Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi - Gizmodo Comments

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

AdmNaismith — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 11:28:23 EST

I like the lines from a purely aesthetic, movie-prop-style, point of view. In practical fact, it probbaly need a little refinement.

AdmNaismith

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Eagle909 — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 10:22:15 EST

I don't get why anyone who knows ebooks would trust Amazon. A good hardcover source, but ebooks? They bailed in 2005, deleting years of customer bookshelves without notice. And then two months ago, when allegedly re-committed to ebooks, their Mobipocket servers (Amazon owns Mobipocket) went down for ten days, they said nothing to their customers and kept them guessing. No one could download their Mobipocket ebooks. And Amazon reimbursed no one, gave no refunds. If the Kindle ends up being less profitable than they want, Amazon will do it again. Wonder if any of these outfits will ever put the customer first when it comes to ebooks.

Eagle909

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Gizmog — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 23:06:42 EST

Hahaha. Try $399.

I just asked a friend if she wanted one of these for Christmas instead of the Sony Reader I was planning on getting her. I explained that it had email and WiFi and you could buy books anywhere. She still said "no thanks."

And I don't blame her in the slightest. This thing is fugly. Sorry, Amazon, but...you're a web retailer. Let's leave product design to the professionals, mkay?

But yeah, I'd love to see an Apple reader. It could be their second revolution in nine-inch monochrome. ;)

Gizmog

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

ZonzoMaster — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 20:46:16 EST

Me want if it's under $150.

ZonzoMaster

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Atrocious — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 19:58:36 EST

*coughing a little cough of acknowledgement but without even a hint of the smugness that a lesser soul might inflect*

And for the record it was Senorbelly what that went and compared it to a Snowspeeder.

Atrocious

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

ghinz — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 17:12:02 EST

Look, here's what would actually work as a "reader" - an iPhone-like device with a paperback book-sized display and Apple's multi-touch interface (imagine "flipping" pages with your finger). And books, magazine and newspapers available through iTunes. As I suggested back in January at [www.greghinzmann.com]

ghinz

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

RiceBandit — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:44:41 EST

I saw this thing in a banner on some website last night, and I seriously thought it was a joke (I didn't click on it). And yup, it looks just as ugly now as it did then.

Who the hell designs this shit?

RiceBandit

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

fallenturtle — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:13:08 EST

@hinten: Just turn off the backlight, then you'll have long battery life. ;)

fallenturtle

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

MagnoliaBoy — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:11:14 EST

@fallenturtle: ...Backlit Paperbacks... Guy, I think your on to something.

MagnoliaBoy

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

LittleJon — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 16:00:29 EST

If it's an E-Ink display, or something similar, then a back light is not technically possible.

LittleJon

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

MudMt — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:57:30 EST

I don't know much about the Kindle, so heres my view. Personally, to me it looks like it'll fit as comfortably in your hands as a lumpy sack of potatoes. I'll agree with everyone that this thing looks like it got beaten by a pissed off ugly stick.
Just a personal view, but for $399 I'd like a bit more than 256MBs of storage that was speculated on. Can someone explain to the ignorant me why these have so little memory? Is built in memory expensive?

MudMt

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Noobs-R-Us — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:31:32 EST

They will sell as well as a Zune.

Noobs-R-Us

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Pixlmonkey — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:30:55 EST

sony reader may have its faults, but at least it's easy on the eyes. why is this thing so hideously eighties retro?

Pixlmonkey

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Noobs-R-Us — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:30:42 EST

Jeeeesus, who designed this thing? Bezos' kid? This thing is beyond fugly. Looks almost like its from the set of the 1978 Battlestar Galatica...

Noobs-R-Us

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

qed57 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 15:03:38 EST

@HINTEN

good logic. while you are at it, why not add "does your latest paperback come with a giant, dirty white, hideous looking piece of crap?"

qed57

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Chimaera — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:39:27 EST

"We've suspected EVDO, but CNet suspects Sprint."

EVDO != Verizon
Sprint's data network is also EVDO. TFA states as much.

Chimaera

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

maristcf1 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:36:45 EST

So the writer said they suspected EVDO, but CNET says Sprint. isn't Sprint EV-DO just like Verizon??? If I'm right, what a hell of an easy miss. If I'm not, then I'm an idiot.

maristcf1

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

hinten — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 14:06:18 EST

I'd prefer a rock solid contrast ratio (which will go a long way in terms of being able to read it in less than optimal lighting conditions) and long battery usage over backlight.

hinten

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

SeraSera — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:48:52 EST

@fallenturtle: Word. And as a college student I say... if it came with a function for highlighting, marking up, and bookmarking those PDFs (Acrobat Pro UberLite?), I might actually buy digital textbooks.

SeraSera

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

fallenturtle — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:39:40 EST

Backlight is kind of a biggish deal I think. No, my latest paperback doesn't come with a backlight, but it sure would be convenient if it did.

I'd like to see someone make one of these with Adobe. A a graphic designer, I'd love to see an ebook reader that could natively support PDF files as well as plain text files.

fallenturtle

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

dirtybacon — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:39:06 EST

Hmmm... probably tie their audiobooks to their mp3 downloader...

And I, too, wonder if no backlight is a plus or minus. But then again, my old-fashioned paper books don't have a backlight. Wish this was out before my upcoming asia trip in two weeks.

dirtybacon

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

hinten — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:30:30 EST

Of all the things to complain about, backlight is not one of them. Does your latest paperback come with a backlight?

hinten

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Brock — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:27:03 EST

Hmm. I feel like I'm in their potential market, but I just don't know if this works. I'll probably have to handle one to know for sure. Will these be available for holding at Best Buy, or do I have to take a change on ordering one and returning it?

But regardless, the lack of a backlight is a bummer. I am not a fan of those arm lights. And do we have dimensions?

Brock

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

CColdsmoke — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:24:00 EST

Just what I needed. I was tired of having to carry a book and my iPhone into the crapper so I can read a book and check my e-mail. Until today, there was no hope of being able to read a book on small screened smart phones or being able to check e-mail on the latest Oprah's Book Club selection. Now I've got that all-in-one device that I've been hoping for.

CColdsmoke

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

rainfever — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:23:42 EST

lol, yup, what everyone else is saying. That thing is fugly. I'm going to have to buy a book cover to wrap it in, hide my shame.

rainfever

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

freakshow1 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:23:00 EST

good God in heaven, what the hell is that? wow. just wow.

freakshow1

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

Oro — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:09:21 EST

I really really love the idea behind ebook readers, but so far every one of them have had huge flaws that prevent me from buying one. The most notable one is a lack of good content at a reasonable price. I hope Amazon fares better in that respect. And hopefully that picture was just taken in the worst lighting on Earth...

Oro

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

ANoel — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:08:14 EST

And WTF with those keys? YIKES!
Looks like someone tried to de-magnetize the botton buttons.

ANoel

Amazon Kindle Details Break: No Backlight, Download Times, Email, Wi-Fi

bdkennedy1 — Fri, 16 Nov 2007 13:00:51 EST

Are the early 90's designs coming back, or are these companies hiring the same 70 year-old industrial designer?

bdkennedy1