Kindle 3 Impressions

Something that I’ve been asked recently (other than for my favorite Android apps) was what I thought about my new Kindle 3. Many people seem to be new to the concept of e-readers and the recent popularity of the iPad* and that whole tablet form-factor seems to have brought them to the forefront of people’s attention.

So first off, a bit of background: I’m a voracious reader, but a busy one – I burn through books quickly and never seem to have enough time to get to the bookstore and leisurely peruse the available titles. I’ve owned all 3 editions of the Kindle so far, and have loved each one as I’ve gotten it. The first was given away as a gift to a friend, the second is still used by the family, and the third is.. my precious. (That may give a hint as to where my feelings lie.)

As far as why I chose the Kindle over other e-readers (like the B&N Nook, or the Sony Reader, or the Alex, or the Kobo, or any of the others), it’s relatively simple.  For one, I’m a fan of Amazon – I like them, I think their prices are good, their shipping is great, and their customer service treats me well.  They’ve got a good library of ebooks in their store, and the device itself is compelling – the Kindle 1 was the first mainstream e-reader, and the built-in 3G wireless for life was a killer feature.  Then the Kindle 2 came out, and was lighter and thinner and faster and had better battery life, and the competition (primarily the Nook, and Sony‘s device) wasn’t compelling – slower, buggier, smaller library, higher prices… when the Kindle 3 came out, it seemed like a no-brainer.  Like the Kindle 2, it was everything its predecessor was, but further refined and improved.  Each new model has been (in my opinion) the best e-reader on the market on release.

 

The Kindle 3 in graphite

So, the Kindle 3.  It’s noticeably smaller and lighter than the Kindle 2, and now comes in graphite in addition to the standard off-white.  It also has dramatically improved battery life – up to a month, straight, with the wifi edition.  The price took a major drop (beating the Nook).  The refresh is improved.  It now has a wifi-only edition (lighter, better battery life than 3G, but with the obvious problem of not having 3G connectivity).  And it has more storage, better contrast (arguably the best e-ink screen of any device out there)… and even has a new and improved case, with a reading light built-in that uses the Kindle’s own battery.  (That one’s very nice – I used to burn through batteries like crazy w/ my old reading light, and it was a pain carrying it around.)

I’ve been impressed so far – the changes are all incremental, evolutionary rather than revolutionary, but all of them help to improve the experience of using the device.  Getting the Kindle (any one, even the first edition) genuinely changed the way I approach reading – it had gone from something that I did less and less, mostly focused on periodicals (because they were convenient – delivered to my house) to something that I now do more and more of.  I’ve read more books in the past couple of years, on my Kindles, than I have for probably the 10 or 15 years previously, combined.  Getting books is effortless, now (they’re delivered in a few seconds, literally) and the ability to preview a book, reading the first chapter or two free, is really great too – it’s led me to trying books I may not have, otherwise.

Ultimately, that’s what it boils down to for me – forget about any of the nifty technology or the gadget lust.  With the Kindle 3, I read more, and I enjoy reading more – and that’s a good thing.

* – To the Apple fanboys: the iPad is a great device, but it’s not a great e-reader.  It’s too big to comfortably hold in one hand (not to mention turning the page), the screen looks like crap in direct light, and the battery life is good but not great.  If I wanted a dedicated web browsing/ app running device, and had way too much money on my hands, I’d probably get the iPad.  (Or maybe one of the new Android tablets… )  But what I really wanted to do was read, and there’s just no contest when it comes to pure out-and-out reading.  The iPad simply does not compare.  The only device I know of that may compare – and which has inspired a huge amount of gadget lust in me – is the Notion Ink Adam, which uses the new Pixel Qi screen – a unique blend of LCD and e-ink and arguably better than either one alone.  The biggest problem with the Adam is the bigness – it’s too large for an e-reader, too.)

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