INTRODUCTION

I am an avid reader, when I am not using my electronic products! Now the two can be amalgamated! I look forward to reviewing some books in the future. For me, the price of the Amazon kindle, combined with the eBook price and the space saving element of not needing room for physical books.

DESIGN AND FEATURES

This model of the Kindle is 190mm x 122 x 10mm in size and weighs just under 250g. If I choose to, I can hold in comfortably in one hand, and this is probably the case for most people. There is a QWERTY Keyboard under the screen for typing notes, or searching for books. Although this is a nice feature to have, it is a bit fiddly, as the buttons are very close together and there is a slight delay after pressing the button before the character appears on the screen. Another disappointment is that there are no dedicated keys for numbers and to access them you have to first press the SYM key, comparable to the shift key on the computer.

Another design feature I like is the fact that there are page forward and page back buttons on both the left and right sides of the unit. This means you can hold it in both hands and not have to stretch over the screen to press them. It's a simple addition but a worthwhile one nevertheless.
I love the screen on the Kindle and it makes reading very easy. In the past few weeks, I have tried reading on iBooks on my iPad, but I find it hurts your eyes because it's bright, and is also hard to use in the sun.

On the Kindle, you get a screen which replicates a page perfectly, and is not backlit which means it is easy to read on the beach on holiday, something I have found useful.

The Kindle has an integrated store where you can buy your books, after linking it with your Amazon account, you can navigate through and pick a book and have it downloaded in just a few seconds. Alternatively, via Whispernet, you can purchase the book on the Amazon website, and it will wirelessly download, provided you have network access. I've tried both ways and it works brilliantly! I have the WiFi model, but you can purchase a 3G Model as well, allowing pay as you go internet access.

MEMORY AND BATTERY LIFE

The device holds over 3000 books I believe, and it is important to mention at this stage that there are also lots of free books available online, particularly classics. The battery life is second to none, and I think last year I only had to charge it about 15 times in the whole year - it can easily last a month!

SUMMARY

This is a super device, although it lacks an interface found on tablet PCs, it is far better, in my opinion than other eReaders, and the screen really makes it for me! It is super for people who travel a lot, who do not want to cart heavy hardbacks around. The range of books is great, and you can request books to be added if not available.