I bought a Kindle with high hopes. I live in Missoula, Montana, which is one of the largest cities in the state. It turns out that the wireless connectivity that the Kindle requires does NOT work in Montana. After several tech support calls they admitted that there is no coverage in Montana. There may also be no coverage in other states, such as Wyoming and Alaska. This means that the Service component of the device is useless, and that many, many people may be duped. I think this is bait and switch advertising, and I think Amazon owes people in Montana, as well as other non-coverage areas, an apology.

ssaroff

plee9

Aero7

targatop

targatop

ParJoe

gtfo

But before I take the leap, I need the following for a compelling product:
1) COLOR eInk
2) WiFi built in (with an off switch to save juice), EV-DO is nice, too
3) Web/RSS/email access
4) More than just RSS feeds for Magazine subscription replacement, inclde pictures (and work on cologne ads smell-o-vision)
5) Let me import and view my own files for FREE
6) An onboard eBook store is nice, but at least give the option for a good 'ol PC sync
7)Optional solid state drive
8)$200-$300

Google? Apple? MSFT? Anyone??

trendspotter

Connor

Ok, $699 is too much to pay for it, and it really needs to come with more than 256mb, but I still don't care.

It's good looking (way better than the Kindle, maybe better than the Sony), it's got wi-fi built in, it takes all eBook formats AND lets you put any PDF or HTML doc on it - I love it!

I really hope someone like Dell or Gateway gets involved with iRex so this could be available at a lower price. I'd be first in line.

permissionmag

wilsonma29

Of course, there are other phones that can do some or all of those things. Phone screens (2.8" diagonal for the Tilt) are a bit small for doing heavy web browsing but it's fine for RSS, occasional web browsing and all of the other things I've mentioned.

Web browsing is the only thing that I feel the phone doesn't do that well even with Opera or NetFront because of the screen size but it'll do when I'm away from a computer. I love it for everything else. It's not the best camera but it does well enough when I don't want to carry a camera and Windows Media Player is well, Windows Media Player.

I don't like Microsoft but Windows Mobile has a LOT of applications that serve my needs. It is a godsend since we use Exchange at work and I can get push email as well as sync my appointments, contacts and tasks.

How many apps can one use on the Kindle?

All that for $300 (less than the Kindle).

And it fits into my pocket. Jason Chen might enjoy putting gadgets down his pants but I do not.

wilsonma29

Wow, that's lame.

photophile

yogibimbi

yogibimbi

@Buford T. Justice: What's the use of internet access if all you're going to get is greyscale porn? Of course if you're into porn from like the 1920s then it's perfect.

@Amuro: Well said.

@Brock: Huh. Nintendo seems to be doing just fine selling what are essentially DRM'd game cartridges for the DS.

@andrewl6097: I much prefer RSS feeds on my Tilt because I can read them while I'm waiting for friends at a restaurant or a coffee shop or when my girlfriend drags me to the damn mall to go shopping without the need to lug one of the ugliest gadgets in recent memory. Oh yeah, my Tilt can browse the web in colour, do my PDA type thingies, handle my work (Exchange no less) and two personal email accounts, take photos, play music and videos, does full GPS (TeleNav, TomTom, Google Maps), does SMS, plays games, tethers to my notebook and make phone calls (fancy that). Oh and my Tilt fits in my pocket.

----

I own a Sony Reader and it serves my needs especially when I'm on the road for work because it slips nicely into the back pocket of my carry-on bag. It's easier on the eyes than any kind of computer screen. Battery life lets me read several novels between charges. The battery life on my Tilt is okay for all of my other needs as listed above but reading anything for a long time on that tiny screen is a surefire way to thicker glasses not to mention taking away battery life from my needs as listed above.

I'm waiting for the colour eBook readers before I upgrade from the Sony Reader. Bluetooth would be cool so I can tether to my phone for internet access.

wilsonma29

kjamc1982

Xenobiologista

And how does the Reader, or anything else, get RSS feeds without an internet connection? How do I get BoingBoing on the road with a Sony Reader?

andrewl6097

thanatos69

Amuro

Who am I kidding, I'll never afford one.

Bowler Hat

fostina1

Canoehead

The thing has FULL web browsing. Don't think it does flash but I was able to browse and log in to numerous sites. Graphics are good for grayscale and it doesn't butcher page formatting. Haven't tried Giz yet...

Kindle shop VERY easy to use. Subscribing to the WSJ took 90 seconds and downloading today's edition another 30. This thing is the ultimate 'sit and think' device (for Leisure Suit Larry fans).

Doesn't do native PDF but will convert in Email for free. Only costs if you send the doc DIRECTLY to the Kindle. Any other Email address with file transfer via USB and it's FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE.

The thing works and works well. It's MUCH more usable and useful than the Sony. As for people bitching about price... y'all seen the iLiad lately???? Not sure why everyone's hating on Amazon but the device is damn good.

Buford T. Justice

Vizi

Of course, you have to load the converted document via USB or SD card, but that's easy enough in most cases. I expect that sooner or later we'll see desktop conversion tools.

jak312

smackswell

The absolute most I would possibly pay for something that looked like that would be $100, and that would only be if I was sold on the concept of an ebook reader, which honestly... I'm not. I imagine the target market for this also happens to be AARP members, but most of them can remember a time when they bought a car for $400, so this iteration at least seems doomed from the start.

chinesedentist

BloggyMcBlogBlog

calaverasgrandes

jdorwart

It costs NOTHING to load your own content onto the Kindle. They only charge you if you use their remote service to convert the file and transmit it to the kindle. That's it. You can hook a usb cable up to the kindle and put any file from your computer onto the kindle. It's a mass storage device.

Supagoat

Brock

If the Sony was Mac-compatible, I'd buy one right now. I want native pdf support, not conversion to some other format.

Also, as a writer, typography is an important aspect that is totally thrown out the window by the Kindle, as it converts everything to its own native font.

HoboJoe

kyledwards

It pains me that each media industry (music, movies, and now books) have to climb up this learning curve on their own, and can't seem to learn from each other's failures in this respect.

Brock

Bender

Even if I was paying $20 for physical copies of new releases (I can usually find them cheaper,) I'd have to buy 40 ebooks before I'd even see any savings with the Kindle. That's a long time to get a return on my investment.

I want an ebook reader, (I love the idea of taking multiple books with me on trips without loading down my suitcase,) I just don't want to drop $400 or even $300 to do it.

Amazon is in a great position to take the razor/razor blade approach. Sell me the reader for cheap and make your money on the "refils."

Does anyone think Gillette would have any success (in the razor market) if the Mach 5 (or what ever it's called) cost $50 and refils were only $3 ?

Bender

Brian Lam

Gann

TommySez

lastpulse

"But if you just want something to read books on (presumably books you'll download from Amazon), the Kindle seems like a good, albeit an expensive, choice."

Do you honestly think you would enjoy picking up this beige-ass beast and reading a book on it? If you put aside the specs, remove the "gadget factor" and picture yourself on a hammock in hawaii with a few hours to kill, do you honestly picture yourself picking this thing up and pleasure reading?

Either you're going to be using a real computer to do real computer type stuff, or a flappy stack of dead tree pulp to do reading type stuff. But the Kindle is like "Political Science": Neither politics nor science, but the worst of both by way of kludgy combination.

frigg

And another major plus for the Cybook is that it supports DRMed Mobipocket ebooks, which many libraries lend through their websites.

werk

Since most Gizmodo readers probably all have at least one computer, sure the Kindle isn't going to appeal too much to us. But since close to 50% of the population doesn't have a computer and broadband access, this device might be appealing to them.

midtoad

"...will make the Kindle look like it was made in the late '80s."

-- It already does.

iSmoteThee

Yaotl