Kindle

[Harlan Huckleby]

Amazon.com came out with an electronic book reader that looks far better than any current eBook reader. It's $400, has a wireless network that communicates with SPRINT towers to download reading materials from most any location, don't need computer network. You can read most newspapers and magazines on it.

Don't know if anybody is interested in this, but its sort of a big deal. Amazon has a HUGE collection of digital books, and all publishers are moving there. A book download is $10. When you buy a book, you can always retrieve it again for free, Amazon keeps a lifetime account for you. And you can read the first chapter of any book for free.

I've always wanted this to happen, it has some real advantages. But now that it is here, I have anxiety. Books are so much better. And Amazon has positioned themselves to be the librarian to the world, a little too much power for one company.

[hoosier]

now we know what to get you for xmas.

[MadtownPacker]

So say for example someone would want to send a death threat to good ole Harlan it can now be done electronically? No need to clip out letters from a magazine?

Sounds good to me!!

[Scott Campbell]

But now that it is here, I have anxiety.

Gee, imagine that.

[MJZiggy]

Sorry, I will always prefer the print version. Can't turn the pages on a gadget.

[the_idle_threat]

And I'll bet those things just don't burn very well.

[Freak Out]

And I'll bet those things just don't burn very well.

Fahrenheit 879.

[the_idle_threat]

See, that's almost twice as much heat required! Not energy efficient at all. Think of the global warming, people!

[Harlan Huckleby]

hah! I've heard a few people mention that "kindle" is a reference to the giant book burning in Fahrenheit 451.

Sorry, I will always prefer the print version. Can't turn the pages on a gadget.

The text is supposed to closely mimic printed ink. There is no back-lighting, so at least it LOOKS a lot like a real book. I think you'd want to try one of these devices before deciding you don't like them. They put-in a massive amount of usability research on this one.

And keep in mind, these devices are going to just keep getting better. Books are going to be a specialty item in 20 years. Now, I doubt you will live that long, but its interesting to think about your child's world.

http://www.newsweek.com/id/70983

I was listening to curmudgeon Harold Bloom talk about e-Readers. He said if we already had only electronic readers, and somebody invented The Book, people would think it was the most wonderful invention - so pleasant to hold, easy to use, with large pages of clear text.

[Harlan Huckleby]

oh ya, one other thing: it has a built-in dictionary, a giant unabridged one. So you highlight a word (with your finger? I don't know) it pops-up a definition. The glad-handing salesman on the Charlie Rose show said it was an in-context definition, but I wonder if it is that sophisticated.

For me, this is a super-cool advantage.

For a guy like Mad who only speaks a little broken English, its a dream come true.

[MJZiggy]

For a guy like Mad who only speaks a little broken English, its a dream come true.

Yeah, but you should hear his German.