I started out by reading up a bit on e book readers. Then I found that Amazon’s Kindle rates at the top of them all. So I ordered the Kindle late on a Thursday evening, and decided to take advantage of Amazon’s same-day delivery option, a concept which nearly blew my mind, to have it arrive on Friday. Sure enough, it arrived at my home Friday afternoon.
Unpacking the Kindle is a delightful experience. The device arrives pre-programmed with your Amazon account. There was no registration process of any kind, it was as if this Kindle knew me and was anxious to
be my new reading companion. The Kindle store was already populated with book recommendations based on my Amazon history, and the device happily sync’d the four books I’d purchased on the Kindle for iPhone app a few months before.
I was immediately glad I’d chosen the Kindle over others. Amazon had clearly put significant effort into building a complete end-to-end experience with minimal friction to purchasing and reading books or other content. In some respects, it even seemed they’d outdone Apple, who many consider to be the king of this kind of execution.
The Kindle looks and feels solid. The plastic feels more expensive and higher quality. The size and weight are pretty much ideal for its purpose. The button placement is well thought-out, and the labels make it trivial to pick up and start using.
There are a few features that I really like about the kindle, so here’s the list:
1. Simple to use and with the wireless access buying books is a cinch.
2. Read-out-loud feature allows me to stay with the action even when I’m doing something else.
3. I can read all night (for 4 – 5 days in a row) without killing the battery. To accomplish this I do turn the wireless off (wireless access is a battery killer).
4. It actually learns what you enjoy reading, makes book recommendations based upon that, and so far the recommendations have been good ones.
5. Amazon’s pre-order feature allows me to order books by my favorite authors when I find out they are being released, and they automatically download to my kindle on the release date.
I could actually keep going with this list. But the things I like most about the Kindle are its book recommendation features and its convenience. I can decide I want to read a book, buy it right on the Kindle, and then 2 minutes later be sitting in my lazy boy enjoying the book.
A couple of recommendations I do have for those who decide to invest in a kindle: Get a clip on light to make it easy to read in the dark, and be sure to get a case for it. The protective case is an excellent tool when you accidentally drop it (and yes I did this). Other than that I would recommend the Kindle to anyone who enjoys reading.
Another thing you’ll find great about the Kindle is the huge number of books available for it. I’ve owned the device for just over a month, and my book list is already up to about 17. My recommendation is that anyone looking for a reading device should put the kindle at the top of their list.
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