How does the Kindle 3 stack up against my questions?
In my previous article I articulated a number of questions to guide my search for an E-Reader. My initial thoughts were influenced by my personal need which was to have a device to be able to read my favourite books on long-haul trips of up to 10 or 12 hours. After identifying what I considered were baseline guidelines I decided to look further for an E-Reader that might double as a work-related item. With my strategy in mind this is what I discovered on the internet.
Kindle 3G
The Kindle 3
I read or rather saw the kindle probably about a year ago whilst browsing thought Amazon. My initial reaction was hmmm what can I use that for? I never gave another thought to it until I arrived in Waikiki last month and happened upon the Apple Mac shop on Kalakaua Ave. It was there that I saw the iPad and had a play on it; I was impressed to say the least but I didn't buy one. I am an apple fan but only of the devices and not the prices. With this in mind, I checked out the kindle 3 and see if meets my personal needs. Incidentally, I was actually writing about the Kindle 2 and then the Kindle 3 pops up.
Is it lighter than a 500 page hardcover book and Is it smaller than A4 (11.7"x 8.3") so that it slips into my on-board luggage?
The Kindle 3 is a step up from the original Kindle and is a mere 0.335" thick (thin), 4.8" wide and 7.5" high and weighs in at a measly 8.5 ounces. It is sleek and slim and much smaller than an A4 piece of paper.
The rationale behind the first two questions is that I want to pack or rather slip the device into my carry-on luggage to read while on long-haul flights. The Kindle 2 was slimmer than the iPhone and the Kindle 3 is smaller than the Kindle 2 so it meets both criteria. The Kindle 2 has a 6" diagonal electronic paper display (and so does the Kindle 3), measures 8"x 5.3" x 0.36" and weighs a measly 10.2 ounces.
Can I read it in the dark and in the direct sunlight on the beach in Waikiki or Turtle Bay?
Both the kindle 2 and Kindle 3 come with 16 levels of gray scale which means you can read it in full sunlight. The kindle 3 is equipped with an E-Link screen that provides a sheet of paper reading experience and is designed to eliminate glare. This means that the device can be read in sunlight and inside without worrying about light. I wonder if this means I don't need a light to read in the dark?
Does the battery power last at least 5 hours?
I am impressed with the battery power of the kindle 2. On a single charge with wireless on you have 4 days of reading; with wireless off you have up to two weeks of reading time. Obviously, wireless usage chews up your battery power. The kindle 3 battery life is very impressive; it boasts a battery life of a month on a single charge with Wi-Fi turned off. With Wi-Fi enabled it lasts 3 weeks which is still impressive.
Something else that caught my attention about the kindle 2 battery pack is that it is not removable which means you cannot replace it yourself. You need to send it into Amazon for replacement at a cost of . At this stage I don't know what the life span of the battery is.
How long does it take to charge and Can I charge the device up on the plane via USB?
It is nice to know that the Kindle 2 fully charges in approximately 4 hours and has a USB 2.0 port (cable supplied) so it can be charged up from a laptop and from the USB connection on the plane. It can also be charge via the kindle power adapter (which is handy if you don't have your PC or laptop with you). The kindle 3 can be fully charged in 4.5 hours and like the kindle 2 via USB cable.
What is the storage capacity?
The Kindle 2 has 2GB internal capacity which renders down to approximately 1.4GB of user space. How many books is that? Apparently up to 1500 books. The kindle 3 has an impressive 4GB of internal memory of which 3GB is available to the user; this equates to 3,500 books. Not bad at all - although I would hate to drop the device into water!
What types of formats does the device support?
As it turns out the kindle 2 and 3 supports the following formats: Kindle (AZW), TXT audible enhanced (AAX), MP3, unprotected MOBI and PRC. However, DOC, HTML, PDF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, and BMP files need to be converted by Amazon before they will work on the Kindle 2. Now that's a hassle but I bet if we take a look around Youtube we will find someone who has already done this, then we won't need to pay Amazon for that service.
Can I purchase my e-books from any provider with this e-reader?
The kindle stable has an impressive 700,000 books; add to that the 1,000,000 books that Amazon has available for users to read for free. As far as I can tell - the Kindle can only access books from the Amazon store (I need to check that out thoroughly)
What accessories come with the device?
You get a power adapter, USB 2.0 cable and a rechargeable battery for both the Kindle 2 and 3. The cover is sold separately
How much does the device cost?
For the kindle 2 the prices are 9 (permits downloads with the US) and 9 (the international version which allows for content downloads in over 100 countries). The Kindle 3 is 9 which in my opinion is a great price! (I can spend more than that on books is a single shot)
Good to know
Amazon keeps a back up of your books so that if you accidentally erase a book from your device you can download it again at no cost to you Enhanced PDF reader with a facility for dictionary lookup, notes and highlights both 3G and Wireless available Car charger accessory available for just under
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