WORTH IT
The initial reactions seem to be coming in on the negative side on the Amazon Kindle, judging by the posts on Techmeme.
Having gotten mine yesterday, I did get to try the device on a cross-country red-eye flight for a Thanksgiving gathering.
And I can report that the Kindle so far surpasses my expectations, despite the various "wish it had this or that" thoughts that cross one's mind.
Here are some positives in no particular order:
1. The wireless download of content in the background on the Amazon Whispernet network is terrific. Wish the iPod had it.
2. The form factor, weight and aesthetics of the product are just fine. It's not as small and light as the Sony Reader, but then the Sony product doesn't have a wireless radio.
3. The Kindle's ability to automatically remember how you leave each book/magazine/newspaper/blog post, is a substantial improvement over other products on the market.
4. The screen is very readable with the overhead light in an airline seat. Much better than a regular book due to the lack of glare.
5. The ability to quickly multi-task reading various sections of multiple books is so much better on a product like this rather than juggling a bunch of physical books.
I had several people ask me about the device, including both the flight attendants servicing the aisles. Anecdotally, the reaction to a general description of the product was positive, despite hearing about the price.
I'll do a more thorough review of the pros and cons of the Kindle in a future post. But my first take on this is that the Kindle is not a turkey. Not by a long shot.
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