The formatting thing, though? The ebook prices? The short-sightedness of the publishers insisting on higher prices and incompatible formats from seller to seller? I am all for authors getting paid, I am all for publishers making profits for the work they do to create the books … I just don’t understand how they don’t realize that people simply won’t pay as much for a digital copy that can only be read on ONE device?
.-= –Deb´s last blog ..Kindle Revisited =-.

As for ebooks, I really want to go digital this year. All my books just take up way too much space. My biggest nit is with the entire industry. Why not make universal devices and let me buy the books wherever I choose? Wouldn’t it make more sense to let me get a Kindle and buy books from iTunes or get an iPad and buy from Amazon?

Can you imagine if we had to deal with this kind of technology hogging with CDs, DVDs, cassettes, and VHS? It’s absurd.
.-= Melissa Donovan´s last blog ..A Messy, Liberating Guide to Journal Writing =-.

@George–I think the Kindle (and other ebook readers in general) could be WONDERFUL. I just don’t think they’re quite there yet. It has a lot of things to like, just not quite enough for me to actually love.

I won’t bore you with all of the details, but I did receive a Kindle around Christmas. I do love the thing, although it has complicated my decision matrix when looking at books. BK (Before Kindle) I had to decide if I wanted the book on my shelf or did I just want to check it out at the library. Since I love books and love to fill my bookcases this was no easy decision. NOW, I have to decide: buy the book, Kindle the book or library the book. Oy.

I’m in agreement with the 5 way controller. I havta use my thumbnail and even then it seems to have a mind of its own.

The pricing for Kindle books is very interesting. I spend a lot of time on the Amazon site specifically at the Kindle Bestsellers page. The prices change on the books constantly. I saw a book called Two Rivers and read the description and reviews. It looked great and it was free so I downloaded it. Two hours later, the price was $9.60. I see that happening a lot.

I too have enjoyed downloading the classics (for free). The Picture of Dorian Gray was a great read and I think without the Kindle I may never have read the book.

I know you’re a bit disappointed but hopefully you’ll get used to the Kindle and its quirks over time.

Nice review!

George

Interesting how subjective these things are. I do love my Kindle. I never read print—with my poor eyesight, it’s just too hard to try to decipher the text unless it’s large print.

I have autographed books that I’ve never read though they’re by authors I love. If the book is also available as an e-book, I’ll keep the print book for the autograph but read the e-book. Weird, I know.

Right now I have more than 30 books on my Kindle to be read, many of them new releases, and most of them were free. Just like the short-term offer you took advantage of on the Kindle, many publishers give away Kindle editions for a day or two. Often, if a new book in a series is released, earlier books are free on the day the series is released.

I talk about where I find free books in a recent blog post about Read an E-Book Week, coming up next month. There will lots of free e-books offered by publishers and authors that week (not specifically for the Kindle).
.-= Lillie Ammann´s last blog ..Looking for Vets with PTSD Who Have Improved =-.

fwiw, i love my kindle, although i get most of my books from non-amazon sources (i read a lot of classics from feedbooks and manybooks, and some indies from smashwords in addition to indies from amazon and the very occasional popular book at amazon)

If I had one, I would probably read old (hence free) books with it. I guess Amazon wouldn’t like that.
.-= Kelvin Kao´s last blog ..Pili Prestige: The Dragon Warrior =-.