I don’t usually deal in a public argument, but I guess I’ve read one Kindle-Killer article/post too many. Then when I saw this on Twitter, I just couldn’t resist.
People who own Kindles and who are book readers are fully aware of all of the Kindle’s shortcomings and limitations. One thing that they realize after owning/using the device for a while is that the Kindle is not a netbook. Its (as advertised) a book reader. It emulates reading the mass-market or trade paperback reading experience using technology. It’s better in some cases (finishing a book with no backup) and worse (page numbers, sharing) in others. It’s got a basic browser, but doesn’t deal elegantly or swiftly with many web pages and even though it has an MP3 player, I don’t think it’ll replace my iPod anytime soon.
But for reading books, it does what it is supposed to do and does it very well.
With that said, I’d like to rebutt the blog post Kindle will be history within a year, from The Downside web site.
- Holds up to 3,500 books, periodicals, and documents - Amazon downplays the fact that this is only 4GB of storage, a pathetic number for any modern netbook.
- Maybe for a netbook, but a Kindle is an computerized eReader, not a computer
- Beautiful Large Display: 9.7″ diagonal e-ink screen reads like real paper; boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and sharp images - Are you kidding me? 16 shades of gray? Sure, that’s better than the Newton, but this isn’t 1992, guys. Any modern netbook offers 32 bit color, giving millions of colors. If I want to read a text book or a blog post on my Kindle DX, you better believe I want color.
- It’s a fact that textbooks or blogs containing color don’t display as well on the Kindle, but backlit color screens are very hard on the eyes. Flipping the script, I don’t want to read a book on my pc either. I have dozens of textbook pdfs where I stick to paper format because the pc doesn’t do books justice. Before going green, I printed because it was so much easier to read; since going green, I just don’t bother to use them.
- Auto-Rotating Screen: Display auto-rotates from portrait to landscape as you turn the device so you can view full-width maps, graphs, tables, and Web pages - We’re only down to the third bullet point, and this is the best you can do? This is truly trivial, and easy to do on a netbook.
- See above point
- Built-In PDF Reader: Native PDF support allows you to carry and read all of your personal and professional documents on the go - PDF readers are free to download on any PC. Just because this is better than the original Kindle doesn’t make it cool.
- See above point, again. Also note that PCs aren’t really portable.
- Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle DX, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, no annual contracts, and no hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots - if you really need to download a book while you’re outside of wi-fi range, apparently this is the device for you. If you don’t have a Kindle, just download the book to your smartphone, then transfer it to your PC.
- I’m beginning to understand that this author is not a real ‘reader’. Nuff said
- Books In Under 60 Seconds: You get free wireless delivery of books in less than 60 seconds; no PC required - You can also download an ebook to your netbook in less than 60 seconds, no Kindle required. Fail.
- Okay, now I’m laughing. How many times does it need to be reiterated that a Kindle is NOT a netbook? Or that no one really reads on a computer? Dude! The Kindle is a replacement for carrying around a bunch of books.
- Long Battery Life: Read for days without recharging - Who reads for more than a couple hours at a time, anyway? Non-problem solved.
- Well…..readers many times read for more than a couple of hours at at time. Ever hear of someone staying up too late to finish a book?
- Read-to-Me: With the text-to-speech feature, Kindle DX can read newspapers, magazines, blogs, and books out loud to you, unless the book’s rights holder made the feature unavailable - Now you can have A Brief History of Time read to you in the author’s own voice. Awesome!
- Actually, it is pretty awesome. I have my books read to me on my drive home from work every day.
- Big Selection, Low Prices: Over 275,000 books; New York Times Best Sellers and New Releases are only $9.99, unless marked otherwise - This has nothing to do with the device and will surely be available on any PC very soon.
- You think? Wanna place a wager? (Have you seen the Sony Store prices?)
- More Than Books: U.S. and international newspapers including the New York Times and Wall Street Journal, magazines including The New Yorker and Time, plus popular blogs, all auto-delivered wirelessly - Again, I have a PC and a cool new thing called a “web browser” for this.
The only things that make the Kindle superior to a PC for the purpose of reading are:
- It’s lightweight with a super-compact form factor
- Um…that’s about it. I guess this isn’t much of a bulleted list.
- I agree
