|
| 
 enlarge
| Brand: Amazon.com
Category: Amazon Devices
Buy New: $359.00
New (1) from $359.00
Avg. Customer Rating:  5558 reviews
Sales Rank: 1
Color: Bisque
Media: Electronics
Shipping Weight (lbs): 0.7
Dimensions (in): 7.5 x 5.3 x 0.7
Model: D00111
UPC: 892685001003
EAN: 0892685001003
ASIN: B000FI73MA
Shipping: Eligible for Super Saver Shipping
Availability: Usually ships in 3 to 4 weeks
|
| Customer Reviews:
 Poor function and worse customer support. December 26, 2007
404 out of 507 found this review helpful
My wife opened the new Kindle on Christmas day. At first all seemed good. The Kindle fired up. We wirelessly downloaded a Kindle book from Amazon. We marveled at the technology and usability. Unfortunately the early delight soured when we found that there was a problem with the little device's sleep mode. It will go into sleep on command and will awaken when the alt-font keys are pressed during the next 2 minutes of sleep. After 2 minutes of sleep it lapses into a coma and will no longer respond to the two key alt-font command to awaken. Restarts and resets do not fix this problem. Turning the device on and off brings it back. Changing the radio from on to off (or from off to on) brings it back. So using this Kindle requires removal from the cover to restart it each time it is put aside for a few minutes. Obviously this unit has a software or hardware issue preventing the sleep mode from functioning correctly. Our disappointment with the Kindle unit pales in comparison to the disappointment with Amazon Kindle support. After 4 and hours of continued recorded assurance that an agent would be available to help shortly, we finally gave up. A call to regular Amazon support yielded only confirmation that the Kindle support line was indeed busy. I would really like to keep the Kindle, but with the initial experience both with the unit and support it seems an untenable purchase. It will go back. Sometimes the cost of early adoption is indeed too high.
Addendum 2/7/08
We have now had the replacement Kindle for more than a month. It works flawlessly.
It's Book 2.0 December 26, 2007
2 out of 3 found this review helpful
My wife, bless her heart, ordered me one of these for Christmas. I'm a bibliophile, or more correctly "book nut" -- I've got close-to-but-not-enough-to-be-a-fire-hazard books at home. I love the feel of paper and the form factor of traditional books. I am also a big geek, so the gadget factor went a long way toward allowing me to consider the possibility of an e-book gizmo.
The most important thing to know about the Kindle is that it's an *electronic* *book* -- it's not a notebook PC, it's not an iPod, it's not a "look-at-me-I'm-cool" thing to hang on your belt. It's a book, and it really works like one. I've already torn through one entire book on it, and the thing I've noticed most is that it really does disappear after a few minutes. That, to me, is success.
From a usability perspective, it's great. I had to use it with one hand (both left and right) for the best part of the first day, since I was carrying a baby around. It works great either way, although the left was better than the right.
Web browsing is functional, and is probably going to be much more useful as the community tailors websites to the Kindle's 'unique' way of clicking links (read: clicking links is annoying). But hey, I can read GMail on it. For free.
I think I could go on a lot, but I won't. If you like books, and you don't want stacks around, this is a great little reader to have.
 minor improvements needed December 26, 2007
20 out of 22 found this review helpful
for the most part, the product is excellent--i would suggest a major improvement in the handling of the kindle--it is difficult to hold it without proceeding to the next page or going back to the prior page due to the position & size of the tabs. it would be more user friendly to have either small "wing type handles" pull out from under the kindle to allow holding it away from the page advance/retreat tabs or to have the tabs smaller to allow for holding the frame of the kindle and not involve one of the tabs.
another improvement would be to either have a similar availablity and pricing for audio books as you do for written material. short of that, if that is not an option, allow for audio books to be downloaded regardless of the source. it would seem to me that written books would be the preference in most cases but a reasonably priced or more broadly accessible audio book (for a long plane ride for example when it is more pleasant to listen with noise deadening earphones than trying to read for long periods). the present audio book option does not seem economically reasonable.
on the positive side, i am very happy with the written book situation--the font options and the way the text looks in bright sunlight are very good.
Awesome December 26, 2007
25 out of 29 found this review helpful
I have been reading these reviews for almost a month now, eagerly awaiting the kindle as a gift for Christmas. Christmas Eve came and I haven't put it down! Any negatives are far outweighed by the postives. It has re-kindled my love of reading!
Amazing December 26, 2007
22 out of 25 found this review helpful
I just got my kindle yesterday and I love it. I've already read two books on it. It's a necessity for any avid reader!
|
|
|
| |
