I hemmed and hawed a lot before ordering the Kindle; my first e-reader. I thought perhaps I'd miss something about the experience of reading a book. Perhaps I'd miss the feel of it, or the smell, or turning the pages. In actual fact, the only thing I miss is being able to re-read the cover and back page when I put it to rest after a long read. There's something satisfying about absorbing the cover and imprinting it on your memory, especially after you finish the last page of a book. Anyway, it's a minor point. In every other detail the Kindle is a superior reading experience.

The weight of the Kindle is a significant factor. A large paperback or hardback can be annoying to read, especially if you're in bed. Remember holding a heavy paperback above you? Or how annoying it is when you lie on your side and one page of the open book is easier to read than the other? Or pinning a book open on the pillow with one hand as you read? Well, all that's out the window. Reading a... Read more

I just love it. I first saw an e-reader a few months ago when I was shown a Sony one - I wasn't that impressed. Then I was shown a Kindle 2 while in America - this was more like it I thought. On returning to the UK I thought I would have a look in more detail at the Kindle and compare it to other readers. How thrilled and surprised was I to log on to Amazon and see there right in front of me the all new Kindle 3! I read all about it with mounting excitement. It did so many things, was Wi-Fi (I don't need the 3G version), so many of the classic books are free, and it just seemed to have all the added extras to make it almost too good to be true. The most amazing thing was the price - I couldn't believe it. Although it was out of stock I thought I shouldn't rush into buying it, it wasn't my birthday or Christmas so how on earth could I justify buying myself a present?

I pondered this purchase for a few days, and gradually the reviews started coming in which... Read more

I preordered my Kindle in mid August and it arrived a couple of days ago (mid September). Eagerly I opened up the Amazon Easy open box (which, as the name suggests, was remarkably easy to open!) and inside was my new Kindle, charger/synch cable and limited instructions (there are more complete instructions on the device).

I had spent a lot of time researching ereaders prior to my purchase but to be honest I was still not prepared for how great the Kindle would look in the flesh. Smaller and lighter than I imagined it just felt right. Also some reviewers had talked about thinking of trying to peel off the actual image on the screen, well I can confirm that even knowing that the thought crossed my mind - The e-ink looks absolutely great.

After plugging it in (not for long) I then switched it on and after setting up the account/wifi etc (I have the 3g and WiFi version but figured I was better using WiFi to start with) I had a look. What a great experience this... Read more