So far I’m really happy with my Kindle. Early impressions are that it is going to cause me to read a lot more books than I otherwise would, which I’m sure makes Amazon happy. Part of the reason is the convenience of being able to purchase and have immediate access to the books. Part of it is the lower cost of the books. And part is just the convenience of being able to easily take multiple books with me wherever I go. The Kindle is so thin and light and robust (inside its case – more on that in a moment) that it is more easily portable than even a single paper book.
Ok, a little bad news… I have sent several pdf files to the device and it is great being able to read them on it. However one that I sent – an IMF report on long term trends in public finances – didn’t render properly on my Kindle screen. Most of the text had been converted to a different font and had very, very low contrast.
I have exchanged a couple of emails with Amazon support about it, and they say they are looking into the issue, though it may take a week for them to figure it out – longer than I’d like for sure, but at least they responded promptly and are willing to investigate.
Oh and about the case… I bought one from Best Buy on Tuesday. More than I wanted to pay at $35, but I needed it in a hurry for a trip. It was labeled as fitting the latest generation Kindle, but unfortunately it doesn’t. It is clearly designed for the earlier device which was a little larger. It is too big for mine and doesn’t allow the device to be securely held in by the corner loops when the case is open. Although it is useful in the immediate short term to have somewhere safe to keep the device, I will have to return the case when I get a chance to get back to Best Buy.