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Kindle Wireless Reading Device (6" Display, U.S. Wireless)

4.5 4.5 out of 5 stars 17,567 ratings

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  • Slim and Lightweight: Just over 1/3 of an inch, as thin as most magazines. At 10.2 ounces, lighter than a typical paperback
  • Wireless: 3G wireless lets you download books right from your Kindle, anytime, anywhere; no monthly fees, service plans, or hunting for Wi-Fi hotspots
  • Books in Under 60 Seconds: Get books delivered in less than 60 seconds; no PC required
  • Improved Display: Reads like real paper; now boasts 16 shades of gray for clear text and even crisper images
  • Longer Battery Life: 25% longer battery life; read for days without recharging

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4.5 out of 5 stars
17,567 global ratings

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Customers say

Customers find the Kindle easy to read and navigate with simple buttons. They find it a good value for money, as it offers great bargains and free books. The Kindle is portable and lightweight, making it easy to carry around. Readers appreciate the fast download speed and ease of downloading on the go.

AI-generated from the text of customer reviews

7,365 customers mention "Ease of reading"6,730 positive635 negative

Customers find the Kindle easy to read and navigate. They appreciate the simple, intuitive design with few buttons that keeps things simple. The device can be read comfortably in bright sunlight, a feature LCD screens cannot offer. The book capacity is convenient, and the interface is perfect. Most PDFs read like ebooks, making them easier on the eyes.

"...various items and just open them up right where you left off is very convenient...." Read more

"...Much easier on the eyes and you can also detach and look under the couch if you lose your keys. :)..." Read more

"...Anyone. And by that I mean older people and quite young people. It's so easy. - I can carry huge, heavy, awkward IT books with me to any job...." Read more

"...Meanwhile, most pdfs read like ebooks, and if you turn them sideways they do get bigger. But you cannot resize them on the Kindle...." Read more

7,062 customers mention "Value for money"6,198 positive864 negative

Customers find the Kindle offers good value for money. They appreciate its sturdy construction, attractive design, and ability to read ebooks at a lower cost than printing them out. The crisp display makes it a good choice for an ebook reader and a valuable feature for finding hard-to-find works.

"...If you like to read, enjoy technology and want to be able to take books with you everywhere you go and even get new ones on the go then I would..." Read more

"...So, if you read many books a month, just the cost savings alone if you purchase all of your books, as oppossed to a library, would almost justify it..." Read more

"...Ooops, I forgot my other favorite thing about my Kindle - free books. Yup. FREE books. I have all kinds of books that cost me exactly...nothing...." Read more

"...better still, is that at the end of your sample, you're able to purchase the book outright. Cons: »..." Read more

3,396 customers mention "Portable"3,244 positive152 negative

Customers appreciate the portable and lightweight design of the book reader. They find it slim and easy to carry, making travel more comfortable. The cover provides a grip and comfort.

"...The advantages are many. First, it's very light and the text is easy to read in all types of lighting (except in the dark of course)...." Read more

"...I might not break even, but the portability and ease of 1 click purchasing as well as nifty features like a dictionary and Wikipedia make up the..." Read more

"...It's so easy. - I can carry huge, heavy, awkward IT books with me to any job...." Read more

"...The Kindle is lightweight, easy to carry, and very portable. I am on ATT for Blackberry, mobile computing, and the Kindle on ATT is just fine...." Read more

2,303 customers mention "Download speed"1,957 positive346 negative

Customers appreciate the Kindle's fast download speed. They find it responsive and quicker to download books from Amazon. The page turning is faster, and the text and pictures are crisper. The network speed allows for instant content purchase and updates.

"...It's incredibly crisp, and on this device at least, it updates very quickly. »..." Read more

"...My Kindle is a pleasure to use! Easy to read, easy to get new books for it, just about perfect...." Read more

"...The page turns are very fast. The Kindle design allows for holding it in several different comfortable positions with either hand...." Read more

"...Network Speed: The K2 can use G3 cellphone connections and when it's activated it makes a considerable difference in interactivity to the Kindle..." Read more

2,010 customers mention "Ease of download"1,909 positive101 negative

Customers appreciate the easy download process. They mention it's a nice design and allows them to download on the go. They also like that they can instantly download additional titles from anywhere in the US. The ability to download the first chapter of the books to preview them is amazing.

"...my complete library at my fingertips and the ability to instantly download any other additional titles from anywhere in the US is worth a few bucks..." Read more

"...Totally different worlds. - It is easy to purchase books...." Read more

"...Just in time books. The other great thing is that the network allows a web browser and I can use my kindle to replace my lap top on most trips...." Read more

"...in a lot of reviews is books, but don't overlook the ability to download periodicals...." Read more

1,694 customers mention "Size"1,297 positive397 negative

Customers like the size of the Kindle. It's small and lightweight, so it can be carried anywhere. The keyboard is compact and feels natural to use. They also appreciate the adjustable text size, which is great for tiny print or bleary-eyed days. The device itself is slim, beautiful, and intuitive.

"...It's so easy. - I can carry huge, heavy, awkward IT books with me to any job...." Read more

"...It is small enough to fit in the inside of my suit jacket or any other outdoor jacket I may have and the battery does last a while...." Read more

"...Sony Reader Pocket Edition is appealing because it is more compact than the Kindle 2 and costs $100 less ("Falcone, 2009")...." Read more

"...The screen size sucks...." Read more

1,574 customers mention "Font size"1,569 positive5 negative

Customers find the font size of the Kindle book reader easy to read. They appreciate the adjustable text size and quick page turns. The button to change the text size is easy to find, but some find it intuitive until they learn how. The Kindle includes six font sizes to choose from, and the larger print option helps avoid needing reading glasses.

"...The adjustable text size is great for people like me...." Read more

"...For books, though, the screen size is perfect! One of the previous complaints about the Kindle was that there was no way to organize your..." Read more

"...I'm 47 and middle age is starting to catch up with me! Being able to select larger print to avoid having to use my reading glasses..." Read more

"...Combine that with the smaller button sizes and one major source of frustration has been instantly eliminated!..." Read more

1,376 customers mention "Reading ability"1,373 positive3 negative

Customers enjoy the reading experience on the Kindle. They find it convenient to carry reading material with them, including books, forums, and other resources. The Kindle store offers a wide variety of content, including journal articles from PDFs and a built-in dictionary. Readers appreciate the easy-to-read screen and the ability to bookmark pages.

"...may be in it's infancy stage but nonetheless, it is nothing short of a revolution to reading...." Read more

"...This has drastically increased my reading list as I would never purchase these books on my own as I prefer modern authors if I purchase a novel...." Read more

"...Just a book really. A million books in one. Anywhere. Anytime. Ooops, I forgot my other favorite thing about my Kindle - free books...." Read more

"...The Kindle has all the trail descriptions, and the maps in the guidebooks can be used somewhat...." Read more

Kindle -- still many things to love.
4 out of 5 stars
Kindle -- still many things to love.
Update: June, 26, 2010I've been using a the iPad 3G for a couple months now and here is my perspective on Kindle vs. iPad for prospective buyers.- The iPad is definitely slicker and cooler looking, with a wide range of applications and customization that has infinite possibilities (like color)- As a primary reading device, the Kindle is still better...it is light in your hands so you can hold it without getting tired (it's often hard to find a comfortable position with the iPad due to its weight and balance), Kindle's screen is gentle on the eyes for long periods of reading time (you don't have to worry about changing the brightness of an LCD screen which requires exiting an application and going to the settings menu on the iPad), and the real life buttons are simple and easy for reading (close to the edge of the device, and you know when you've clicked something)- Since Kindle's content is loaded directly onto the device memory, you don't have to have a live internet connection for it to work. I find it very frustrating that many of the applications on the iPad require an active internet connection just to work (e.g. news, streaming music/video, magazines). That said, for the eBook applications (Kindle, iBooks) content is saved onto the iPad- If you have both devices, you can sync between them without repurchasing content. One of my favorite features is the "sync to last page read" which takes you to the last page you read across all devices on your account. The Kindle app for iPad is pretty simple, though I would like to see some additional features (e.g., adjust screen brightness within the application, ability to better manage content like deleting books from iPad memory, ability to buy and access periodicals, being able to shop for books within the application)- With the recent Kindle price drop, it is significantly more affordable than the iPad. You also don't need to pay for cellular service for the Kindle, though you can't do any complex internet activities on it either--just shopping for books- On the subject of content, I will have to defer to others. I'm pretty happy with what is available via the Amazon Kindle store, but it has its limitations- There is so much more that is possible for books to be with these new platforms (like greater interactivity and using graphics more creatively), but today neither device fully showcases themAll in all, I see the iPad as a multi-functional personalized mini-computer that can do a lot of whiz-bang things--downloading and reading books is just one those things. If you are interested primarily in reading, the Kindle is still better in terms of functionality and price.------------As one of the original Kindle's biggest fans and an owner for over a year, I can speak to the Kindle from two perspectives--the benefits of owning a Kindle, and Kindle 2 improvements (as I've now had it for half a day)The benefits of owning a Kindle (these do not change)- Absolutely, Jeff Bezos is right that the Kindle 'disappears' as you read it...as I read other reviews (and non-user critiques) about the Kindle, this point is often lost. Once you have the Kindle in your hands, you forget everything and become immersed in the content of what you're reading. Isn't that really the whole point?- I read more now that I have my Kindle, 10 years out of college than I did when I was in school, and I really enjoy it. Books look a lot less intimidating when they aren't sitting on your bookshelf and 3 inches thick. I recently finished Team of Rivals, and I am sure that if I had to read it in book form, I would never have gotten through it because it would have felt so intimidating.- Heft and weight is a complete non-issue with the Kindle. I like to read in odd positions (in bed, on the couch, on a plane, poolside, shifting around in a lounge chair) and I've always had trouble with real books because unless you are in the absolute middle of the book, it always is weighted to one side or another and frankly, my arm and pinkie finger gets tired holding it up. The Kindle is balanced and portable, and entirely usable in any situation.- I can be in the middle of a lot of different books at once...not much more to say here. You never run out of space on the Kindle, and though it may be a little bit hard to maneuver around a lot of books in your library, it's still better to have access to all your books at any time.- I now read newspapers. I always found physical newspapers to be clumsy and take up too much space to actually subscribe to. They are great for short content pieces, but terrible for reading in transit because the pages are so big. I also read some articles on my BlackBerry, but find myself scrolling a lot and waiting a long time for page loads. On the Kindle, you have wireless delivery, easy navigation, no ads, no need to flip to page D17 and find the place where you left off. You also have a searchable/annoted/bookmarked archive of all your newspaper articles if you ever need to find something again.- All of these things can probably be accomplished with any eBook reader. The difference with the Kindle is that you have wireless delivery of content. This means, literally, that I can be sitting on the plane, start talking about what good books the guy sitting next to me has read recently, look it up on my Kindle, read the reviews and download it before the rest of the passengers have boarded and the plane doors close. This has happened.- My biggest complaint, which I'm sure will be addressed in due course is that the entire wireless benefit does not exist outside of the US. I have taken my Kindle to Canada, Mexico and China, and I found that I had to (gasp), decide what I wanted to have on my Kindle before I left the US. Foreign language support would also be a plus, but again, I see why this might come later.Now, onto improvements with the Kindle 2- There are the obvious ones: sleeker look and feel (it feels solid in your hands), sharper screen, no longer accidentally depressing the next page button by accident and having to find your place in the book again...you can read about these from various sources)- The 5-way button, though a bit small, allows you to select left and right, and not just up and down like the original version. This is very helpful when you want to select and highlight.- There are now two layers of interaction...before when you were reading a paper, you could only go back to the previous screen to select the next article. Now, there is an option at the bottom of the screen to skip to the next article when you tire of the current one.- Page loads are much faster. I can feel that the delay between pages is much less. Only issue is I need to recalibrate now--in general, I try to anticipate how much time it will take the next page to load, and when I'm two lines from the bottom, I would hit the next page button. Now I need to push the button later.- Text to speech is cloogey, but fun. I'm not sure how useful this will end up being. I tried to have the voice read the user's manual to me and it paused at commas and periods, but skipped right over hard returns. It also scrolled the page as it was reading, so if you are trying learn English and don't mind developing a metallic accent, it could really help. :-) You can also choose, male/female and speed. I think this could be a nice feature, though probably won't be using it all the time.- Managing your books is much easier. It's easy to see what is in your archive and re-download onto the Kindle. Also easy to delete and manage your books. That 5-way button is magical...though a bit unintuitive--you need to train yourself to think that there might be something useful if you scroll to the right.- Dictionary is improved. Now you can highlight a word and it automatically gives you a definition at the bottom of the screen. It also lets you look up words (that are not in the text), which is an improvement since the last version.I'm sure there are still a bunch of things that I haven't yet discovered about the Kindle 2. I don't really bookmark/annotate/highlight that much, but for those who do, I think this has also been improved upon.Overall, the Kindle is an amazing product. It did the basics well in the original model, the Kindle 2 has improved on a lot of dimensions, and I look forward to seeing what new bells and whistles are still to come.If you are considering buying one, and need to see before you order, find someone in your city who has one and can show you. There is now a special board for this on Amazon. Kindle owners (at least this one), are always happy to talk about it, and you will be delighted with the screen and the possibilities in such a compact package.
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Top reviews from the United States

  • Reviewed in the United States on September 20, 2009
    I have to admit that I tend to obsess about big decisions (like spending this much money) and this case was no different. I am one that likes to go to the bookstore and look before I buy. I am also rather impulsive so when I finally decide on a book (which I am always reading something)then I want to be able to buy it right then. I am too impatient to then go and order it online or go to the library to save money. Ultimately, I end up paying full price and have for many years. My bookshelves are overflowing and my wife constantly wants me to donate them to free up space.

    I read good and bad reviews about the Kindle and really debated whether or not I could like one. On the other hand I am a technology lover and love my electronic gadgets. About a month ago after finishing in one weekend and realizing that I paid $28 for it I thought Kindle's cheaper prices and mobility would be great. I finally took the plunge and have had it for about 2 weeks. I am very happy I have one.

    The advantages are many. First, it's very light and the text is easy to read in all types of lighting (except in the dark of course). In direct sunlight I have not had any problems to read. I recently had to get reading glasses but don't carry them all the time. The adjustable text size is great for people like me. The dictionary is a fantastic feature and find myself looking up words that I've always been familiar with but never knew the exact definition. You just move the cursor in front of the word and the dictionary opens a box at the bottom of the screen.

    Ok, let's get to the benefits. In hindsight, the complaints about Kindle not being as "warm & fuzzy" as a "good book" etc. etc. are misguided. This is about the use of technology to ENHANCE our life not be an exact substitute. Cell phones are not as good as landlines but think of the mobility and convenience that they can add to our life. kindle is to books what cell phones are to telephones.

    I can't say enough about how great it is that I can carry up to 1500 books, magazines & newspapers with me. It fits into my "dayminder" type of folder that I carry around with me. I have to spend a lot of time waiting for my work so I simply pull out Kindle no matter where I am I have access to my reading material. I can go on Amazon and read about books, check out reviews, scan for items of interest and download samples. I can download whatever material in about 60 seconds or less.

    Basically, it's just awesome to be able to have access to so much reading material. I can download samples and buy books for $10 so I have a lot of things I would not buy if I had to pay full price. To be able to make notes is also another great feature although I don't use it often. The battery life is great and I even like the screen savers. To be able to read various items and just open them up right where you left off is very convenient.

    Last advantage, our son who needs to improve his reading, vocabulary and language skills has to read between 30-60 minutes a day to "earn" his extra computer time. While we were waiting somewhere he asked me what Kindle is and to demonstrate it we went online to search for a book he was interested in. While we were driving home he got interested in using the "text to speech" function. He actually unplugged his Ipod and plugged in the headphones and by the time we got home he had listened and followed along for about 35 minutes. I had to literally force him to turn it off! Imagine that. He said it was fun and would like to have his own. He even used the dictionary function which is great because we cannot get him to use an actually dictionary. My wife was so thrilled at his enthusiasm she was ready to buy him one right away.

    Overall, Kindle may be in it's infancy stage but nonetheless, it is nothing short of a revolution to reading. I love it and judge it on it's own merits not by comparing it to a book. It is lightweight, mobile, convenient and easy to use. If you like to read, enjoy technology and want to be able to take books with you everywhere you go and even get new ones on the go then I would suggest buying one. Based on what I've told other people my mother, wife & brother are all interested in buying one. My only hesitation is they they might come up with a "new & improved" version next year that will make me want a new one. If you can afford it then I would say go for it!
    12 people found this helpful
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  • Reviewed in the United States on February 26, 2009
    There are alot of very well written reviews out there that touch on the Kindle 2's features and abilities. So, I will try and limit this review to those who are on the fence about shelling out the coin to purchase and the reasons that I have bought the Kindle 2.

    I am always intrigued by gadgets but almost $400 (with cover) I felt I needed to justify to myself the financial worth of buying this product.

    I usually read 1-2 books a week. I figure by paying $9.99 or so per book, I probably would be saving around $3 a book. Some books I buy Hardcover in the $20-30 range and some mass market paperback around $7 or $8. In the long run I considered a conservative estimate to be around $3 per book. With taxes and the occasional Amazon shipping fee or the cost of a bookclub membership, the actually savings to me is probably closer to $5-$7 a book. Anyway using both conservative amounts of $3 and only 1 book a week I come up with a yearly savings of $156 and using the high amounts of 2 books/week and $7 my annual savings would be $728. Realistically, it is would probably be around $250-$300. So, if you read many books a month, just the cost savings alone if you purchase all of your books, as oppossed to a library, would almost justify it's purchase.

    If this sounds like you and you are still on the fence, I also took into account the ease of use of the Kindle. When I travel I usually take 3-4 books with me, as I never know the kind of reading mood I will be in at the moment. Having my complete library at my fingertips and the ability to instantly download any other additional titles from anywhere in the US is worth a few bucks in my opinion. No longer will I have to haul books around where ever I go. I was in the Army and the "hurry up and wait" mentality has made me make sure that I always have a book handy wherever I am in case of downtime.

    In addition, I have discovered that most of the classics are out of copyright and therefore available for free either at Amazon or more often at the various e-book websites on the internet. This has drastically increased my reading list as I would never purchase these books on my own as I prefer modern authors if I purchase a novel. However, I will gladly read these classics for free! Plus, alot of the classics are on my daughters summer reading lists for school and I can simply download and let her borrow the Kindle to do her reading as well, at no cost.

    From a financial aspect, with the amount I read it seems like a good investment on a Kindle. I might not break even, but the portability and ease of 1 click purchasing as well as nifty features like a dictionary and Wikipedia make up the difference in my opinion.

    I know alot of people tend to buy books and resell them or trade them in on other titles. I realized that I am not one of these people and I usually either keep the books I buy or donate them. If you are one of the former then perhaps the Kindle is not for you as obviously in electronic form you cannot recoop any of the costs from the purchase. If you are in the latter category, then like me, you probably have an overflow of books in your house that you sometimes feel bad about buying a new one to add to the clutter. The Kindle will handle this for you as being clutter free while Amazon will keep track of all your purchases in case you need/want to download them again. (My wife will be happy about this, as she says I already have to many books lying around the house!!)

    As far as some of the features go, the most gripes seem to be coming from those that are upset the Kindle has neither a backlight and/or color. Simply put, using a backlight for 15 minutes causes more eyestrain than reading under light in 8 hours. Our eyes simply are not engineered to work well under low light conditions. If you feel the need for a light, I highly recommend a flex light especially made for the Kindle. Much easier on the eyes and you can also detach and look under the couch if you lose your keys. :) As far as color goes, if you are reading a book with color photos or maps, the Kindle's resolution and size simply would not portray these pictures as well as the printed source anyway. Perhaps in a few years...if this is a deal breaker then either wait for the technology to catch up or purchase books with color content the old fashion way.

    I encourage you to read many other reviews to learn more about the individual features the Kindle can deliver. My main concern in purchasing was the benefits of owning vs. the cost. With my reading habits and various additional benefits of using an e-reader it turned into a no-brainer for me. If you are thinking about purchasing, but the high price has you hesitating try and answer some of the questions I had before my purchase and justify if it is the right choice for you. Only you can answer those questions no matter how many reviews you read about the features and benefits of owning one.

    By the way, a large stumbling block in my decision was wether or not I could give up the "old" way of reading books and be happy with this new technology. If you feel the same way and have justified your purchase, Amazon has a 30 day policy on returns. So if you find that you just cannot enjoy looking at a screen and miss the feel of a real book, you can always return it in the time allowed. Personally, after a day of using it I feel more and more comfortable with it. I liken it to driving a friends car. Feels different than your car, but the basics are the same and after a few miles you get used to it.

    Overall very happy.
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