I’ve just finished reading Chapter 2 and 3 of the Great Gatsby on Amazon’s first version of the Kindle. Unlike Nick and Jordan, who were fascinated by Jay Gatsby and his stories, I was not-so-fascinated by the Kindle 1. Now, I know this Kindle was the first of it’s kind and was groundbreaking when it was released. Therefore, I’m trying to get my hands on a Kindle 2, so my evaluation will be fair and balanced.
It’s much easier to stay focused on reading with the Kindle 1. It just opens to a list of all the books I have on it. There’s not even a menu screen. It doesn’t ask me, ‘what I want to DO’, it asks me, ‘what do I want to READ.’ The Kindle 1 keeps it simple.
The first thing I noticed was the little scroll button and the silver lines that resemble the liquid in a thermometer. This is how you select things from the menu, and then the two silver lines do their little dance signifying the completion of the task I just asked it to perform. It’s cute, but it took a while to get used to. Since there it isn’t a touch screen, the scroll button does make sense I guess.
I really liked the long tabs on each side that turn the page. There’s even a Next Page tab on the left side if held by only that hand. It makes it easy to shuffle through pages quickly, but beware not to hold the buttons down or it’ll skip to pages way ahead!
Reading on it is clear and easy (it uses the E ink technology), but I ended up wanting less keyboard and more screen. I didn’t use the keyboard for reading at all. The Kindle 1 cannot be read horizontally, which is ok because of it’s shape; the left side is thicker than the right. It’s easier to hold with just my left hand because of that rounded thicker side. Holding it with just my right hand, was not difficult, but not as comfortable as the other hand. This shape would make it awkward to hold horizontally.
I appreciated the screen saver that comes on after a few minutes of inactivity, especially after what happened with the Sony Reader! (see Day 1) Once this screen saver comes on, none of the buttons will bring it back on except the on and off button.
The Kindle 1 is easy and simple. I like this because it keeps me focused on reading, and is perfect for someone who has little experience with complicated electronics. I keep reminding myself that this was the device that changed the way we are all reading books now. How cool!
written by, M.E. Franchini
Please comment and share your thoughts or experiences on any of the eReaders.
