Amazon have finally launched the Kindle in the UK, and although it is officially out today you will be lucky to get your mitts on it as phenomenal demand has seen the device sell out till mid September. The postie dropped off one yesterday, so read one to find out what the first 24 hours of Kindle life is like.
The first talking point is that the device comes preloaded with your name and Amazon account details, which can be a bit tricky if you are buying the device for someone as a gift. You can remotely deactivate it through the Amazon website, but on first bootup it will display your name, and not that of a loved one. If you have preordered a device, you can already buy books from the online store and they will appear as soon as you connect the Kindle to the Internet either through Wi-Fi, or if you stump up a bit more cash, 3G. A 300 page book weighs in at around 250kb so it is not a long download at all, and with over 3gb of memory you can fit a helluva lot of titles on there.
That’s the helpful information that you get once the Kindle has been dispatched, then you wait a day for the postman to drop it off. Amazon sent me a wooden spoon (don’t ask) earlier in the week in a huge cardboard box and was dreading the Kindle package. I needn’t have worried. The device comes in well packaged custom shaped box with a helpful pull tab to open safely. You are then presented with the device, protected with plastic sheets, and a guide on how to turn it on. At first I thought this guide was a piece of card that was covering the screen, but it was actually being displayed on the screen. Yep, the device comes powered on and I was in shock at the quality of the image. It really does look like paper. It is also unbelievably thin, as the below picture shows.
I switched it on connected to Wi-Fi and got the books I had already ordered online. There is a vast selection available with decent prices for the majority of new releases and lots of free public domain titles. However some books that are a few years old seemed rather expensive, however under £3 for The Girl In The Dragon Tattoo seemed reasonable to me. You can also download sample chapters for free before committing to buy which is handy if you are a wary about a hyped up new author. The books were downloaded quickly and were available to read in the library with a quick click.
The device does not have a touch screen, but has plenty of buttons, though you will only be using a few – mainly the previous/next keys and the directional pad and enter button. Previous/next are featured on both the left and right sides of the Kindle, catering for the lefties out there and are very quiet to click so no waking your partner(s) if you happen to share a bed. The provided keyboard is adequate for searching for books in the store on the device, though you will prefer doing the shopping via computer. You can also download books straight to your computer and transfer via USB but this has a major stumbling block – finding the bloody section on the Amazon site where the books are stored. Once found, you download and drag and drop onto the device – no syncing software required, take that Apple.
Why buy an eBook reader? It saves on space in the house and in suitcases, very easy to use on crowded transport and won’t strain the eyes as much as using a reader on a phone or iPad. There are also other interesting reasons for having one. I bought the Kindle mainly for my girlfriend to use. She suffers from Kidney failure, and has to undergo Dialysis 4 hours a day, three times a week at the local hospital. During this time she has to keep her left arm very still while two needles pump away making most activities, including reading a book near impossible. We had looked at other reads before , but with this new version of the Kindle, she can easily hold it and turn pages with one hand. A genuinely fantastic use for a gadget.
24 hours in and I am very happy with my purchase. It looks fantastic, works brilliantly, has a good range and will be incredibly useful for use in hospital. The only major hurdle has been some older titles being rather expensive. If you enjoy reading, want to save space in your home and commute regularly I would recommend this immediately. It usually takes some time for me to fully enjoy and endorse a gadget, but the Kindle has blown me away and I look forward to reinvigorating my love affair with reading.
