June 8th, 2011 · 2 min read
I wrote this review on March 8th, nearly 5 months ago. It’s a ‘glowing review’ as I put it back then. Ironically the day I wrote it was the day my Kindle died. Yes, half of its screen suddenly went blank, and no effort I made was able to bring it back to life. Fragile.
I called Amazon Customer Service and got a new replacement Kindle sent to me within the next 2 days. No problems since then.
Take the following words with a grain of salt. You’ve been warned.
I’ve been using my new Kindle for about half a month now. Long story short, it has become one of the best gadgets I’ve ever owned. Period.
‘Why buy a Kindle when you have already bought an iPad?’ is one of the most frequently asked questions. Indeed, an iPad could act as a reading device with the help of iBooks or Kindle app. It, however, can’t rival a Kindle itself at this task. Does one thing, and does it well is the philosophy that Kindle employs.
There are 4 things that a Kindle excels at: the screen, the weight, the battery, and the price.
Reading on a Kindle is like using an iPhone 4’s retina display. It’s so good that it blows away any alternatives.
A Kindle is so lightweight that holding an iPad to read books on quickly becomes a joke. And come on, do you honestly think it’s a good idea to hold a 10” display in one hand while you’re queuing for tickets or standing on a train while commuting?
Kindle’s battery rocks. I haven’t recharged it once since I bought it. Enough said.
The price point is £111 for the Wifi only flavor. Buying it to use alongside with an iPad is a no-brainer. If you don’t have an iPad, this makes a perfect impulse buy.
I had thought owning an iPad will make it easier for me to read books on the go, but clearly I was wrong. Not until buying my Kindle did I realize how much I love reading. I read while waiting for the train, standing on the bus, having lunch and dinner, before bed, etc - that is, anywhere at anytime. I realize how much time I’ve wasted doing nothing but going from places to places, thinking about nothing worth thinking about. I love how I can now utilize all those lost time doing something productive. The only time I can’t read - walking - is occupied by a long list of interesting podcasts.
Obviously, this glowing review couldn’t be without criticism - it’ll be an advertisement otherwise. The Kindle isn’t perfect: it doesn’t support ePub format out of the box and its PDF support is sub-par. The screen flashes can be got used to, but it sucks nonetheless. Some say the lack of a touch screen and color display are downsides, but I’m perfectly okay without them. Kindle is a reading device, not a general purpose tablet (i.e. post-PC device).
Verdict: if you are a bookworm, buy a Kindle in a heartbeat. If your significant other is, this makes a perfect gift.
Update: I’ve also bought one Kindle for my mom. She loves it.