Thursday, October 6, 2011

A plethora of Kindles

Do you realize how many different models of Kindles there are right now?
The front picture on Amazon show four, but that doesn't cover it.

There's the Kindle, and the Kindle Touch, and the Touch 3G, and the Kindle Fire.
Then there's the "Kindle Keyboard", formerly "Kindle" or amongst friends "Kindle 3". And the Kindle Keyboard 3G. Aaaaan then there's the big-screen Dx still being sold, though one wonders to whom, it has not really been successful anywhere I've heard.

And then don't forget, apart from the Fire and DX, there is an ad-free and an ad-festooned (or ad-infested if you prefer) version of each one. The ad-free version is 30-50 bucks more expensive.

So that makes... twelve different Kindles  right now! Small wonder they simplify it a bit up front.

---
Oh, by the way, I have my new Kindle already!
Apart from me still wanting a lighter screen, it's a wonderful little device, is faster and so on, and yet markedly smaller and lighter (160 grams!) than the Kindle 3, it really does fit in a back pocket. I think pocket-ability really makes it into a different product.
And despite it having the simplest design of any Kindle yet, I also think it has the most attractive design, and probably the best usability too. (Unless one thinks a touch screen is needed, I'm not sure about that.) That's not a mean feat!
Of course one can always be critical, for example I think the bezel is slightly too silvery, it can give a distractive glare if you align the device too perfectly with the light. But on the whole, this Kindle is whole classes above the first generation, which I still have.




9 comments:

TC [Girl] said...

Congratulations! And...this one is which one (sorry...I can't keep up!)? Doesn't look like the Fire, though, as that is black, is it not (and...has color, as well, of course. I 'member that much about it. :-) ?

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

No, the Fire only comes out mid-November. This one is the basic model (no Touch or G3), again just called "Kindle" to make the confusion complete.

Well, actually this is the *UK* basic model, it does not have the ads of the US $79 model and costs 89 Sterling, about 140 bucks.

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Funny how they don't have an ad-subsidized model here in the UK yet, you wouldn't think it would be all that tough to set up.

TC [Girl] said...

Eolake said...
"No, the Fire only comes out mid-November."

Oh yeah. Forgot...even though I did know that this wasn't the Fire. :-)

"This one is the basic model (no Touch or G3), again just called "Kindle" to make the confusion complete."

Curious why you went w/just the basic. Perhaps you've already blogged about it but I have, obviously, forgotten, if you did. I think touch is nice...now that I have gotten used to it. (re: my Samsung Intercept cell. Diff gadget, I realize, but still same concept. :-)

"Well, actually this is the *UK* basic model, it does not have the ads of the US $79 model and costs 89 Sterling, about 140 bucks."

Oh yeah; *that* one! ;-) I do 'member you writing re: that big price diff...which it is! WEIRD!

TC [Girl] said...

Eolake said...
"Funny how they don't have an ad-subsidized model here in the UK yet, you wouldn't think it would be all that tough to set up."

Forgive my ignorance but why would you want an ad-subsidized one? (I'm not "getting" what that is all about. I hadn't remembered hearing about those, before your recent writing of it.)

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

Not for me, but for cash-strapped people.

"Curious why you went w/just the basic."

1: it's the only one for sale yet in UK.
2: It's lighter and smaller.
3: for book reading, I think touch is redundant, more or less. You're just flipping pages. (I don't makes notes or look up words a lot.)

TC [Girl] said...

Eolake said...
"1: it's the only one for sale yet in UK."

Oh yeah. Forgot, as well. :-/ Silly that's all they can do. Bezos needs to hire more Americans to assemble them on shore so he can sell them off shore! ;-)

2: It's lighter and smaller.
3: for book reading, I think touch is redundant, more or less. You're just flipping pages. (I don't makes notes or look up words a lot.)"

Yeah. I didn't use that note thing, neither. Not sure how much I would. Was wondering re: the navigation w/out that keyboard that you don't like.

Anyway...meant to say that I like your colorful pad on your chair. :-)

lol: captcha: "mocka" (I'd love one, thanks! :-D

Eolake Stobblehouse said...

I bought a handful of thin throw pillows a couple of years ago, and this one has the best colors methinks.

the screen keyboard, operated with the five-way controller, is sufficient for the occasional search and such. For use many times daily, I'd want a touch screen.
(Len Edgerly from Kindle Chronicles for example, takes ample notes.)

TC [Girl] said...

Eolake said...
"I bought a handful of thin throw pillows a couple of years ago, and this one has the best colors methinks."

Yes...very cheery. :0)

"the screen keyboard, operated with the five-way controller, is sufficient for the occasional search and such. For use many times daily, I'd want a touch screen."

Right. Me, too. I found it a bit of a pain w/that controller, just getting around, but...'twas better than a poke in the eye w/a stick! ;-)

(Len Edgerly from Kindle Chronicles for example, takes ample notes.)"

Yeah. If I were taking lots 'o notes, I think the touch would be neat-o. This coming from the "chick" who wasn't very fond of having a touch screen, about a half year ago! :o)