Love your device and be happy that you’re one of the lucky ones to have one; demand apparently exceeds supply. I hope you read more than ever with it. Me? I don’t want to have my books tied to a single vendor, single device. I don’t really need a device that does only one thing.

And please, it’s not rage. I’m very supportive of the technology. But I’ve also been there, done that, and believe that an electronic reader isn’t a “must have” for the modern consumer; thus, the Kindle and other devices have to offer more than the paper books they’re replacing.

by the way, you say at the beginning that it is a “great leap forward” and near the end you say it is “not that revolutionary” I can follow your rage increase all the way down the article.

Well anyways, me and Mr. Bissnell own one each and all I have to say is I agree entirely, everyone that can afford one, should buy one.

1. I agree that the Kindle is a great leap forward for travelers and voracious readers. I’ve been an ebook advocate for well over a decade. There is so much potential in this market. As one who has had to deal with overweight luggage due to the fact that I have to travel with books to spare (you never know what’s going to happen and if you’re caught without reading material…).

2. Why not built-in wifi? I worry that the arrangement with the EVDO providers will evaporate. Things happen. Wireless, at the very least, offers a backup solution. Cables might seem like an easy thing if you can’t connect to the network any other way, but why not wireless? To me, that makes no sense at all. It’s like they stopped short of the finish line.

3. My purse is huge — and I carry a lot of stuff in it (including, sigh, my husband’s things when he runs out of pocket space). I also carry a full laptop bag. Adding one more device, something I have to manage in addition to my phone and my laptop and everything else, really doesn’t help me. My goal is to carry less; this is why I am more excited about the prospect of a ereader on the iPhone. Phone, music, reading — one device. One device with wireless access.

4. Appearance matters. Sorry, it does. It really does. Yes, I buy books based on the cover — and have found some great ones (and have found some great books despite covers that turn me off). Aesthetics really do influence people, and I’m not ashamed that I am one of them. In fact, the iPhone wasn’t so much a revolutionary device as it is good looking, highly function, and, yes, readable (I read all the time on mine). All of these things combine to make a very attractive package.

5. Please note that this article was written *months* before the Kindle was released and my feelings haven’t changed. It’s a great device and a major leap forward in ereader technology as far as consumer awareness is concerned. But it’s not *that* revolutionary. To my mind, the best thing it has going for it is the tight integration with the Amazon store.

Of course, that is also the biggest drawback. Kindle books are tied to the Kindle reader. I skipped over this point earlier, but, not a contradiction at all. I want to be able to access books that I have legally purchased (and I always buy my books) in the manner that best suits my needs based on time and place. For example, right now I am working on my laptop — if I want to read an ebook, does it really make sense to go fetch another device and then juggle the two? I’m multi-tasking right now, and the thought of multi-tasking multiple devices while stretched out on the couch doesn’t appeal. Why can’t I buy the book and read it on my laptop OR the Kindle OR my phone? I’m the customer, and, frankly, the biggest competition ebooks have is not the technology hurdle, it’s consumer perception that an electronic book is less usable than a paper book.

Think about it — proprietary formats and DRM that assumes all people are pirates (not a great business model, by the way; this is why the music industry is in such dire straits — they fought consumers to the point where people who were happy to pay for products turned into pirates because the industry wouldn’t face reality) actually turn customers off from a product. The harder you (not you personally) make reading, the less likely people are to enjoy books.

If I want to buy a book outside the WhisperNet coverage I can do so via the Internet, download to my laptop, then to the Kindle via a USB cable; no problem at all.

I don’t know how big your purse is, but my Kindle fits into my shoulder bag along with a bunch of other stuff.

You say you don’t want more stuff, then you say that having the Kindle books tied to one device is a drawback. Isn’t that contradictory? I have a small PDA, an iPod with a portable speaker/player, and my Kindle. I can travel for months outside the USA with my music, my books,

As to appearance? Why would that matter? Do you buy books based on how they look? The comment makes no sense. I’ve tried readers the size of an iPhone and they are lousy.

I fail to understand the dislike some people are expressing about a device they have never used. If you buy one and don’t like it, then you have a right to complain. But complaining about the concept? Seems strange to me; but that’s why they call it horse racing I suppose.

Steven

Jeff Bezos (personally!) assured me that the Kindle shipments are accelerating (meaning a shorter lag in backorders), but for the reasons I’ve personally stated, it’s still not the device more me. I am bothered by the fact that the books I purchase are tied to a single device. That’s actually less flexibility than your average paperback novel. I still find the machine to be too big for my purse (and I carry a large purse!) and, well, it’s still pretty !@#$ ugly.

Would I love to own one? Absolutely. I also own a Rocket eBook (which, given the decline of the serial port, is not really usable). But is the device I need, desire? Absolutely not. I doesn’t offer the multi-functional flexibility that I’m really seeking.

While I might invest in a Kindle — I read a lot and carry far too many books on vacation — I am also holding out hope for a really cool e-reader for my iPhone. I don’t need more stuff in my life…I need more efficient devices.

#2 – Purse as survival kit. I feel the same way. I need STUFF. Because one never knows what might happen.

#3 – Palms and devices that do it all. Again, you are RIGHT! (is your head swelling yet?) I want one thing that does it all. My Treo does a heck of a lot, and I don’t even have email and internet. (When I win the lottery, I’m getting that stuff turned on! lol.) The screen is SMALL for reading, but still, in a pinch, there’s a book right there. I can put more books in there. I can add memory so I can have MORE books in there. Plus it’s a phone, and it can even do music.

Yes, yes, one device that does it all! Someone please invent it. Let the phone work on any and all phone systems and stop with the make-a-deal-with-this-guy-and-exclude-that-guy. What are we, still stuck in the Beta vs. VHS thing? (Oh, wait, we are. sigh. How would you like your HDTV dvds?) Make all books available on it, not an exclusive format. Wake up and smell the Starbucks, people!

Too bad enough of those people don’t read your blog, Kas. Really, it should be required reading. They might actually learn a thing or two.

And Kindle?? WTF? Do we BURN the thing, or what?

What a nice survey of just how doomed this product is!
I almost feel sorry for Amazon, but they arr bringing it on themselves.

Eoin