Kindle is Amazon’s new product that lets you read books anywhere, at any time. I was sent a Kindle review unit before the holidays and have been using it ever since. The experience starts with the revolutionary display.

The screen uses electronic paper, which provides easy to read, sharp text and doesn’t give eye strain like a computer screen. The Kindle is also very light, weighing in at less than 10.3 ounces and is thinner than most paperback books.

The Kindle is comfortable to hold in either hand, and what amazes me is that you can store 200 books in the palm of your hand (more can be added on an SD card). Unlike most e-book readers though, the Kindle connects directly to Amazon over Whispernet, which utilizes the Sprint EVDO network, which means that there is no computer required for syncing books to the device. Whispernet service is free with the Kindle; no monthly service fees or yearly contracts. Amazon also provides free access to Wikipedia.

It’s not just for books either. It can handle magazines, blogs, and newspapers, which are all automatically delivered to the device. Subscriptions range from $14.99 a month for newspapers, to $1.99 a month for magazines such as Time. More than 90,000 books are available on the Kindle Store. The Kindle also has the ability to display Word documents and pictures, however Amazon charges 10 cents to convert them for viewing.

Over the last 2-3 weeks I’ve been using the Kindle, it’s been a wonderful experience. Everything is positioned on the front of the device, just where it needs to be, including the cursor scroll wheel which is used for navigating throughout menus. Also on the front is a QWERTY keyboard for searching the store.

Books and other items are delivered in less than a minute to the device and can be viewed instantly. Battery life was excellent and I only had to charge it once or twice within my testing period. The only caveat was that without lighting around you, it isn’t possible to view items on the Kindle, since there is no backlight in the screen.

I could highly recommend this to any passionate book reader who wants to take their entire collection anywhere. The Amazon Kindle is available for $399 with free two-day shipping from Amazon.com.

Pros

• Extremely easy to use.
• Lightweight.
• E-ink screen.
• No computer needed.

Cons

• Somewhat expensive.
• No screen backlight.

Final Verdict
4.5 out of 5 stars

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