Kindle - wonderful bit of kit for caravanners!

[Collin]

Apologies if I'm slow coming to the party on this one, but I've just stumbled across Amazon's Kindle ebook - and can't believe how good it is.
I actually bought it as a Christmas present for MOH and as it will hold about 3,000 books it seemed a good idea for our annual holiday in Kenya (usually the suitcase is stuffed with paperbacks).
Yes, it is great as a book reader (downloads any books you fancy from just about anywhere) - but it's much more than that, it's a mini laptop giving access to your home e-mail site, and generally connecting you to all your favourite websites, such as this Forum, newspapers, the Beeb news and sport, etc, etc.
Of course, you need to pay a bit extra for the 3G + wi fi version but at 150 quid all in (no phone charges) that's still a reasonable price for what you get (don't even think about getting this little toy without the 3G!)
True, it's a bit fiddly at first and takes a little getting used to, but I suspect the next generation will be even better. In the meantime, you have to accept it for what it is - a window to the web from just about anywhere you travel, with no need for a laptop, ipad, or even wifi in most places.
On our last day on hol, we were told our plane was delayed by five hours, which was going to dump us at Gatwick at gone 11 at night. From the beach, I got out the Kindle to google the phone number of a possible hotel to book, went on to the hotel's website, and before I knew it had booked a room! Sorted in minutes! Similarly emailed our Meet and Greet car company and warned them of the delay. Went back to sleep!!
I can't help thinking this is a perfect travel companion for travellers, but particularly caravanners needing casual access to the web and a ready supply of books in a notebook size unit! Mind you, it's going to cost me another 150 quid because I want one for myself. It was a constant battle with the other half for possession - and as usual I always lost!

 

[Cyclewalkbob]

My OH bought me a kindle 3G for Xmas so I had to buy her one for her Birthday. however she was happy with just the WiFi as we would have the laptop with us to sares the books if needed.

Great bit of kit, is going to save me a whole box full of books when we go on hols.

Bought a number of CD's of books from fleabay which will keep going for a while.

 

[RayS]

Agree, bought SWMBO one for Christmas - masses of brownie points. If you google e readers or similar you will find plenty of sites other than Amazon from which to download - some free. An earleir thred in this Topic - e readers - listed some of them.

I must now explore the email capabilities - thanks for the tips.

 

[Philspadders]

"(don't even think about getting this little toy without the 3G!)"

if you have a smart phone such as a nokia n8 or htc wildfire you can use the phone as a wifi hotspot and save yourself £40 and just buy the kindle wifi.
Also if you have a laptop with you down load a free copy of calibre. It will convert epub files to mobi and is completely legal.( although it depends on where you down load the epub files from). It will have problems with DRM rights protected files though.

Also , watch out as a supermarket is going to release an ebook reader for £53.00 aprox.

I tried to get a samsung e65 as its functionality is far superior to the kindle but it seems that no one has the e65 or e60... so its the kindle. And i resent being locked into amazon so Calibre software is quite handy.

 

[JonnyG]

"(don't even think about getting this little toy without the 3G!)"

if you have a smart phone such as a nokia n8 or htc wildfire you can use the phone as a wifi hotspot and save yourself £40 and just buy the kindle wifi.
Also if you have a laptop with you down load a free copy of calibre. It will convert epub files to mobi and is completely legal.( although it depends on where you down load the epub files from). It will have problems with DRM rights protected files though.

Also , watch out as a supermarket is going to release an ebook reader for £53.00 aprox.

I tried to get a samsung e65 as its functionality is far superior to the kindle but it seems that no one has the e65 or e60... so its the kindle. And i resent being locked into amazon so Calibre software is quite handy.

? must be me? Why use a smart phone to be be your wifi hot spot? and then buy a kindle to read books?
A smart phone can be used as a book reader itself!
I use KOBO on my smart phone [android] being a tight git i only read the free books

 

[DianneT]

I am very pleased with my Kindle just had for my birthday. Actually I could not see any reason to buy the 3G version. I have wifi at home and everywhere you go these days you can get wifi especially in Europe. Have new smart phone Ericsson Xperia 8 FOC from o2 for email etc., and so with an excellent Laptop I am all set for the holiday in April.

 

[sheila_374397204]

Won't the sun and shadows etc affect the screen of an e-reader as it does with a laptop and therefore, make it impossible to read whilst having a bit of a sunbathe? Plus side so much lighter and takes up less space than the six or more books I take on holiday!!!

 

[Collin]

Sheila, the Kindle is completely different to a laptop screen - it's called e-ink (!) whatever that is, but it is a much easier reading experience even in bright sunshine. Unlike a conventional lcd screen, it's not backlit and you can't read it in the dark!
You see, I am not into smart phones, n8s and htc wildfire gismos, apps and all that, and I don't want to lug a laptop or even an ipad across the world. This little tablet is smaller, lighter and thinner than a small notebook and is dead easy for connecting to websites/emailing just about anywhere, anytime, and that is why I find it such a boon.
Great for those of us who wouldn't know what to do with most aforementioned gadgets...

 

[Philspadders]

? must be me? Why use a smart phone to be be your wifi hot spot? and then buy a kindle to read books?
A smart phone can be used as a book reader itself!

See the post above, also the kindle has a 6" screen and not a 3" or smaller screen.One battery charge will last last upto 3 months.
My wife tries reading books on her htc wildfire and has now moved on to the kindle as she says its much easier to read, to hold and she does get any ligh relecttion off the screen.

The only downside with the kindle is that not being back lit you can not read it in the dark. The e- ink screen only uses power when a page turn is made otherwise it uses no power at all.

 

[DianneT]

On Ebay you can get many little led lights or case with built in led light in leather, latter at £22 from Kimble Club. Have on and it is good.

 

[Royston]

You do not need a computer to order books , with Kindle all you need is a wifi connection, we have wireless connection for our computer and printer, the kindle uses our wireless connection to gain access into Amazon, for checking out the books.You can download a brief passage from the book, to read prior to downloading the book of your choice.
My wife is the kindle reader in our house.
Royston

 

[JonnyG]

? must be me? Why use a smart phone to be be your wifi hot spot? and then buy a kindle to read books?
A smart phone can be used as a book reader itself!

See the post above, also the kindle has a 6" screen and not a 3" or smaller screen.One battery charge will last last upto 3 months.
My wife tries reading books on her htc wildfire and has now moved on to the kindle as she says its much easier to read, to hold and she does get any ligh relecttion off the screen.

The only downside with the kindle is that not being back lit you can not read it in the dark. The e- ink screen only uses power when a page turn is made otherwise it uses no power at all.

cheers phil, interesting stuff, as i had toyed with the idea of buying one for the wife, and no doubt it would have gone the same way as the DS i bought her, yet she is a book reader!
Today found myself waiting in a ford dealers for two hours and with last night comments in mind, i took out my phone and and started to do a bit of reading, easy done as I am never without my phone, although I am sure, handbag users could indeed claim the same for the kindle device.
Personally never found the 3.2 inch screen too small to read,Its clear and the letters are bigger than those in a standard paperback book,and you can make them bigger than that, so that's hardly an issue really and maybe having to turn the pages more often could be deemed exercise, but I do take the point you are getting at.
"3 weeks between charges" Indeed that is excellent, even better if you holiday in the outback and have no electricity for 2 weeks, but to be honest I don't see that as a plus point,Its not as if we don't have electricity readily available be it either mains or from the cars cigarette lighter.