Amazon Kindle Reader

[orangejello]

I was wondering if anybody here has tried the Amazon Kindle reader?

I tried a similar product from Sony last year and found it didn't really meet my needs. But I am still interested in finding an electronic reader that would make reading easier for me.

I have been reading reviews but haven't found any information on how accessible the Kindle is for somebody with no use of their hands. I don't know if anybody here can help but I just have a few questions.

1. How easy is it on your eyes to read from it for extended periods of time? I usually get my books scanned and read them on my laptop but find my eyes get fatigued and sore very quickly. How adjustable is the screen for things like brightness and contrast?

2. I would be using a mouthstick to access the buttons on the reader. From the picture its kind of hard to tell how easy this would be. Any feedback about how user friendly the buttons and any interface are would be appreciated.

3. How easy would it be to position the Kindle on a stand for use in bed or from a chair lap tray? Does it need to be positioned a certain way/angle for the text to be clear?

4. Is it worth the $400.00 price tag? Have you found the selection of books reasonable for your reading interests and needs?

5. If you have tried another kind of electronic reader how does the Kindle compare?

Thanks in advance for any feedback

[Wise Young]

OJ,

I have not tried the Amazon Kindle reader, although the reviews comparing the Kindle and the Sony eReader have usually come out in favor of the Sony. The Sony is cheaper ($262.59 at Amazon) compared to the Kindle ($399). The Sony can read only a few formats whereas the Kindle can read most formats.

I have had a iRex Iliad for over a year now. The Iliad has a bigger screen (8.1-inch diagonal) than the Sony (6-inch diagonal) but the technology is similar and it is actually best read in bright sunlight. With 256 Mb of flash RAM, 10-hour battery, and slots for every kind of memory device, the iLiad can hold hundreds of books without any difficulty. It can open almost all types of files, including pdf. It is my primary reading source on an airplane.

When connected to a Mac, the Mac simply sees the iLiad as a memory stick. I download all my book files from internet and then copy it over to the iLiad. It is fast and painless. I don't use their software at all. In fact, recently, for the first time in over a year of hard use, the iLiad froze on me and I could not figure out how to reboot the thing. So, I just let its battery run down and it rebooted itself. When I posted in the Iliad forums, asking for help, people were asking me why I didn't update to the latest system software.

The Iliad has the ability to connect wirelessly to internet to download software. Originally, I think that this was intended for people to be able to download and buy books from Internet. This wireless capability is probably one of the reasons why it is so expensive. I don't use it and don't think that I want it. I have a computer with very good internet connections and I much prefer to buy with my computer and transfer the files over to the Iliad, using it only as a reader.

When I bought it, I did extensive comparisons with the Sony. I chose the iLiad even though it was more expensive (at that time, the iLiad was about $500 and the eReader was $380). I found that I preferred the larger screen, the more intuitive flip bar for turning pages (the stainless steel bar to the left), the simple up/down arrows with a central selector button.

The ILiad also has a Wacom pen-sensitive screen for making notes on pdf files. This turned out to be a bust for several reasons. First, the iLiad was very slow in opening and turning pages of pdf files, often taking minutes to open up and display a pdf file. I was hoping that I would be able to read pdf files of journal articles but it is simply too slow. Second, the iLiad puts what you have written in another file and you have to use your computer to merge the two files in order to get an annotated pdf file. It was just too slow and cumbersome to use it to read and comment on pdf files. I gave up.

I imagine that any or all of these above would not be suitable for you. Are you thinking of using a stick-pointer to turn pages? My recommendation for you is to wait to see what the new Tablet Mac looks like. Apparently, it is of the form and size that would allow it to be used as a portable reader.

Wise.

http://www.irextechnologies.com/files/images/theiliad.png

I was wondering if anybody here has tried the Amazon Kindle reader?

I tried a similar product from Sony last year and found it didn't really meet my needs. But I am still interested in finding an electronic reader that would make reading easier for me.

I have been reading reviews but haven't found any information on how accessible the Kindle is for somebody with no use of their hands. I don't know if anybody here can help but I just have a few questions.

1. How easy is it on your eyes to read from it for extended periods of time? I usually get my books scanned and read them on my laptop but find my eyes get fatigued and sore very quickly. How adjustable is the screen for things like brightness and contrast?

2. I would be using a mouthstick to access the buttons on the reader. From the picture its kind of hard to tell how easy this would be. Any feedback about how user friendly the buttons and any interface are would be appreciated.

3. How easy would it be to position the Kindle on a stand for use in bed or from a chair lap tray? Does it need to be positioned a certain way/angle for the text to be clear?

4. Is it worth the $400.00 price tag? Have you found the selection of books reasonable for your reading interests and needs?

5. If you have tried another kind of electronic reader how does the Kindle compare?

Thanks in advance for any feedback

[PN]

Hi, OJ.

I have listened to a number of people (Steve Gibson, Cali Lewis, Leo Laporte, Paul Thurrott) and their real world reviews are positive for this first generation device from Amazon. Some of them have been using the Sony eReader, and one was using both. They prefer the Kindle. Therefore, I think it is worth the $400. However, they do not have your special needs/requirements.

If you decide to order the Kindle, Sony eReader, or the iRex Iliad, make sure you understand their return policy, and you may have to pay a restocking fee if the product does not work for you as hoped. An iMac was ordered for me from Amazon, but it arrived in December with Tiger on the harddrive and Tiger in the box. I had received old stock and an e-mail was sent to the supervisor of Customer Service. He wrote, if I wanted to return the computer then the restocking fee would be waived.

[orangejello]

Thank you both Dr. Young and PN. Your feedback was very useful and informative.

The restocking fee was the main reason I didn't order a Kindle to test to see if somehow it could be made to work for me. That's disappointing about your Mac order PN. Hearing about your experience makes me more hesitant to make any electronics purchase from Amazon than I already was.

I was able to test the Sony reader because fortunately somebody I knew had one. But it turned out I couldn't use it independently. I really would like to find a reading solution that is smaller, provides a bit more portability, and has longer battery life than my laptop. Also something that might be easier on my eyes than the laptop is.

Getting books scanned into my laptop works but I am thinking there has to be a better way to read. If not now, maybe as more of these electronic readers enter the market.

The suggestion of waiting to see about the Mac tablet is a good one, and an option I had not even thought about.

Thanks again

[garlin]

When I bought it, I did extensive comparisons with the Sony. I chose the iLiad even though it was more expensive (at that time, the iLiad was about $500 and the eReader was $380). I found that I preferred the larger screen, the more intuitive flip bar for turning pages (the stainless steel bar to the left), the simple up/down arrows with a central selector button.




The iLiad is $700 not $500, but well worth it IMO.

[spinky88]

hi,
i got a kindle for christmas! i love it. i have not seen the sony so i can not compare them for you, but i can tell you about the kindle.

i have some use of my left hand and two fingers functional on the right so i am more able to use the functions of the kindle than if i had no usage. the screen is not lit and that is one big draw back to the kindle as you can not use it in the dark; however they make an attachable light to help with that. i have not had any problems with screen position making it difficult to read. i have issues with small print even with glasses but the font on the kindle has i think it is 10 sizes and so that makes the print good size for me to easily read.

when you look at the kindle you will see a bunch of tiny buttons at the bottom and i was thinking this was part of the functionality of the unit. well, it is but not for reading your book. you can use the kindle for internet access and of course you need a keyboard for that. but as far as using it only to read, the basic thing is...download the book and then there is a little button at the botton to use to scroll down to pick out which one you want to access on the screen. since i do not have to use a mouth stick i am not sure how difficult that would be, but i do not think it would be impossible. once you get the book loaded up that you want to read, in order to turn the pages, there is a vertical bar down the right side that you click. i think that would be easy with a mouth stick. there is also a back bar on the left if you want to go back.

one feature i really like is that when you bring up the book, it automatically keeps your place so when you bring it up you are ready to read where you left off.

the kindle itself is flat and small so i dont think it would be hard to put it into a holder. it comes with a leather book cover and they recommend you fold that backwards so the front cover is against the back cover while you read. i am not sure why but that is in the instructions for ease of reading. i prefer to read a book with the book open not folded back on itself.

the reading list is extensive. i like authors like nicholas sparks, danielle steel, luanne rice and they are all there for about 3.99 each download. the best sellers and new releases are about 9.99 each. there are books for as little as .25 but they are not very good. one good feature is that once you download a book you own the download. even if you delete it from your memory, you can access it at no extra charge back from amazon at any time.

it does have a memory but it also takes those little memory cards like cameras use. so if you want to just download your books and keep them in your own disc library you can. the download takes barely any time at all to complete. almost instant.

my husband is an IT tech and he had heard of the sony and the kindle before i saw it announced. i told him i wanted that for christmas but when i told him they were already sold out everywhere and going for megabucks on ebay. little did i know that he had seen it already pre-ordered it for me. he had done a lot of research on both and he decided in spite of the higher original cost, the kindle was a better buy due to the format acceptablities and the much larger volume of available books. btw, you can also access magazines and newspapers via kindle as well.

i am one of those people who feels like if you want something done...go ask about it. i wonder if you contacted amazon and explained your disability if they would allow you to try one without the restocking fee applying if you were unable to use it? i say ask and see what they say, worst answer you could get is no!

i really like my kindle. i find it easier than turning the pages of a book. even though i have some function in my hands, i have trouble separating pages.

thinking about it, the cover for it comes with an elastic strap sewn on it to help hold the front cover in place over the front of the unit when you are storing it. i bet you could use that elastic strap to help secure it to a lap stand some how. i honestly see no reason why you couldnt secure it with large size rubber bands if you have the right kind of lap stand. it is very thin and once you have it in place all you have to do is click that bar.

it is rechargeable and you can also use it while it is plugged in, so you dont have to constantly purchase batteries.

i hope i answered your questions. if you have more, let me know and i will try to answer. if i dont know the answer i can always get the kindle out and try what you need for me to try to help you make a decision.

[orangejello]

Thanks for taking the time to write out such an in depth response Spinky88. Your was very helpful and answered many of my questions. I appreciate it. I see you are new here. Welcome to Care Cure. :)