!
Amazon.com

Release Date: 12/31/1969

Avg. Customer Rating: Amazon Rating

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Get To Know Your Kindle! 

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What is Kindle?
Kindle is the same size as typical paperback and lighter than many. It is easy on your eyes because the screen uses an electronic display that eliminates the strain on your eyes that you get from reading on a PC. The display does not use back-lighting so, just like paper, it is easy to read on a sunny day as it is to read inside your living room or office. With a simple touch of the "Page turn" buttons, which are on both sides of the device, you can turn the pages forward or backward. Simply touch the "Next page" button to move the pages forward or the "Previous page" button to move backwards. You can use the "select" wheel when you want to choose an item on the page menu. For example, when you want to select a new book to read, just use your thumb to roll the curse up or down, then press the "Select" button to choose your selection.

If you need larger letters, you can change the size of the text by pressing the "text" key on the keyboard. There are six font sizes to choose from. Use whatever works for you, "BIG" or "small". Also, If you ever loose your place in books, Kindle automatically saves your place in whatever you are reading so that you can pick up right where you left off. You can also bookmark pages and return to them later. Just scroll up to the top of the page and to "bookmark" the corner and you are done.

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Ten Reason why You should should consider getting Kindle 

Here are ten reasons why it may be a good idea to go ahead and get Kindle now.

1) It's simple to use and requires no computers, no cables, and no syncing.

2) You can shop wirelessly at the Kindle Store directly from your Kindle-whether you're in the back of a taxi, at the airport, or in bed and get your book, magazine, article, or newspaper delivered to you in under one minute

3) you have instant access to more than 90,000 books including 100 of 112 current New York Times® Best Sellers. You can get all the New York Times® Best Sellers and New Releases for just $9.99, unless marked otherwise.

4) Its revolutionary electronic-paper display provides a sharp, high-resolution screen that looks and reads like real paper.

5) You can test kindle to see if it works for you by simply downloading free book samples and read the first chapters for free before you decide to buy.

6) All of the top U.S. newspapers including The New York Times, Wall Street Journal, and Washington Post are available at your fingertip. The top magazines including TIME, Atlantic Monthly, and Forbes are all auto-delivered in an instant.

7) You can also access the top international newspapers from France, Germany, and Ireland; Le Monde, Frankfurter Allgemeine, and The Irish Times-all auto-delivered wirelessly. you can access more than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post-all updated wirelessly throughout the day.

8) Its lighter and thinner than a typical paperback and it weighs only 10.3 ounces. It holds over 200 titles, has a long battery life, and may be left wirelessly on and recharge every other day. You can turn the wireless off and read for more a week or more without recharging and It can be fully re-charged within 2 hours.

9) You will have no monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments. For the wireless delivery, you can simply click, buy, and read.

10) You can email your Word documents and pictures (.JPG, .GIF, .BMP, .PNG) to your Kindle for easy viewing while you are on the go.

Jeff Bezos and Bestselling Authors Discuss Amazon Kindle! 

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The Poll about YOU and Kindle 

Let's get to know a little about you and what you have done with Kindle so far.

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Kindle VS Sony E-Reader ! 

Check it Out!

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Choosing and Downloading your Book, magazine...etc on Kindle is Quick and Easy. 

Just Select shop on kindle store from the menu. If you already know what you want, use the store search button to find it. Just
type in the name of an author and a book title, press the select wheel to choose it. Otherwise just browse like you do at a book store or at Amazon.com. You will see thousands of Bestsellers, New Releases, Reviews and personalized recommendations. Most books in the store comes with a free sample,so, you can even read a bit before you decide to buy. Once you are ready to buy, just simply click the select button and the book will be downloaded to your kindle in less than one minute. Everything you buy is automatically backed up at Amazon.com in case your Kindle is ever lost or damaged.

The Kindle Delivery - On-time, Quick, and Easy. 

Kindle uses the same wireless technology as advanced cellular phones. However, unlike a cellphone you don't have to worry about signing an annual contract, finding the right data plan, or even seeing a wireless bill. All your purchases include free wireless delivery to your Kindle via Amazon whispernet.

Because your Kindle is wireless, you never have to sit in front of your computer to get Books, Newspaper, Articles, and blogs. And, you never have to sync up or plug into your PC to manage your library. In fact, you don't need a computer at all to use your Kindle.

You don't have to worry about the hassle of re-charging all the time. Kindle's re-chargeable battery last long enough to turn thousands of pages. You can read for days without re-charging.

Kindle automatically delivers your favorite magazines and Newspapers like Forbes, the New York time, or the Washington Post. Each morning by the time you wake up, your paper will be ready waiting for you to read. you will even get your magazines before they hit the News stands. Kindles also updates blogs and feeds automatically all day long.

If you come across a word you don't know while reading, Kindle's dictionary can look it up for you. No need to interrupt your reading by getting up to find a dictionary. Simply scroll to the line where the word appears, press the "select" button and choose look-up from the menu.

If there is a sentence or a note you want to refer to later, you can highlight it, add a note, or even clip an entire page. You can also find a word or phrase in any or all of the items you have downloaded to your Kindle. Press the "search" key and use the keyboard to type the word into the search field and select go. Kindle shows you everywhere that word appears. You also get links to word's definition, wikipedia, the Web, and the Kindle store so that you can research even more.

If you have personal documents you want to read on your Kindle like Microsoft word files, you can just email them to your Kindle. For just a small charge, Amazon will convert the documents and deliver it wirelessly. kindle eliminate the need to carry hard copies. Your personal documents are with you wherever you go.

Kindle has the capacity to hold over 200 books, magazines, and blogs. And, an SD memory card can expand your capacity to hold even more. Kindle literally holds hundreds of pounds of reading material in one small package.

Another Perspective ! 

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The Kindle Focus - Practical and Simple 

Kindle focuses on simplicity and making reading as great as it can be. It uses a new kind of display technology called "Electronic Ink." It doesn't look like the normal electronic screen, It looks like paper.

Wireless is an essential feature that allows you to get a new book in less than a minute wherever you happen to be and that's pretty cool.

Kindle applies a new and exciting technology to reading - everybody loves to read. Many people will
be surprised at how simple Kindle is to set-up. Just take it out of the box and turn it on and you are ready to go.

Its so simple that you could be a Moron and it works for you. It requires no intelligence at all. If you can read a book, you can function with Kindle.

A lot of practical thought has gone into creating Kindle. Kindle does not take you to boot camp, it assumes that you already know how to read.

Kindle allow you to walk around with a simple instrument in your hand and read whenever, wherever and however you like and that's huge. It is just like reading a piece of paper. The ink is dark and jumps off at you. It looks just like ink. There is no glare, It's easy on the eye.

The genius of the design is that you will not notice the difference between on a screen and reading on paper.

Kindle is just like going into a big store and getting pretty much anything you want.

Kindle - The Lasting Experience. 

It's magic. Kindle is a traveling store. Instantly gratifying is getting up in the morning or in the middle of the night and finding three or four newspapers waiting for me. My newspapers were being fetched for me. Didn't need a dog to bite on it. Kindle fetched it for me.

With the Wireless technology there are no monthly payments, no service plan, and no minutes. Amazon takes care of that for you. The retail price includes broadband and wireless connectivity and that's cool.

One would expect the prince it to be 10 -15 bucks above retail price but its not. That's within itself is a no-brainer when deciding to get Kindle.

Sitting in the Dr's office, I didn't have to read the 6 month old magazine that's there. Kindle gave me fresh stuff. No matter how long I waited, I could find something interesting to read on Kindle.

The immediate appeal of this device is in traveling. Having lots of reading materials in 10 ounces as opposed to 4 books, a newspaper and a giant magazine. I had the experience of picking up books at the airport thinking that's what I want to read for the next four hours. Three, four, pages into it, I discovered that no that's not what I wanted to read. And there I was stuck with the flight magazine in the pocket in front of me. kindle fixed that problem.

I can be anywhere with it. In the yard, on the beach, you name it.

Kindle was design with the focus that it would disappeared in the reading experience. It needed to get out of the way. It could not be a flashy device, that was the center of attention. It had to become transparent so that you can be really become close to the reading material.

Books take me into a new world. Kindle makes it easier to do it because I can do it faster, lighter, and easier. I can carry it and I have many "world" at my disposal in an instant.

It's not an ebook. Its a library. An interface with the largest library in the world and the largest book store in the world. When you realize that it changes everything, it becomes a must have. This technology will not go away, it is the future.

Kindle Accessories - Your Vote Counts 

Amazon Kindle Battery

Amazon Kindle Battery

Rechargeable Battery with lifespan that varies acc more...0 points

The Poll about the Future of Kindle 

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Kindle And The Future of Reading 

Kindle was launched approximately two weeks ago, and already there are over 90,000 books, magazines, Newspapers, and blogs ready for upload on Amazon's Kindle. If this is any indication of what is to come, very soon there will be millions of books available for upload on Kindle.

Of the 112 New York Times Bestsellers, 100 of them is currently available for upload on Kindle. And, more books are being added everyday. Some popular titles are:

- Deceptively Delicious
- Run
- The Coldest Winter
- The Almost Moon
- Omnivore's Dilemma
- The Abstinence Teacher
- You've Been Warned
- Einstein: His Life and Universe
- The Road (Oprah's Book Club)

Just to name a few. If this trend continues, the rest of world will begin to take notice and will want to be a part of the revolution. Think of schools and colleges using Kindle as opposed to paper books. No more walking around with huge backpacks loaded with paper books. Think of Libraries lined with Kindle's and books available at the click of a mouse. Instead of borrowing a book, you borrow a Kindle. Can you see it? Everyone walking around with a Kindle just like they do with cellphones today. The future looks light, practical, and simple under the control of Kindle.

New York Times Bestsellers Available For Kindle downlload. 

Any of the books on this list can bought for $9.99 unless otherwise stated and downloaded to your Kindle via free wireless delivery.

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

You've Been Warned by James Patterson

by James Patterson, Howard Roughan Another high-oc more...0 points

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin

The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court by Jeffrey Toobin

An engaging outsider's view of the court's inner w more...0 points

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

Deceptively Delicious: Simple Secrets to Get Your Kids Eating Good Food by Jessica Seinfeld

Ideal for parents who want their kids to eat healt more...0 points

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

I Am America (And So Can You!) by Stephen Colbert

Stephen Colbert uses his sarcastic charm to reveal more...0 points

Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House by Valerie Plame Wilson

Fair Game: My Life as a Spy, My Betrayal by the White House by Valerie Plame Wilson

Fair Game is the unvarnished account of the local more...0 points

Run by Ann Patchett

Run by Ann Patchett

Run is a novel about secrets, duty, responsibility more...0 points

The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam

The Coldest Winter by David Halberstam

Halberstam gives a masterful narrative of the poli more...0 points

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

The Almost Moon by Alice Sebold

This searing, fast-paced novel explore the complex more...0 points

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

The Abstinence Teacher by Tom Perrotta

Tom Perrotta masterfully pinpoints the small, pers more...0 points

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma: A Natural History of Four Meals by Michael Pollan

The Omnivore's Dilemma is bestselling author Micha more...0 points

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

Einstein: His Life and Universe by Walter Isaacson

Based on newly released personal letters of Einste more...0 points

The Road (Oprah's Book Club) by Cormac McCarthy

The Road (Oprah's Book Club) by Cormac McCarthy

The National Book Award winner The Road is the pro more...0 points

Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No. 15) by Patricia Cornwell

Book of the Dead (Kay Scarpetta, No. 15) by Patricia Cornwell

Cornwell delivers grisly crime scenes, highly-rese more...0 points

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein

The Shock Doctrine: The Rise of Disaster Capitalism by Naomi Klein

Canadian Klein assails Friedman's free-market prec more...0 points

World Without End by Ken Follett

World Without End by Ken Follett

In 1989 Ken Follett astonished the literary world more...0 points

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton

Giving: How Each of Us Can Change the World by Bill Clinton

Bill Clinton provides an inspiring look at how eac more...0 points

Magazines Avairable for Download on Kindle 

Get your selection of magazines from an expanding Kindle store. Receive your issues wirelessly as they hit the stands. All magazines start with a free 14-day trial.

Fortune

Fortune

Just as Wall Street is an icon to the investment c more...0 points

Forbes

Forbes

Forbes magazine names the richest people and the b more...0 points

The Atlantic

The Atlantic

The Atlantic was the brainchild of beloved writers more...0 points

Slate

Slate

Founded in 1996 by the former editor of the New Re more...0 points

Reader's Digest

Reader's Digest

Noted as the bestselling consumer magazine in Amer more...0 points

Salon

Salon

Based in San Francisco, California, this online ma more...0 points

The Nation

The Nation

America's oldest and most widely read weekly journ more...0 points

Time

Time

"The International Magazine of Events," more...0 points

Newspaper Available On Kindle 

The Washington Post

The Washington Post

Founded almost a century ago, the Washington Post more...0 points

The New York Times

The New York Times

The New York Times is dedicated to providing news more...0 points

The Wall Street Journal

The Wall Street Journal

Few newspapers enjoy the prestige and authority of more...0 points

Investor's Business Daily

Investor's Business Daily

Investor's Business Daily offers financial and inv more...0 points

San Jose Mercury News

San Jose Mercury News

Founded in 1851, the San Jose Mercury News serves more...0 points

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution is considered the more...0 points

San Francisco Chronicle

San Francisco Chronicle

This Pulitzer Prize-winning newspaper is the 14th more...0 points

The Seattle Times

The Seattle Times

Founded in 1896, The Seattle Times is the largest more...0 points

The Poll About Kindle satisfaction 

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Top six Issues With Kindle 

Having listen to and read many of the Kindle discussion, I have identified six issues that I think Kindle will need to address if it is going to live up to its much "hyped" expectations.

1. "Next page" and "Previous Page" buttons constantly gets in the way and cause inadvertent turning of the book pages. This is very annoying and must be addressed quickly. If Kindle is going to do for books what Ipod did for music, this is a must fix.

2. Wireless Access only in Whispernet "hot" areas. If not in one of these areas, you must
download books, magazines, and Newspapers via computer. Not good at all. The number of"hot" areas must quickly increase to make it worth the price. International wireless
accessibility must be addressed as well.

3. Kindle Books may be a bit pricey compared to a lot of paperback versions. If you are willing to wait, you may be able to march down to the local book store and find the same books being offered at the Kindle store at the "So called" discount price, for less. Of course, these are the paper back versions. But then again, the difference may be justifiable by the fact that Kindle offers the convenience of accessing these books anywhere and at anytime. Plus,the ability to have 200 titles at your fingertips in one small package. Now that's cool.

4. Because the books you buy at the Kindle store are account specific, you cannot loan a book you've already read to a friend. Certainly, it would be nice to be able to do the opposite, since, it is your book that you bought with your money. You should be able to do whatever you want with it.

5. Limited ability to sort or arrange the books you already read in the library. Once you read a book, you may have to remove it to make place for another if you need space. However, you are not able to archive the titles of the book for future reference. Once deleted, it is all gone. I think that you should at least be able to archive the titles of each book, since the titles themselves does not use up that much space.

6. Very limited ability to display PDF files. In experimental phase. Not sure how long this will be, but is definitely a problem that needs to be addressed very quickly while the Kindle concept is "hot." You really don't want people to forget about Kindle when dealing with PDF formatted documents since most documents are in PDF format. Not sure why this issue was not address prior to the Kindle release.

so there you have it. Six very important, among other, that immediately hops to mind when assessing Kindle. Issues that must be address if Kindle is going to become the electronic reading device that it is expected to become.

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  • Reply
    kaazoom kaazoom Oct 23, 2008 @ 2:25 am
    A very informative lens. The Kindle looks to be THE device for anyone who loves books. It is is also a great place for people to publish their own books. See the lens I have made about Kindle publishing. http://www.squidoo.com/kindlepublishing
  • Reply
    lydiastath lydiastath Mar 25, 2008 @ 12:06 pm
    great lens i will definately come back again!!

    http://www.displaystandworld.com
  • Reply
    NAIZA NAIZA Dec 10, 2007 @ 3:38 am
    Nice job! Full of useful contents. How I wish I could have one..Keep it up!
  • Reply
    NewRiver NewRiver Dec 5, 2007 @ 2:10 pm
    I totally want one :) Thanks for joining Links Plexo Group!
  • Reply
    mulberry mulberry Dec 2, 2007 @ 11:43 pm
    Nice lens, lots of good information. A good one stop place to learn anything worthy about this device! Rated it a 4. Check out one of mine if you can, feedback is always appreciated...http://www.squidoo.com/aboutsatellietv/

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