I’ve had my Kindle for about five days right now and I love it. Even more I love the M-Edge Platform Leather Kindle Jacket that I got.  The combo together has made me a very happy little reader.

If you have been wondering about readers and which one you should get, please know this review isn’t a comparison. I have no experience with Sony Readers, Nooks, or iPads. I will be frank with what I like and dislike about it.

Cost:

It is prohibitive.

The reader ($259.00) and protective cover ($44.99) are $303.99 combined. Not to mention any additional accessories or warranty that you might be inclined to get. Luckily shipping is free at this level.

I looked for a long time at cheaper models and brands that factored under $200 and ultimately choose Kindle because I had an Amazon gift card, my mother had one and loved it, and Amazon would most likely be where I purchased ebooks.

(Eventually we’ll figure out how to link the two together and share our libraries which will be another plus.)

PDF formatted ebooks:

PDFs are the file type for most of my ebooks, so it was important to me that I could transfer PDFs directly from my computer into the ereader. The International Kindle does this and it is very easy to do.

That said, a PDF can’t be read like a Kindle download. Of the four I’ve looked at you can’t read them in the vertical position because the writing can’t be enlarged. The PDF basically does a fit-to-screen, displaying the full page at a usually microscopic print size that is also most times very light in color. It’s gray and not black. If you’re eyesight is really good then you only have to click once to get to the next page.

However if you change the screen format to horizontal the print gets bigger. It’ll be readable. The font size this way depends solely on the PDF parameters. Again there is no way to increase font. Horizontal formatting requires four forward clicks to get through the page and onto the next one. The Kindle does not remember what fourth you are on, so you are better off finishing a page and leaving it instead of leaving the book in the middle of a page.

Reading in either direction so far has kept the style formatting nice and clean.

Kindle formatted ebooks:

I went and got a bunch of freebies for my Kindle the minute it said it was shipped, which was pretty cool. I hadn’t even got the reader and I could get books for it because of the wireless feature. Sweet! The minute I got the Kindle I turned it on and everything synced.

The font on Kindle formatted ebooks size up and down with ease. Clicking from one page to the next is as simple as hitting next. The Kindle will remember where you are based on internal location recognition instead of pages. This makes it difficult for bibliographies, but otherwise is no big deal. It’s actually very helpful.

Browsing the Internet:

Way more hassle than it’s worth. You have to type the website out on the ponderous and tiny keyboard (which is useless so far in my opinion unless you’re a note taker which I’m not). Then instead of the website loading, a search result page loads and you have to use the directional button to scroll down and select the website you typed out in the first place. Most websites are not formatted right for a Kindle – they need to be heavily text based to work and look right. Overall it’s just too complicated.

Accessing Kindle Bookstore via Kindle:

I haven’t done this yet, mostly because I search for books directly on Amazon from a computer. I’m sure it’s easy to use and functional.

Battery Life:

Excellent. Haven’t charged it yet since I got it and charged it up fully the first time. I am still at about half battery life. Woot! The screensavers are fun too, I like them a lot. I think you can add pictures and have your own images show up – I plan to do that after I finish the book I’m currently reading.

Music and Sound:

Put some in via direct input, listened to it, and called it good. The sound quality is nice. The songs played in order. I just don’t listen to music while I read.

Two things I need to do still: try an audio book and try the experimental text-to-sound feature. Right now I’ve been too excited about reading my ebooks free of computer distractions.

Readability during Day/Night:

The Kindle is gorgeous in direct sunlight. No glare, easily read, and no eye strain. I read for an hour plus while partaking lunch at an outdoor café.

I did not buy a booklight accessory for the Kindle, though you can get one and should if you plan to read in the car. As for me at night I just use a lamp and I have no problems with my eyes. The screen is just as clear if a little darker.

Overall?

It does what I wanted it to do and I should have bought it sooner!

For free ebook deals for your Kindle go here.

Buy: Kindle Wireless Reading Device and/or M-Edge Platform Leather Kindle Jacket

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