Anyone got the latest Kindle?

[Jules]

The 3rd generation was released earlier this year, and at £109 I'm tempted to get one. I have a lot of pdf documents which I haven't got around to reading because I find it tiring reading from a screen (and printing out is a pain), but it seems the kindle eliminates many of the factors which lead to eye strain. Not sure how much cheaper kindle books are though...

[DrS]

I have one and I love it. Some books (both pdf and not) are electronically compatible and searching is simplicity itself, others are not and are a bit more cumbersome, but in terms of usability, it is a marvellous thing. I too find screen reading tiring, but never with the kindle. It's not back-lit so there's no glare, and it's just like a page even in direct bright sunlight.

As far as price goes, many books are not as cheap as one would hope, though mostly cheaper than paper versions. Often, though, they are quite cheap, sometimes very cheap, and there is a huge number of free books available.

I love mine!

[Jules]

Thanks DrS. I don't really need the the 3G version which is £40 more, but I don't have wi-fi. However, I assume it's possible to download kindle books using a "wired" connection.
That's my Christmas present sorted then.

[Carnivore]

I commute by train and have to spend a lot of time away from home. I used to cart about several paperbacks at a time which became an issue in terms of bag space. I adore my Kindle. A portable library and bookstore is a bobsend.

For me it was very much worth the extra £40 for the 3G version. Mobile internet is not something I would buy a separate device for or could afford data fees for. A basic web browser, good enough for forum surfing, email and shopping, permanently available for free pretty much anywhre in the civilised world is a big bonus for me. I`m not always near a wifi hotspot and I love being able to buy books instantly anywhere.

The e ink works as advertised. No eyeyesrain. Being able to adjust the typeface and print size as you go is helpful too.

Battery life is not quite as good as Amazon claims but heavy use ( 8+ hours a day ) will give you 5 days off a single charge.

Pdf documents will display but may not be adjustable onscreen. I recentlygot a bundle of Arthur C. Clarke books and stories in pdf and the font was annoyingly small. It was free though so I cant complain.

There is an awful lot of free stuff available, starting with Project Gutenberg. About half the stuff on my Kindle is free source.

A xouple of things I didnt expect to have any use for surprised me. The ability to download free sample chapters has saved me some money and exposed me to some books I would otherwise have missed. The text to speech option, while still a bit Stephen Hawking in inflection, did wonders for my insomnia.

The biggest drawback is still content availabilty. That will change soon enough but for now there are odd gaps in the Amazon kindle store. For example, you can buy a book by Winston Wu but not yet The Demon Haunted World.

All in all. the best new toy I`ve had in years and rapidly becoming indispensable. I can use it one handed sprawled over an armchair or while tucked up in bed. I am writing this post on my Kindle from a hotel room with no wifi.

I love mine.

[DrS]

Thanks DrS. I don't really need the the 3G version which is £40 more, but I don't have wi-fi. However, I assume it's possible to download kindle books using a "wired" connection.
That's my Christmas present sorted then.

I'm not sure of this, and would have thought that without wifi you would actually need the 3G. Would be good if someone could confirm otherwise.

[chaggle]

Doesn't 3G refer to Mobile 'phone network technology rather than wifi??

[Matt]

3G is a type of mobile broadband operating over the mobile phone network. WiFi allows you to connect wirelessly to a wireless router at home, or use a wireless hot spot which is simply the same sort of router set up for public access (usually for a fee)

[Jules]

I'm not sure of this, and would have thought that without wifi you would actually need the 3G. Would be good if someone could confirm otherwise.

Yep, I've just checked the support pages on Amazon:

Downloading Archived Items Without a Wireless Connection

If you are travelling outside a Free 3G area and/or do not have access to Wi-Fi, you can still download your Kindle content archived on Amazon.co.uk to your computer and transfer it via USB to your Kindle.

To download items Archived on Amazon.co.uk to your computer:

1. Visit the Manage Your Kindle page.
2. Scroll to the "Your orders" section and locate the item you wish to download.
3. Click on the "Deliver to" pull-down menu and select "Transfer via Computer."
4. Select the Kindle your wish to transfer the file to and click the "Download to computer" button.
5. Choose "Save file" when prompted by your Web browser.
6. Follow the instructions in the Transferring Files Via USB section below to place the file on your Kindle.
7. Click "Close" on the Manage Your Kindle page when the file is finished downloading.

[Jules]

Pdf documents will display but may not be adjustable onscreen. I recentlygot a bundle of Arthur C. Clarke books and stories in pdf and the font was annoyingly small. It was free though so I cant complain.

Apparently you can have pdfs converted:

Option to Convert PDF Files to Kindle Format

If you prefer to have your personal PDF documents converted to the Kindle format so you can take advantage of Kindle functionality such as variable font size, annotation and Text-to-Speech, type "Convert" in the subject of the e-mail when you submit your personal document to your @kindle.com address.

[Carnivore]

I'm not sure of this, and would have thought that without wifi you would actually need the 3G. Would be good if someone could confirm otherwise.

You can download diectly from pc to a kindle via the supplied usb cable but I think the Amazon store sends content that you purchase from them directly to your kindle wirelessly. If your kindle has no wireless connection that content is stored in an online archive until your device wirelessly connects to its Amazon account. Im not sure if you can get Amzon kindle content sent directly to a pc but I will try to find out. I believe you can sync your kindle to kindle reader apps on other devices so it might be doable.

[Carnivore]

Apparently you can have pdfs converted:

Thats good to know, thanks!

[Tony Williams]

I like the idea of an e-reader, but I can't see myself getting one. I have scores of books lying around that I haven't read yet (and many scores more that I want to re-read). If a new one comes out which I must have, then it's a lot cheaper to buy a paperback than to buy an e-reader. I don't travel much so one book usually suffices when I'm away.

A portable library and bookstore is a bobsend.

Does this represent the elevation of a certain resident of Croydon?

[Croydon Bob]

Does this represent the elevation of a certain resident of Croydon?

I suspect that Carnivore is a follower of the Church of the SubGenius (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/J._R._%22Bob%22_Dobbs), if he wishes to worship me then I'm up for it. But I am a jealous god.