Amazon Kindle Keyboard 3G user reviews

Kate Redman 15 November 2011

Good: Clear screen, good battery, physical keyboard, simple internet browser, cheaper books

Bad: Menu can be hard to navigate sometimes, screensavers a bit boring, not all the books I want available

Comment: I love reading & my jammed bookcases bare witness, which is why I bought the Kindle... to try & save space.

It's slim & light, The calming grey screen is easy on the eye & the battery has a great lifespan when the wireless is turned off... & you only need it on to download your purchases.

Kindle books tend to be a bit cheaper, despite having VAT added (normal books are VAT free) so the price of the device is soon recouped, especially if you're an avid reader. To get a book you can either order it online & have it download next time the wifi is switched on, or browse & buy direct from your Kindle.

Personally I like the physical keyboard. Having tried touch screen keyboards on smart phones I can happily say I hate them with a passion. I like to feel the buttons under my fingers & have the device type the correct letter first go.

The experimental browser is fairly simple but handy. It's more like an old style mobile phone browser but it's good for checking FB, twitter or a news site. Page loading can be a little slow though.

All your purchases are stored by Amazon & not on your PC, so if your device is broken or stolen, or your PC goes on the fritz, your books are not lost (unlike say iTunes purchases).

There's not many downsides to the Kindle. True, you can't read it in the dark... but the same goes for a normal book. Cases can be expensive but shop around, there are decent & cheap one's out there (I got mine for £15 & that included a skin to stick to the Kindle (no more grey)). The installed screen-saver isn't that fantastic (it's screen shots of famous authors or book covers) & it would be nice to be able to use your own pictures or book covers. Also, the menu's do take a little getting used to.

The only big grumble I have is with pdf's. To get a pdf onto your Kindle you can email it to your Kindle's own email address. However, my Kindle wouldn't download it for some reason. In the end I had to attach the device to my PC & transfer it manually. Also pdf's don't read well on screen as the text is usually minute.

Lastly, as a bit of a purest, I would like to see page numbers instead of "% of the book"

Those grumbles aside I love my Kindle & I can see us having a long & happy relationship.

Oliver Snowden 21 September 2011

Good: the screen, the battery, the viewing of the screen . reading is a pleasure

Bad: grey is a little boring cases are very expensive

Comment: I love it and for reading stuff on the net the browser is a really nice add on too

5 February 2011

Good: cheap price, incredibly light and thin, you can hold it in one hand easily, The page turn buttons are conveniently located, contrast is better than other e-readers, There is zero eye strain in good light

Bad: Contrast is fair to poor in dim light, light gray background is less pleasant than the eggshell background of a printed page

Comment: I've always had a bit of an issue with books. I love reading, but when I've bought books and read them I always felt like I was left ith a useless brick taking up space in my home, but at the same time I'm loathed to just give or throw them away because A, I've paid for it, and B, you nevr know I might want to read it again! Wouldn't it be great if you could own lots of books but have them take up no space?....

I've got to say this is a truly amazing product! I plumped for the wifi + 3G version as I figured the free worldwide 3G use means I can download new books amost anywhere. The book buying experience on the Kindle 3 is incredibly quick and easy to use, and no computer required making it a truly standalone device.Oh, and if you lose or break it, you don't lose your books. Amazon has a record of everything you bought so you'd just download it again. The text is utterl remarkable in quality, exactly like reading a page of a book, it works excellently outdoors too. It's not backlit, so if you were reading in a dark room yo'd need a light on, but thats the same with a standard book anyway. Personally I think thats a good thing as it prolongs the battery life, and the battery lfe is massive!

The main thing that surprised me about the reading experience was it's actually better than a normal book. It's light, you can read it very comfortably withone hand (or none if you lay it flat!), plus you can adjust the text size, no need for bookmarks (or dog-eared pages). On top of this, I've got an iPhone an the Kindle App works a treat. I often leave my Kindle at home and if I've got a spare moment when I'm out and about, I'll pick up exactly where I left off n my phone, then return to the Kindle and it syncs with where I left off on the phone - brilliant!

Now I know the Kindle 3 does other stuff like reads to you, has internet access and all bells and whistles like that. If that's you're bag then you'll find ther reviews which go into it. Me - I was looking for a pure, standalone, reading device and this has exceeded all my expectations. Put simply, I can't recomend it enough!!

Marc Heatley 4 January 2011

Good: It's beautiful. Uncluttered and seamless.

Bad: Locked e-book format.

Comment: This is a great piece of gear. Does everything it needs to brilliantly and no more. Would love a more open marketplace for books and for the inexpensive production and delivery of the books to be reflected in the prices.

Rich Woodford 30 December 2010

Good: Simple, easy to use and excellent battery life

Bad: Cost of the case is far too much, but that's it !

Comment: If you like tech and like reading, get one. Once you get a bit more in to the menus and the device there are so many more options than just 'reading' !

Some of the books are free and there are also excellent £1 offers so you can grab them to read later !

Better than any of the rivals.

turquoise 13 November 2010

Good: light weight

Comment: For the first time in decades I am enjoying reading. I have dyslexia and find that reading very large print helps, with my Kindle I can read what ever I want in huge writing.

Internet browser is good for people like me, who only have a PAYG mobile that charges way too much for web access, this has a bigger screen.

orrid 14 October 2010

Good: does as it says on the tin

Bad: shame it has no back light.

Comment: it is good, but why should you need to pay an extra £49 to be able to read it at night, it is so simple to
provide a back light in this day and age, just a con to get more money.

gorpalm 4 October 2010

Good: Simple, effective, elegant tech

Bad: The cost of Amazon's kindle case!

Comment: Lovely bit of quality kit - well built, and does what it was designed to do with aplomb.

Simply terrific spec sheet, extensive library of books that are Almost always cheaper than the print version, 'experimental' add-ons including a browser and mp3 player which can be played through 3.5mm jack or the built-in stereo speakers, the latter which can also be used for text-to-speech enabled books.

Cute design touches include the catch-grooves designed specifically for the new leather kindle cases, and the pretty graphics that pop up on screen when you switch it off (as the player only uses power when you 'turn' pages).

Minor negatives include the sometimes clunky UI, and the cost of those official Amazon cases - if you get the one w the built in light at £50, you're spending almost half of what the wi-fi version costs! Even the regular one is £30!

...And although the case keeps the unit protected, it literally doubles the thickness and probably weight too of the kindle - If your bag's got a dedicated inner pocket you can keep it in instead, it'll save you money, carrying the extra weight, and shows off the unit in all its slimline, minimalist glory!

Stuart Feltham 1 October 2010

Good: Easy to use, loads of books (more open than you think), Free 3G browsing

Bad: Not a lot

Comment: You can download books in other formats and still use them on your Kindle using a bit of software called Calibre (just google it. It's easy to find) that converts between formats as long as it's DRM free, and if it's not well you can Google that too or buy it from the Amazon store.

One thing I think the review missed is the free web access over 3G too. I've just been to Germany and used the web on my Kindle over 3G with no charges... Genius!