Anyone bite on the Kinder by Amazon yet

Anyone here buy a Kindle yet <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Is it a good deal to take backpacking? I just want someone to tell me it's another electronic nightmare gadget that will give me fits <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" />

Disclaimer: No actual experience with one. Never even seen one in the flesh.

But I ruled it out for the following reasons based on specs:

Cost. 300 bones. Ouch.

Weight. At a claimed 10.3 ounces it's about the same as a few paperbacks I weighed. But I buy old books for a buck and only carry half. On long trips I'll carry a whole book but I burn (or if a trash can is available discard) pages as I go.

Bulk.

Vulnerability. It's not something you can just toss in your pack like a paperback. Some care must be taken. Maybe a lot of care.

Battery life. Not enough for an extended trip. And since it appears to use a proprietary 120V wall charger, recharging in the field could be.......problematic.

One more subjective reason: I'm old school and I sort of like the feel of a paperback in my hand. Newspapers too.

It just doesn't work with my style of backpacking. YMMV.

Held a Kindle; very clear, readable, black & white display that is quite visible in bright light and requires no power until you "flip" the page. That's about all I can really say that's compelling about it. Aside from the drawbacks Trailrunner mentioned, it's also single-use (reading books/newspapers is all it does well - the web access is a joke and lack of color make for dull magazines). This review pretty much mirrors my experience. If it looked more like a large iphone sales would be better. That keyboard is annoying, and the control layout needs more thought.

I'm still waiting for the perfect cyber companion. It's coming...there are some phones coming out later this year that have laser projection displays. It won't be long before those are in the PDAs too. Add in a more powerful scalable-speed processor and long-life battery - sigh! I can dream, can't I?

If I was going to bother with a cyber companion, I'd give up and just take a micro-laptop, so I'd
have somthing usable. My big problem with any of these is that for any kind of backpacking trip
more than a couple of days, they aren't really much use without some kind of battery supplement,
and they're all heavy. and it's still just an electronic toy. While I suppose maybe because my job
is a bit to close to that, it's just the last thing on earth I want in the bush <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/wink.gif" alt="" /> as it is, I don't even take
my ipod shuffle with me.

For longer trips where I require something for occasional net access (that stays in the car) I
take my Zaurus C-3000, or my IBM X40 laptop - but for books, - heck I can buy lots of good
paperbacks for 3 bucks at the recycled book store, and either bring 'em back, or burn the
pages as I read.

I've looked at the UMPCs, and you're right about them being heavier and having short battery life. Perhaps I'll take the plunge if I ever land a remote system maintenance job and satellite Internet sets become smaller and lighter. Imagine troubleshooting code next to an alpine lake with a fishing line in the water...eh...maybe not. I can already feel an ache my back and shoulders just thinking about it. Never mind the eyestrain using that tiny screen. I'd rapidly be missing my workstation with 24" monitor and ergonomic task chair!

I hear ya about the computing device reminding you of the job, but if you take a GPS, a PDA isn't any more of a luxury. Right now it can be your GPS, alarm clock, music/movies, books/magazines/news, email, and camera/camcorder. The latter is not of very good quality now, but will get better. Once the quality and/or framerate are comparable to other compact cameras, I think we'll be seeing more PDAs on the trail.

So...now that we've hijacked Earthlings thread...Shaka Brah! Da'kine Kindle humbug! Is ho hana fo' use. And you know, heavy da buggah. No lie! You get one PDA, and we talk story fo' make it bettah den da'kine Kindle.

O wau no me ka mahalo,

Da Owl

Mahalo Bradda Niyt <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> We no talk story long time <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/confused.gif" alt="" /> Da kine work must keep you busy eh Bra' <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> time we share plate lunch <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/ooo.gif" alt="" /> smoke to you Bradda!

Yes what you all said about the Kindle....I just keep thinking it would be nice to have 1 item with all my present 300 book library on it; instead of hauling all the weight of these books around <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/tongue.gif" alt="" /> but points well taken on it's demerits <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/blush.gif" alt="" />No Kindale for Dis Bradda! <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/crazy.gif" alt="" /> I tear pages out to use after shi shi too <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/grin.gif" alt="" /> Da NY times it's Da Kine shi shi paper <img src="/forums/images/graemlins/smirk.gif" alt="" />