Kindle Wireless 3G
By ThePresidentialCandidates.US on Dec 5, 2010 in Features
This is a special Christmas shopping feature that doesn’t really have anything to do with politics (except that you can read books about politics on the Kindle… and magazines, blogs, and newspapers too.)
I was just looking over the features of the Kindle Wireless 3G and it kind of blew me away how much this thing actually does now (and it’s cheaper than it used to be to boot.) I think all of the features it has really makes it a great gift, even for someone who has no interest in ever reading a book digitally.
FEATURES
+ High-contrast screen (easy to read.)
+ Long lasting battery (up to one month with the wireless off!)
+ Very light (only 8.5 oz.)
+ Holds up to 3,500 books.
+ Built in wi-fi (free at all AT&T hot spots.)
+ New “Web-kit” based web browser.
+ Download new books, magazines, newspapers in over 100 countries around the world.
+ Wireless 3G with no fees.
+ Over a million out of copyright books available for free download.
I actually find myself wanting one even though I don’t really like the idea of reading digital books. I like thumbing through pages when I read. For me the thing that’s really making me want to get the Kindle Wireless 3G is the unlimited 3G wireless without any payments/fees (it works like a GPS in that way.)
This wireless 3G combined with the “web kit” based web browser sounds awesome. I also love the idea of being able to download almost any classic out of copyright book and read it for free.
I thought I would miss turning the pages of a “real book” as well, but the Kindle is so well designed that the device virtually disappears! It’s so small and lightweight that reading becomes even more enjoyable and it’s so portable that you have more opportunities to read. I never leave the house without it; waiting at the doctors office or DMV flies by since I have a library in my purse.
I no longer have sore shoulders or a stiff neck from marathon reading sessions because I can read one handed in any position!
Being able to adjust the size of the text is great for reading with my 6 yr old son, it’s easier for him to follow along when I read to him and it’s really advanced his reading skills. He’s so much more eager to read now. If you have kids you’ll find all sorts of great free books. We love finding fables and fairy tales from around the world, poetry, and books like Treasure Island. The Complete Works of Rudyard Kipling are a must!
You’re able to carry it everywhere and have a lot more opportunities to read. There are millions of free classic books available! Without paying a dime, I’ve been able to enjoy the complete collections of Mark Twain, Shakespeare, all of the Sherlock Holmes mysteries, Dickens, Jane Austen, Jules Verne, etc. It’s also allowed me to enjoy poetry that I hadn’t taken much time to read since college. With the complete works of so many poets available for free, I can enjoy them and discover their less famous works. I wouldn’t carry a bunch of physical poetry books around with me, but now I read them frequently and have inspired a love of poetry in my 6 yr old, rough & tumble son because they’re easily accessible in the car or for a quick bedtime read.
The battery life on the Kindle is incredible. Even with very heavy use, I only charge it every 2 weeks (I have the older version, the newer version will get you a minimum of 3 weeks without a charge as long as you don’t leave the wireless connection on). Because you rarely have to charge it and it’s so simple, I don’t even see it as an electronic device or a gadget.
If you have a close family member that loves to read, you can share all books that are on the same account. So if your spouse has an iPad, laptop, iPod touch, or smartphone (or you end up ordering another Kindle) you can both read the same book at the same time without paying for 2 copies! I don’t see those devices as a replacement for the Kindle however, it “feels” like an e-book if you read on a backlit (LCD) screen; reading on the Kindle feels like you’re reading a real book.
Even my thoroughly Luddite mother uses her Kindle daily. After reading one book on my Kindle she fell in love with it and has been an e-book convert ever since. That may be the best testament to the ease of use and enjoyable, familiar reading experience I can give!
StephSchiff | Dec 8, 2010 | Reply
Thanks for the input StephSchiff … I’m really thinking about getting one of these for myself…
ThePresidentialCandidates.US | Dec 8, 2010 | Reply