In your opinion, what are Kindle's pros and cons?

[Miss Molly]

Here are mine (from the info I know so far):

Pros
-doesn't use paper (thus saving trees!)
-can hold hundreds of books, all in a package the size of a small paperback or DVD case (no more bookshelves taking up all that room! and you can take them all with you wherever you go)
-all books purchased are backed up on your Amazon.com account so if your Kindle is damaged or lost you can just download them again to your new Kindle
-slot for SD card
-new releases and bestsellers are $9.99 as opposed to the upwards of $30 many hardcovers are these days
-wireless book shopping and delivery!
-it'll be much more difficult for me to skip ahead and read a little bit, giving things away (my bad reading habit)
-etc.

Cons
-you don't have the books you purchased in hard copy
-no light for reading in the dark (NOT backlit, but maybe a little recessed LED at the top of the screen that would shine down on the screen (with on/off switch of course) - I don't have a Kindle yet though, would this work or would it glare?)

Correct me if anything here is inaccurate!

I've watched the Kindle video on amazon.com several times now and noticed that the screen briefly flashes black when changing pages - does this bother anybody?
Also, does anyone know why the estimated shipping time is currently 2-3 weeks even though it says they are in stock? If I choose overnight shipping will I get it the next day or is there a processing time that cannot be avoided?

[pidgeon92]

Cons
-you don't have the books you purchased in hard copy
-no light for reading in the dark (NOT backlit, but maybe a little recessed LED at the top of the screen that would shine down on the screen (with on/off switch of course) - I don't have a Kindle yet though, would this work or would it glare?)

These are both, actually, Pros for me. I don't want any more stuff in my house, and backlit screens give me eyestrain after a few hours. As for a reading lamp, I have several of those. 

[Miss Molly]

These are both, actually, Pros for me. I don't want any more stuff in my house, and backlit screens give me eyestrain after a few hours. As for a reading lamp, I have several of those. 

True! I could get a separate little reading lamp. And you are right, I don't want more books cluttering up my space either - some special books I would prefer in hard copy, but not very many. I guess it's a very minor con! 

[pidgeon92]

I did just check the status of the Kindle on Amazon, I don't see anything that indicates they are in stock.

There is a flashing when you turn the page. It hasn't bothered me at all, but others have reported that it does bother them.

[Essensia]

The flashing seemed prominent when I first started using my Kindle, but I just realized that I stopped noticing it within the first hour or so.  It's amazingly easy to become absorbed in a Kindle book just as I would a regular book.  I'm not really conscious of clicking the Next Page button, either.  It just "happens."

[Angela]

These are both, actually, Pros for me. I don't want any more stuff in my house, and backlit screens give me eyestrain after a few hours. As for a reading lamp, I have several of those. 

I am with Pidgeon on all accounts! I have found any cons. I kinda wish the web browsing was a bit better, but I have a desktop computer, a laptop and a SmartPhone that all do that so it really isn't necessary. I bought to read books and I am satisfied.

[NYCKindleFan]

The flash doesn't bother me at all. Some folks say the price is a con, but I think it's well worth it, even if you have to save your pennies for awhile. 

Oprah showcasing the Kindle caused Amazon to run out of them, so the three week shipping is probably pretty accurate. I ordered mine on 10/30(got it 11/5) and I believe they went out of stock the very next day. I'm sure they are making more as fast as they can! 

[Angela]

The flashing seemed prominent when I first started using my Kindle, but I just realized that I stopped noticing it within the first hour or so.  It's amazingly easy to become absorbed in a Kindle book just as I would a regular book.  I'm not really conscious of clicking the Next Page button, either.  It just "happens."

I don't really notice the flash anymore either.

[chynared21]

The flash doesn't bother me as I've gotten into the habit of hitting the button at the beginning of the last sentence. It becomes pretty seamless once you get used to it. I find that I do read a lot faster now than I would a DTB 

[Jeff]

The only complaint that I have with the Kindle is the fact that it doesn’t support tables.

Using tables to organize information in rows and columns is important for many text books or technical books and essential for books with code snippets.

It seems to me that if the powers-that-be within Amazon would add that feature it would open a whole new and very profitable market for them. The last paperback, programming manual I bought from Microsoft Press cost about $60.00 and it weighs five pounds.

Jeff

[Cuechick]

Some other Pros:

Able to read in bright sun light (the flip side of not having a backlit screen) it reads like an actual book, where ever you are. Books are not backlit either but that has not stopped anyone from buying one. But if you took it outside to read and the page disappeared that would kind of suck, don't you think?

Free samples, being able to read a full chapter at my leisure is a great way for me to pick books I will enjoy. In book stores, I never feel like I can sit back and read enough, so I often bought books I ended up not really liking and sometimes not finishing.

I think it makes reading more fun and easier, so I will read even more.

Cons:
My only concern is dropping it and breaking it, so I wish it was more durable...

[TheJohnNewton]

The main pros:
1) You can carry around many books in one small light package
2) All the free books on the internet are now usable (I would not read them off an computer screen)

Cons:
1) Why the power switches on the back???

There are more cons to ebooks in general not just the Kindle:
1) With the current state of technology they don't work well for graphically oriented material
2) Books are still being sold in proprietary formats.  Silly, silly, silly.

Edit: You know my pros aren't really specific to the Kindle either, lol. 

So a Kindle specific pro:
1) The wireless feature, I can so easily download my morning newspaper, check wikipedia for a word or subject, look at a book review, all from my couch, car, office, wherever whispernet can be found.

[tc]

No cons, all pros.

[Angela]

OK, maybe one con (and I am hopeful that there may be a software update sometime in the near future)... I would like to have files or someway of storing my reading material so as to make it easier to locate books and only show my current reading list on the home screen.

[jmiked]

The only complaint that I have with the Kindle is the fact that it doesn’t support tables.

Well, they do pretty well if you stack them high enough. 

[Jeff]

 

[TheJohnNewton]

OK, maybe one con (and I am hopeful that there may be a software update sometime in the near future)... I would like to have files or someway of storing my reading material so as to make it easier to locate books and only show my current reading list on the home screen.

You can sort the list to show them in the order they were last read.  That puts the ones you're currently reading at the top.

[durphy]

No cons. Still on honeymoon.

[Buttercup]

Pros:

-Very easy to read on
-adjustable font size - when I get tired I just up the font a notch and voila, I can read longer!
-Whispernet!   I love being able to buy a book while I'm at work and the fact that turning whispernet on doesn't interfere with all the radio equipment is awesome. 
-storage capacity - I always have a variety of books to choose from
-lightweight & easy to hold
-it has definitely gotten me to read more and to read things I never would have otherwise

Cons:

-on/off and whispernet switches on the back - I think they'd have been better off someplace else
-price - I love my Kindle so much I'd love to be able to give them as gifts to my mom and sister who have always been avid readers but at $359 I just can't

The only other cons I've come up with don't have anything to do with the actual Kindle itself.  I'd like to see a bigger variety of cases and other accessories.  I'd like to be able to get the Harry Potter series on Kindle, I loved those books and I think JK is doing her readers a big disservice by not allowing them to be published in the e-format. 

[Angela]

You can sort the list to show them in the order they were last read.  That puts the ones you're currently reading at the top.

That is how I have them sorted right now, but I guess what I wish for is a cleaner looking home page... ONLY my current selections and the abililty to file away the others in folders for ease of selection rather than page after page after page...

[hazeldazel]

here's my list:

-high initial price of device
-cannot share books or sell used books for $
-books with pictures, graphs, tables, etc. don't work well
-not all books available in ebook format
-have to buy books again in new format (this is optional)

pros:
-doesn't kill trees
-large amount of storage of digital books
-don't have books cluttering up house
-lost/damaged books backed up
-can customize storage with additional SD card
-ebooks are cheaper
-don't have to drive to the bookstore (instant gratification and save $ on gas)
-Very easy on the eyes (no glare or backlight)
-adjustable font size
-small and lightweight
-able to try out a book before purchasing
-independent authors have easy access to a new audience
-easy to take reading material with you wherever you go


P.S. the flash when turning pages doesn't bother me at all, I have epilepsy so I was concerned about it.  But it's extremely minimal and not really a "flash" per se, just a changing of the color of the background.  So I didn't put that on my list.

[TheJohnNewton]

"can not sell used books for $"

Why would you want to do this?  I just took a big bag of paper books to Half Price.  What a pain.  I see not having to deal with unwanted stacks of ink on paper as an advantage.

[Angela]

"can not sell used books for $"

Why would you want to do this?  I just took a big bag of paper books to Half Price.  What a pain.  I see not having to deal with unwanted stacks of ink on paper as an advantage.

My mom is the only one concerned about this one... now I won't have books to donate to her garage sales!! 

[TheJohnNewton]

My mom is the only one concerned about this one... now I won't have books to donate to her garage sales!! 

I see.   

[Linda Cannon-Mott]

No cons for me. I got use to the flash within a hour. I am reading faster and love everything about my Kindle. I feel as if I am definitely getting my money's worth when it comes to the price. My first reading device so I have nothing to compare it too but others on the forum do. 

Linda

[Gertie Kindle 'a/k/a Margaret Lake']

"can not sell used books for $"

Why would you want to do this?  I just took a big bag of paper books to Half Price.  What a pain.  I see not having to deal with unwanted stacks of ink on paper as an advantage.

I agree.  About every three months I fill up the trunk of my car with books and trundle them off to Goodwill.  It's nice that Goodwill can make some money, someone can benefit from the availability of cheap books and I can get a small tax deduction.  But believe me, I've got so many DTBs, Goodwill isn't going to suffer anytime soon from lack of my donations.

[rla1996]

Except for that fact that while My local library does do e-books, it does not do them in Kindle compatable formats, there are no real cons to Kindle.  I love the ability to get books instantly wherever I am whenever I want.

RLA1996

[Luvmy4brats]

The only con I have is the lack of folders, and while mildly annoying, its not horribly awful.


Pros:

-adjustable text size
- no piles or shelves of books
- no driving to bookstore
- no losing books
- always (almost) have the next book in the series without wait
- samples
- always have a variety with me wherever I am

[pidgeon92]

The only con I have is the lack of folders, and while mildly annoying, its not horribly awful.

I don't understand this either. It can't be that difficult to program.

[Miss Molly]

That is how I have them sorted right now, but I guess what I wish for is a cleaner looking home page... ONLY my current selections and the abililty to file away the others in folders for ease of selection rather than page after page after page...

I agree - I would want a "clean" looking home page too! Maybe at some point they will create an update for this and everyone will automatically get the update via Whispernet! 
Also I have been thinking that the Kindle doesn't really have any cons after all (the hard copy "con" was really just for special books, my very favorites, but those I would just purchase in hard copy anyway). I am considering ordering one tonight!!! I have been trying to convince myself for the last few days to just take the plunge - it is pricey but I think I am almost at the point where I feel it would be completely justified!

[Miss Molly]

I did just check the status of the Kindle on Amazon, I don't see anything that indicates they are in stock.

There is a flashing when you turn the page. It hasn't bothered me at all, but others have reported that it does bother them.

Ha ha, you are right - it doesn't say that they are in stock. I don't know why I thought it did....

[sjc]

The pros for me are endless. 
The one con: folders/organization other than sd cards.

[Miss Molly]

I did just check the status of the Kindle on Amazon, I don't see anything that indicates they are in stock.

Oh! I found it! It says they are in stock if you add it to your cart.

[Michael R. Hicks]

I think the only really significant "con" that I've come across is battery life: while it's okay, I'd like to see it improved, particularly when the whispernet connection is active.

Past that, I haven't really found much to complain about. I can put a ton of books on it if I want, I can buy more in most of the places in the U.S. that I'm likely to go, I can search, make notes, and cross-index if I'm so inclined, and so on. And for me, the screen and the font-change feature make it *much* easier on my eyes than dead tree books. Plus, I'm very into "being green" nowadays, and every book I buy on the Kindle is a chunk of a tree somewhere that (in theory) is being saved. And as much as I love hardcopy books, they just take up too much space and are hard to move around.

So, I'm sure they'll come up with nifty bells and whistles for future Kindles, but I'm quite content that we got our money's worth (particularly with Amazon's outstanding customer service). 

Cheers,
Mike

[pidgeon92]

Oh! I found it! It says they are in stock if you add it to your cart.

You are correct, I just tried it.

[Teach142]

Yeah Reader! 

Still trying to decide on which skin to get myself.  I keep going back and forth as the which to get that will match the MEdge I want to get as well.  Oh accessories!

[DawnOfChaos]

The previous posters have listed all my pros, but I have just a couple cons:

Lack of a supported auto scroll.  I know the scroll that is on there isn't an advertised feature and you can adjust it by increasing/decreasing the font size.  I just wish there was an actual supported auto scroll what I could use to leave the font size at the size I would like and be able to adjust the speed of the page turn.  This is a feature I really miss from reading on my PDA.

I wish the clicking of the 'next page' button was a little more silent.

I wish the cover it came with held it in place a bit more securely.

Otherwise I seriously love this thing.

[patrisha w.]

The Pros
1. The dictionary. I am surprised how often I use it
2. The fact that I can store so many books on it. {The last time I went to Italy, I bought high-priced English books there even though I had brought a couple of trilogies with me.}
3. The ability to change fonts--Font number 4 during the day and 6 at night when I take my glasses off and read in bed. Also, the largest font enables me to read while I am walking on the treadmill.
4. Free samples. I love the ability to sample the book.
5. The convenience of being able to download a book when I want it without leaving home.
6. The fact that so many books are being added. For example, a few weeks ago, I checked for Donna Leon's mysteries set in Italy. None of them were available. Today I checked, and there were three of them

The Cons
1. The on/off button and the whispernet button are difficult to reach when the Kindle is in its cover.
2. I would LOVE folders.

Patricia

[Vegas_Asian]

Pros:
1. Like many of you I am trying to go green as much as I can. So i have been transferring my school notes to kindle format and not printing them out. (also saves room in my binder)/
2. Samples
3. Cheaper books
4. Instantly can buy books and saves me gas.
5. Not having to share my books with someone else (who isn't going to return the book for another couple months to a year)
6. When I return to the university dorms or visit the family in hawaii, I don't have to pick which books get to travel with me.
7. I don't have to have my Zune with me all the time. I uploaded my top two hundred+ songs to my Kindle.

Cons
1. I would like folders too. (so I can better organize my notes)
2. A describtion/summary option for my ebooks, (I order books, but forget what they are about)
3. Move the on and off switch to a more convenient place.
4. I would like a previous page button the right side.
5. It would be nice if the dictionary had a "say" option so I can also hear how a word in pronounced. (also don't have to carry my Franklin electronic dictionary with me to school)

It would be cool, if there was Kindle locator option that showed how many kindles are in area. Instead of minesweeper I would prefer Sudoku.