Best Buy of 2009 – Amazon’s Kindle

l have heard e-books for quite a while but never had the courage to try it out. First I’m not sure about the technology E-ink. If it is an alternative version of LCD then it is unusable. My eyes will not be able to read LCD display without some discomfort for a reasonably lengthy time period (such as an hour). It is not uncommon for me to keep reading for a few hours, especially if the book is good.

Another worry is the lack of contents. Up until the beginning of 2009 all e-books ready for downloading seem to be collection of classics or out of favor books (I might be wrong but that was the perception I was under). Without new books available in e-book format the device will not be of any value.

In March 2009 Amazon launched their second generation of Kindle and I began to see lots of good feedbacks from customers. On the Kindle pages I also saw more and more newly published books listed there – at a very attractive price (mostly $9.99). Unfortunately Kindle 2 was only available in the US, meaning that even if you bought a Kindle (in fact Amazon did not allow you to purchase if you are based outside the US), you would not be able to download any books.

I kept checking once in a while and was pleasantly surprised when Amazon announced in Oct that international edition of Kindle was available. And good news is Hong Kong is among those countries that Kindle can be bought. I promptly placed an order and got hold of the new Kindle in early Nov.

It looks handsome on the outside. It is small (though will be smaller in the future I’m sure) and can be easily slipped into the side pocket of my suit. It is light (though again will become lighter in the future) and can be carried without imposing any burden on your trip. This is a great plus considering not too long ago I have to carry at least the weight of a paperback, sometimes a hard cover. I did not order the leather jacket as I don’t want to increase its size. It turns out to be a wise decision. I carry my Kindle on my pocket and pull it out for some intense reading in a train, in a bus, or even in an elevator.

The E-ink technology far exceeds my expectation. I later learned it was developed by MIT. It is based on tiny capsules filled with positively charged white particles and negatively charged black particles suspended in clear liquid. Display can then be manipulated by polarity in specific areas of the display. It is easy on the eyes and can be read even under bright sunlight. It does not require backlight so the battery can last for many days after one single charge. My impression is it looks exactly like a black-and-white printed book. No it does not have color, nor does it show great pictures or graphics. But it serves my purpose really well, which is to simulate a real book.

The download logistic from Amazon is also well designed. The 3G/GPRS network connection is great, whether I am in Hong Kong or Canada. I can browse through the Kindle store with ease, download sample chapter of a book for free, and if I like a book I can purchase and download immediately to my Kindle at reasonably good speed (within a minute). Prices for new books have been increased to $12.99 but are still acceptable.

I would call Kindle the best buy of 2009 for me. It exceeds my expectation. Although some new books are still not available in e-book format, most books are there once they are released in hard cover. I don’t have to wait for shipment after placing an order – downloading is immediate. The Kindle interface is easy to use if not fantastic – it does the job nicely. I’m sure future version will keep improving, but the time to jump into e-reading is – NOW.