Amazon's Kindle coming to the UK

[koli]

The flicker as you turn pages is very annoying, and tells me that it‘s not really ready for prime time

The flicker might actually be a good thing. My optician recommends that when you read a book, every time you turn a page you should look into the distance and focus your eyes on something to exercise your eye muscles to prevent your eyes getting strained.

If it takes couple of seconds to turn a page in Kindle it could be a good thing as it may force me to do what my optician recommends. Btw, have you seen a video of the new Kindle's page turning that you are commenting on flicker?

[saspro]

+1 for books.

Although there's nothing more annoying than when the tube is down to standing room only/crush and there's some twat reading a newspaper or book taking up far too much space & poking everyone else with it. (not aimed at anybody in particular but the entire population of tube users)

[big_D]

As for the 3G, the iPad one can be used for anything, the Kindle one for downloading books. Not exactly an equivalent service are they?

The Kindle has a built in web browser, so you can read the web on the move as well, and the 3G still doesn't cost anything - which is probably why the new one also has wi-fi...

Edit: In no particular order:

99% of the books I read are black and white or greyscale, so colour isn't a requirement for me and the magazines I

I usually have about half a dozen books on the go, especially when I was living in my flat and spending a couple of days a week at my girlfriends, I had at least 2 novels on the go at each location, plus some work related books and a couple of computer magazines - which, apart from the article heading artwork doesn't need any colour (unless it is a printer or camera test).

Having been in hospital last week, I really started cursing myself, that I didn't have an iPad or a Kindle - I did buy a few audio books from audible.de (I bough Verblendung, the first of the Stieg Larsson "Millenium" triology, which was excellent, plus Ringworld and The Mote in God's Eye). After the anesthetic and the pain killers, I couldn't have concentrated on reading a real book, but "reading" an audio book was fine (and better than paying the 2€ a day for the crud you get on television).

I took my iPhone with me, and read a couple of books on Stanza as well, but the screen is too small, and as others have said, an LCD isn't the best medium for reading a book, at least during the day - at night, the backlight wins, because you don't need an alternate source of light...

Sitting here on the couch for the week, I have my laptop with me, now. It is great, because I have a video running on the left of the screen, with the browser on the right, at the moment. But an iPad would have been more useful...

I'm really torn. Until this week, I hadn't seen a use for either the iPad or the Kindle, after a week in hospital and stuck on the couch / in bed, I'd kill for either of them, although the iPad would be more useful, so, if I had to have one, I'd probably get the iPad, even if it isn't the best for reading ebooks...

[jonbwfc]

As for the 3G, the iPad one can be used for anything, the Kindle one for downloading books. Not exactly an equivalent service are they?

The Kindle has a built in web browser, so you can read the web on the move as well, and the 3G still doesn't cost anything - which is probably why the new one also has wi-fi...

On a low res, low refresh rate greyscale screen? Woohoo! 1995 called and wants it's web browsing experience back. And people claim the iPad ruins the web because it can't do flash..

Jon

[phantombudgie]

I don't tend to read several books at once, but I do go through them at a high rate, so it would be nice to be able to carry a large number of books around with me. Plus I could change books if I'm in the mood for something different.

I would get one immediately, but of course for the eternal problem of needing enough pieces of paper to exchange for it...

[veato]

For me its not so much about having severalm books. I tend to read one at a time anyway. What I like is having a tiny device to slip into my bag to replace the 600 page doorstops I currently carry. I'm still not 100% as it is quite expensive (book cost too), I wouldnt be comfotable reading it in the bath and I think I'd actually miss the feel of a real book. As they get cheaper though they become more tempting.

[big_D]

As for the 3G, the iPad one can be used for anything, the Kindle one for downloading books. Not exactly an equivalent service are they?

The Kindle has a built in web browser, so you can read the web on the move as well, and the 3G still doesn't cost anything - which is probably why the new one also has wi-fi...

On a low res, low refresh rate greyscale screen? Woohoo! 1995 called and wants it's web browsing experience back. And people claim the iPad ruins the web because it can't do flash..

Jon

For looking up telephone numbers or addresses or reading newspaper articles, it is fine - and the numbers and addresses is about all I use my iPhone's browser for...

[pcernie]

I'll be interested to see what Amazon's prices are for ebooks - they're scandalous everywhere else

And when I say 'everywhere else', I mean the very few UK ebook sellers that seem to currently exist

[Amnesia10]

For I only really want to to view pdfs that come as manuals for a lot of my software and the iPad fits that need perfectly. The kindle is a step forward but I think that I will wait till I have seen one and tried it out before committing myself to them. Book prices will be an issue but that is down to publishers and now that Apple have arrived the prices have dropped already, which is great for consumers. Not so sure how the publishers are dealing with the royalties. If going on a long trek somewhere the kindle could be a seriously good thing to take, rather than books. Though since I am not planning any marathon treks it is not really an issue right now for me.

[koli]

Due to strong customer demand, Kindle is temporarily sold out. Order now to reserve your place in the queue. Orders are prioritised on a first-come, first-served basis. Orders placed today are expected to dispatch on or before September 8.

It seems like it is pretty popular.

I have ordered mine on the day it was announced so I should get mine as one of the first

My housemate got a Sony ebook reader for birthday this week, I don't have the heart to tell him he got the wrong one...

[pcernie]

Personally I think the prices of ebooks are still ridiculous all considered, but there's no doubt in my mind the Kindle will do wonders for the industry, if the industry's smart enough

[Amnesia10]

Personally I think the prices of ebooks are still ridiculous all considered, but there's no doubt in my mind the Kindle will do wonders for the industry, if the industry's smart enough

I agree. The iPad's price is also very high. Though with the colour screen and its ability to play videos and surf the net, it might be worth considering. It is a lot more useful than a straightforward ebook reader.

[rustybucket]

If the Kindle supported PDF and colour then I might think about it.

[big_D]

If the Kindle supported PDF and colour then I might think about it.

It supported PDF from day 1...

[rustybucket]

If the Kindle supported PDF and colour then I might think about it.

It supported PDF from day 1...

I think I might need to extract my head from my ar*e.