Customer Reviews, including Product Star Ratings help customers to learn more about the product and decide whether it is the right product for them.
To calculate the overall star rating and percentage breakdown by star, we don’t use a simple average. Instead, our system considers things like how recent a review is and if the reviewer bought the item on Amazon. It also analyzed reviews to verify trustworthiness.
Customers like the ease of use, readability, performance, size and value of the Kindle. They mention that the e-ink display is as crisp and sharp as reading, it's a great supplemental device and that it works great. They also appreciate battery life, quality, and book selection. That said, opinions are mixed on the value of this product.
AI-generated from the text of customer reviews
5,884 customers mention5,240 positive644 negative
Customers like the ease of use of the Amazon Kindle. They mention that the device is simple and intuitive. They also appreciate the keyboard and buttons for quick, no-fuss access to things. They like that the Kindle can be used anywhere, including their cherished easy chair. Customers also like the new navigation method, saying that it is decent and intuitive to new users.
"...Reading books is just much easier. Furthermore, the ability to download the first chapter of the books to 'preview' them is amazing...." Read more
"...It's very intuitive -- anybody who spends time with gadgets and tech stuff will get this with only a couple missteps, and a muttered, "Doh."..." Read more
"...You would not want to type up a paper on it though. The page turning buttons are nice and makes the Kindle fit in your hand nicely during reading...." Read more
"...Once I realized the range of topics and titles, and the simplicity and convenience of holding a small tablet weighing less than a pound -- a..." Read more
4,516 customers mention4,094 positive422 negative
Customers find the readability of the Kindle 2 to be excellent. They appreciate the clear, crisp e-ink display, which makes it easy to read. It is also accessible and friendly for those with a visual impairment. They mention that the raised keys and font sizing make it easier to understand the text. Overall, customers are satisfied with the quality and readability.
"...It's so easy to just keep reading, enlarge the text size if you're a bit tired, bookmark pages, add notes, etc. Reading books is just much easier...." Read more
"...will aide and abet me in avoiding that for a while -- the page is easy to read, the font size is easy to change, and my eyes sail across the words,..." Read more
"...There is really no eye strain involved in reading the Kindle and you also have the advantage of changing the font size which is something I wish you..." Read more
"...less than a pound -- a convenience that offers, as well, the ability to read to me (albeit in a stained sort of computerese) -- I decided that this..." Read more
4,436 customers mention3,964 positive472 negative
Customers like the size of the Kindle. They say it's small, but not too small, the keyboard is also much much smaller, and the screen is much larger than their current Pocket PC and Blackberry. They also appreciate the variable font size and that two new font sizes were added. However, some customers say that the e-reader is not that light.
"...It's so easy to just keep reading, enlarge the text size if you're a bit tired, bookmark pages, add notes, etc. Reading books is just much easier...." Read more
"...avoiding that for a while -- the page is easy to read, the font size is easy to change, and my eyes sail across the words, my finger hits next page..." Read more
"...involved in reading the Kindle and you also have the advantage of changing the font size which is something I wish you could do with some books when..." Read more
"...But I buy lots of books.The time the kindle 2 takes to swap screens is also OK although this is probably a personal thing...." Read more
3,488 customers mention2,912 positive576 negative
Customers like the performance of the Kindle. They mention that it is a very powerful tool for high school and college students, and a great supplemental device meant to enhance not replace books. The joystick is highly functional, and the keypad is extremely easy to click even if you're using it in a different hand. Overall, the e-reader is an amazing product that meets or exceeds all expectations. It is suited for anyone who reads and is able to check the weather, read news, and more.
"...I attached the light purchased just for the purpose, and it worked beautifully and allowed the Kindle to do it's job as a reader with the goal of..." Read more
"...For now, suffice to say that this Kindle is a worthy gadget for anyone who reads, and it is especially suited to anyone who reads on the go or wants..." Read more
"ALL improvements from K1 to K2 are potent, logical, and natural... and were obviously designed with USERS (no one else) in mind......" Read more
"...way to hold it closed, and the tabs to secure the Kindle2 into it work perfectly and securely, and the cover seems as though it will protect it well..." Read more
2,714 customers mention1,936 positive778 negative
Customers like the quality of the Kindle. They say it's well-built, the best e-book reading device, and the best choice for a dedicated ebook reader. The crisp display makes it the best option for devoted ebook readers, and it has the added benefit of major newspaper and magazines. Overall, customers find the eReader to be a satisfying device that will please them unless they're not satisfied with the quality.
"...It's very sturdy but not heavy, and with the leather cover (sold separately) it just feels great...." Read more
"...This is a pretty cool feature. Basically you move your cursor to any word on the page and at the bottom it brings up the definition of the word...." Read more
"...This review collection is so awesome (the ones from customers who have actually purchased and used the Kindle for what it was intended) that I plan..." Read more
"...6. The "Table of Contents" in many books is non-functional, frustrating in a 500 page book that you cannot "jump ahead" to Chapter 15 from Chapter 2...." Read more
1,796 customers mention1,311 positive485 negative
Customers like the selection of books on the Amazon Kindle. They say that the selection is surprisingly good for an initial product, and that it includes a table of contents. They also appreciate the ability to add books to their wish list and download generous free books. The Kindle Book store has an amazing selection of titles, and customers think it has the biggest library of available books. They are also impressed with the additional options that are always available, such as the ability for customers to purchase books from the Kindle store.
"...Better yet, much of this literature is free, especially "classics" from long-dead authors whose opera have passed into the public domain...." Read more
"...Additional options are always available when you push the 5 way toward whatever way the arrow leads...." Read more
"...Book selection is surprisingly good for an initial product...." Read more
"...The only other downside is that older books are largely unavailable for the Kindle, though I'm hoping to see improvement in this area...." Read more
1,357 customers mention1,027 positive330 negative
Customers like the battery life of the Amazon Kindle. They say it has awesome battery life, and the screen itself uses no power when it's off.
"...This maximizes the battery life, and I have had no trouble using the Kindle for hours on end without external power...." Read more
"...battery, while not a major concern because the iPad had a surprisingly long battery life, but for the amount I used it, if I forgot to put it on the..." Read more
"...If it is drawing power all the time then the short battery life makes perfect sense.The voice to speech algorithm sucks...." Read more
2,113 customers mention1,441 positive672 negative
Customers are mixed about the value of the Kindle. Some mention that the cost is absolutely worth it, due to a long list of Best Features above. They mention that it's money well spent, saves in both weight and money, and has free classics. Others say that the 340$ is just not a mass market, and that it comes at a cost to contrast and reflection on the screen.
"...Savings in both weight and money. Not to mention trees...." Read more
"...It also saves trees - no paper is involved. The books seem to be cheaper than their paper counterparts in all cases...." Read more
"...Now for some obvious problem the Kindle 2 is overpriced.340$ is just not a mass market price. For a hundred bucks more you can get a laptop...." Read more
"...This really is PERFECT FOR STUDENTS! * FREE CLASSICS! I love classic literature as much as modern lit...." Read more
Update: June, 26, 2010I've been using a the iPad 3G for a couple months now and here is my perspective on Kindle vs. iPad for prospective buyers.- The iPad is definitely slicker and cooler looking, with a wide range of applications and customization that has infinite possibilities (like color)- As a primary reading device, the Kindle is still better...it is light in your hands so you can hold it without getting tired (it's often hard to find a comfortable position with the iPad due to its weight and balance), Kindle's screen is gentle on the eyes for long periods of reading time (you don't have to worry about changing the brightness of an LCD screen which requires exiting an application and going to the settings menu on the iPad), and the real life buttons are simple and easy for reading (close to the edge of the device, and you know when you've clicked something)- Since Kindle's content is loaded directly onto the device memory, you don't have to have a live internet connection for it to work. I find it very frustrating that many of the applications on the iPad require an active internet connection just to work (e.g. news, streaming music/video, magazines). That said, for the eBook applications (Kindle, iBooks) content is saved onto the iPad- If you have both devices, you can sync between them without repurchasing content. One of my favorite features is the "sync to last page read" which takes you to the last page you read across all devices on your account. The Kindle app for iPad is pretty simple, though I would like to see some additional features (e.g., adjust screen brightness within the application, ability to better manage content like deleting books from iPad memory, ability to buy and access periodicals, being able to shop for books within the application)- With the recent Kindle price drop, it is significantly more affordable than the iPad. You also don't need to pay for cellular service for the Kindle, though you can't do any complex internet activities on it either--just shopping for books- On the subject of content, I will have to defer to others. I'm pretty happy with what is available via the Amazon Kindle store, but it has its limitations- There is so much more that is possible for books to be with these new platforms (like greater interactivity and using graphics more creatively), but today neither device fully showcases themAll in all, I see the iPad as a multi-functional personalized mini-computer that can do a lot of whiz-bang things--downloading and reading books is just one those things. If you are interested primarily in reading, the Kindle is still better in terms of functionality and price.------------As one of the original Kindle's biggest fans and an owner for over a year, I can speak to the Kindle from two perspectives--the benefits of owning a Kindle, and Kindle 2 improvements (as I've now had it for half a day)The benefits of owning a Kindle (these do not change)- Absolutely, Jeff Bezos is right that the Kindle 'disappears' as you read it...as I read other reviews (and non-user critiques) about the Kindle, this point is often lost. Once you have the Kindle in your hands, you forget everything and become immersed in the content of what you're reading. Isn't that really the whole point?- I read more now that I have my Kindle, 10 years out of college than I did when I was in school, and I really enjoy it. Books look a lot less intimidating when they aren't sitting on your bookshelf and 3 inches thick. I recently finished Team of Rivals, and I am sure that if I had to read it in book form, I would never have gotten through it because it would have felt so intimidating.- Heft and weight is a complete non-issue with the Kindle. I like to read in odd positions (in bed, on the couch, on a plane, poolside, shifting around in a lounge chair) and I've always had trouble with real books because unless you are in the absolute middle of the book, it always is weighted to one side or another and frankly, my arm and pinkie finger gets tired holding it up. The Kindle is balanced and portable, and entirely usable in any situation.- I can be in the middle of a lot of different books at once...not much more to say here. You never run out of space on the Kindle, and though it may be a little bit hard to maneuver around a lot of books in your library, it's still better to have access to all your books at any time.- I now read newspapers. I always found physical newspapers to be clumsy and take up too much space to actually subscribe to. They are great for short content pieces, but terrible for reading in transit because the pages are so big. I also read some articles on my BlackBerry, but find myself scrolling a lot and waiting a long time for page loads. On the Kindle, you have wireless delivery, easy navigation, no ads, no need to flip to page D17 and find the place where you left off. You also have a searchable/annoted/bookmarked archive of all your newspaper articles if you ever need to find something again.- All of these things can probably be accomplished with any eBook reader. The difference with the Kindle is that you have wireless delivery of content. This means, literally, that I can be sitting on the plane, start talking about what good books the guy sitting next to me has read recently, look it up on my Kindle, read the reviews and download it before the rest of the passengers have boarded and the plane doors close. This has happened.- My biggest complaint, which I'm sure will be addressed in due course is that the entire wireless benefit does not exist outside of the US. I have taken my Kindle to Canada, Mexico and China, and I found that I had to (gasp), decide what I wanted to have on my Kindle before I left the US. Foreign language support would also be a plus, but again, I see why this might come later.Now, onto improvements with the Kindle 2- There are the obvious ones: sleeker look and feel (it feels solid in your hands), sharper screen, no longer accidentally depressing the next page button by accident and having to find your place in the book again...you can read about these from various sources)- The 5-way button, though a bit small, allows you to select left and right, and not just up and down like the original version. This is very helpful when you want to select and highlight.- There are now two layers of interaction...before when you were reading a paper, you could only go back to the previous screen to select the next article. Now, there is an option at the bottom of the screen to skip to the next article when you tire of the current one.- Page loads are much faster. I can feel that the delay between pages is much less. Only issue is I need to recalibrate now--in general, I try to anticipate how much time it will take the next page to load, and when I'm two lines from the bottom, I would hit the next page button. Now I need to push the button later.- Text to speech is cloogey, but fun. I'm not sure how useful this will end up being. I tried to have the voice read the user's manual to me and it paused at commas and periods, but skipped right over hard returns. It also scrolled the page as it was reading, so if you are trying learn English and don't mind developing a metallic accent, it could really help. :-) You can also choose, male/female and speed. I think this could be a nice feature, though probably won't be using it all the time.- Managing your books is much easier. It's easy to see what is in your archive and re-download onto the Kindle. Also easy to delete and manage your books. That 5-way button is magical...though a bit unintuitive--you need to train yourself to think that there might be something useful if you scroll to the right.- Dictionary is improved. Now you can highlight a word and it automatically gives you a definition at the bottom of the screen. It also lets you look up words (that are not in the text), which is an improvement since the last version.I'm sure there are still a bunch of things that I haven't yet discovered about the Kindle 2. I don't really bookmark/annotate/highlight that much, but for those who do, I think this has also been improved upon.Overall, the Kindle is an amazing product. It did the basics well in the original model, the Kindle 2 has improved on a lot of dimensions, and I look forward to seeing what new bells and whistles are still to come.If you are considering buying one, and need to see before you order, find someone in your city who has one and can show you. There is now a special board for this on Amazon. Kindle owners (at least this one), are always happy to talk about it, and you will be delighted with the screen and the possibilities in such a compact package.
The price-tag for this item is quite steep when you first look at it. $359 so I can read books? What if the device stops working? What if the book I want is not available for Kindle? Many questions pop when we first try to decide if we will take the big step of buying a Kindle or not. Well, I'll tell you what my reasoning for getting one was, and how the Kindle has worked out in my experience so far.
When I seriously started considering getting the Kindle was two weeks before my summer flight to Japan. I was looking through my books at home and wondering, should I pack some books? Should I get some new ones for this flight? And then started considering the book weight and how much of a hassle it would create to carry an extra bag with books. Then I went online and looked at the Kindle.
I explored the available books, turned out some of the books I wanted were not available for the Kindle (most of them Japanese literature books, or a Japanese-English dictionary). However, many books I wanted to read were available. I checked the difference in price between the cheapest print available of the books and the Kindle Editions. Turns out some of them were the same price, while others were much cheaper for the Kindle.
Taking a step back and analyzing my book reading habits, I realize that when I have a book in my backpack, I tend to read it whenever I have some free time, and I tend to read a few books a month when I do this. I figured saving $5-10 on average per book would save me over $100, maybe over $200, per year. Furthermore, the ability to carry my book library everywhere really made me consider the kindle.
Finally, I considered the environmental impact that having a Kindle has. On a single charge I can read for over 25-30 hours continuously, and I get the books delivered wireless. No need for paper, printing, or shipping. That's a lot of resources that can be saved!
I finally got the Kindle, and my worries about the screen tiring my eyes while reading rapidly dissipated. When they say it's like e-paper, they really mean it. I was amazed by how it looked! I actually ran my finger through the screen to see if it had the texture of paper, but sadly that one part was missing. It was a screen after all.
Something else that amazed me was the feeling the kindle has in your hands. It's very sturdy but not heavy, and with the leather cover (sold separately) it just feels great. For the first few minutes you are very aware that it's not a book, but after a few minutes you just read and completely forget there is something different about the source of your readings. It's so easy to just keep reading, enlarge the text size if you're a bit tired, bookmark pages, add notes, etc. Reading books is just much easier. Furthermore, the ability to download the first chapter of the books to 'preview' them is amazing. I downloaded maybe 20 'previews' and chose to buy about 5 of them now, and maybe download the others a bit later. Keeping the first chapter in my kindle as a reminder, or to-read list, and deleting the ones I didn't want.
Lastly, I just want to say that I read a lot more now with my Kindle. I don't need two hands to hold the book open when I'm on the train, or whenever, just one hand gives you good access to all the buttons even while you are holding the device. Makes it easier to read while in the subway, or standing while holding a bag, flowers, etc. Also, I only carried my kindle on the plane to Japan, and I could read for over 15 hours and the battery wasn't even halfway over.
One more point, among the first 5 books I bought, I saved around $25 compared to the cheapest version (usually paperback) I could find on Amazon. So part of the kindle is paying off for itself. Also, while in Japan, I have access to the new releases in the US, and they are delivered immediately! I don't need to worry about shipping, etc.
I would recommend this device to any reader out there. I know the feeling of 'owning' books and being able to lend them to other people is a major drawback this device has, but the reading experience is greatly enhanced by it and I think you would be grateful you have it. Also, with the money you save by buying kindle edition books, you can probably buy a paperback and give it as a gift if you want to share a book!
If you, however, only buy 1-3 books a year, and usually just paperback to read over time, then maybe there's no need for you to get the kindle. Unless, of course, you want to take advantage of the wireless delivery of newspapers and magazines, which I think it's also a great deal for those of you who read those.
Another drawback, the screen is black & white, so if you like to read comics or books with lots of drawings it might not be fit for that kind of book.
If you have any questions about this device, feel free to ask!
after powering it up was try and read the User's Guide, but who am I kidding? I wanted to get in there and learn as I frolicked!
I had a lot of pre-purchased downloads and they populated my Kindle, her name is Trixie, effortlessly and seamlessly. I couldn't even keep track as new items became available all the time. Of course, this will vary based on your location.
So, in minutes I had a months if not a year of reading. I had old favorites, and some classics that we're told we should read, samples that had caught my eye, and lots of new choices -- and I held them all in my hand. A banquet of choices, with a veritable never ending feast when I need more.
I chose to read the New York Times first, and loved the experience. The pictures were crisp and clear, and it was a quick learning curve to navigate between pages, articles, and sections. I found myself reading the articles while talking heads on TV were referencing them, and it was delivered to me effortlessly.
It's very intuitive -- anybody who spends time with gadgets and tech stuff will get this with only a couple missteps, and a muttered, "Doh." I believe that even the less tech savvy will catch on pretty quickly, and I can imagine this as a boon for older people with strong ties to reading, and I would suggest the younger generation gives them access to see if it's a device that will help them.
I know I need to go to the optometrist, but the Kindle will aide and abet me in avoiding that for a while -- the page is easy to read, the font size is easy to change, and my eyes sail across the words, my finger hits next page without me giving it thought.
The previous page is a little difficult to access considering the way I hold it, and I do tend to move ahead, think "wait, what?" and need to go back a page, but that's probably more about my personal style than a true flaw.
My hands are small, so the kindle does not on it's own fit in my hand securely, but the Cole Haan cover that I have, or any appropriate cover, provides something to hold and allows for greater comfort, making it an even more comfortable hold than a novel.
The dictionary function is great -- I have a pretty good vocabulary, but I do like to look up unfamiliar words, and now that's a breeze. I read a New York Times article set in Tanzania, and I wondered exactly where that was -- I mean, I knew Africa, but wanted more specifics -- and I used the dictionary function to give me enough of an answer and satisfy my curiosity enough to move on.
As I read, the light shifted in the room. I know backlighting was important for people, but it seems like it would make the easy-to-read text less easy to read. Instead I attached the light purchased just for the purpose, and it worked beautifully and allowed the Kindle to do it's job as a reader with the goal of displaying pages with the grace and practicality of a print book.
I've only had it for hours, and I'm hooked. Please note I didn't have a K1, because I was a skeptic. I was like a lot of people -- I liked technology, but books were a separate and sacred thing. So, since Amazon was a habit for me, I had to see the constant reminders of an item I didn't feel I needed or wanted.
But I was working, nay, abusing my Amazon Prime to the point that I'd run out of room -- and when it occurred to be that while 2 day shipping was fast, it wasn't the same as immediate.
I'd been a reader of ebooks for a while, but on my laptop the stories compete with my constant obsessive-compulsive need to check emails (which I'm fighting doing even as I type this) and checking blogs, and surfing...
A Kindle elevates reader back to where it belongs - as a thing to be celebrated and not some trivial thing that has to share space with everything else on your laptop. You like blogs? Kindle will deliver them to you when there's something new. Other than that, you can settle in and just focus on stories and on papers stripped down to what matters most.
Highly Recommended.
*** 4/11/2009 -- Edited to add new comments after being a Kindle user for a while:
There's no shame in someone deciding it isn't for them. We all can look at one another's purchases and come to the conclusion that other people waste a lot of money, because we all have different priorities. The thing that is a must have for you might be nowhere on my radar. The thing I want might make you shrug. We all get to spend our disposable income the way we would like.
I don't believe there has been a day that's gone by since I've received my Kindle that I haven't used it and been glad to have it. I read longer, I read more, I read a wider variety. With print books, I was always losing them. They didn't go far -- under a couch, under a bed -- but out of sight, out of mind. I would remember the book and not feel like going looking when I could go to the bookshelves. Rinse and repeat. By the time I found the book, I'd forgotten what had happened so far or was not in the mood to read at that moment. There were a lot of semi-read books never getting finished.
1 Kindle, tons of books.
Now, all I have to do is keep track of one expensive advice that I'm naturally inclined to protect. I can have multiple books going at once and switch easily depending on my mood. And the books get completely read, because they're always there when I need them and ready to open to the last "page" I'd read. That convenience is huge.
I'm not claiming it saves me money. I know I find a lot of great bargains, of course, but that convenience makes book buying so easy and tempting. Someone mentions a book, I have it in rapid order, ready to read. I just finished a book by an author, I can read another one in no time. Even with Prime I would order and maybe some of the interest in the writer would have waned by the time it arrived so the book hit the TB(maybe)R shelf. Here's one: I subscribe to the NYT on my Kindle, and they are famous for their book reviews -- the only way it could be easier would be to actually link to the store.
I'm not claiming it doesn't save me money either though -- there are those bargains and the cost of all the aforementioned never finished books. And the gas. I also live pretty much in the middle of nowhere. There is a small bookstore and a used bookstore in my town, and then an hour's drive to Target. A "real" bookstore would be another half an hour. To be in an area with a choice of bookstores, 4 hours.
Even ordering print books from Amazon isn't doing mother nature any favors, right?
While I understand it's not for everybody and if it feels like a waste, it's not for you. But it was such a great purchase and so worth it to me, that I recently bought my husband his own as a present. He's never been a major reader, but now he's reading every night and discussing books with me. Sorta huge!
In a fire, I save my grandmother, my pets, my kindle, and then the spouse! (I kid, I kid! The Kindle is small and I could tuck in somewhere, waistband, bra... so hubby can move up in line a little ::grin::)