NEW GADGETS: AMAZON KINDLE AND BLACKBERRY BOLD 9700
I’m super stoked on a couple new gadgets I’ve picked up recently, and I thought now would be a great time to do a product review with some photos!
First up, the Amazon Kindle. This device has singlehandedly rekindled (ha ha) my love of reading. Yes, I realize there is an Apple iPad coming out. I’m not concerned. The reason why I chose the Amazon Kindle is for one purpose: reading books.
The e-ink is amazing, and it is EXACTLY like reading a book. It looks exactly like ink on paper, but with a thin protective cover over it. This is why I will not be using an iPad for reading. Yes, I may use it for web surfing, but not for reading. I do not want to read on a backlit screen when I have to sit at work all day looking at a computer screen.
The device itself is gorgeous. It’s extremely light… lighter than a paperback book. Unlike a normal book where you need two hands to hold the pages open, I can read my Kindle with one hand. After reading for 8 hours straight, this is a huge benefit. I love the design of the Kindle.
The back is also really pretty, with brushed metal and a little bit of rubber for non-slip. I should note that this is the 2nd Generation Kindle, but it is not the Kindle DX. The Kindle DX is bigger and harder to hold in one hand… it’s better used for magazine/newspaper reading. Also — the Kindle is hooked up to 3G Wireless in Canada, so you can buy a book wirelessly no matter where you are. There is no data plan or package you have to buy… simply load up the Amazon store on the device and buy a book, and be reading within 30 seconds!
Since I purchased my Kindle a couple months ago, I’ve read 16 books and read over 13,000 pages (yes, the Wheel of Time series is long and took up a lot of that page count). The Kindle is also VERY thin. I bought a Flexstand Bookstand from M-Edge (pictured here) so that I can read it in bed or while eating without having to hold it up. I highly recommend this accessory.
Here’s a photo of all the accessories I have for my Kindle. I bought a pink leather sleeve for protection, a New Yorker leather cover for traveling or when out or about (it hooks into the Kindle deftly so it can’t fall out), and the Flexstand Bookstand. All from M-Edge Accessories.
Needless to say, I’m in LOVE with my Kindle. If you’re a book reader, I would say it is a MUST buy at only $250. After buying 10 books, you will have saved yourself back the cost of your device since e-books are only $5-10 compared to $10-30 for physical books. You. Will. Love. It.
Next up… my new Blackberry Bold 9700. I’ve tried so many different phones, from Nokia to different Blackberries and yes, even the iPhone. But Blackberry just does it right. Everything about a Blackberry is perfect for the type of user that I am. I am completely in love with this phone.
It’s fast, the new trackpad is great compared to the trackball, and the new OS is incredible. I love the new features. The new Blackberry Messenger is much improved, and since 60% of all my friends have Blackberries, it’s the perfect and quick way to communicate with most of my friends.
It’s really small and light. The new grippy back is a nice feature as well. I upgraded from my Curve 8900 to the 9700, and it’s not a huge difference. The 3G is a really great upgrade, and the new OS is too.
There are now tons of apps for the Blackberry, and Blackberry World is very slick. From budget software to games, I haven’t found anything lacking on the Blackberry that I’ve wished for that was on the iPhone. And the keyboard is a big plus. I can type faster than any iPhone user and much, much more accurately. Yes! I challenge you to a type-off. 
But seriously, I find typing on my phone an absolute pleasure. Everything I’ve ever wanted in a phone, is in my new Blackberry Bold.
So that’s it folks! My new gadgets. Feel free to leave any questions or comments below!
Tags: accessories, Amazon Kindle, Apple, Blackberry, Bold 9700, book, cellphone, covers, e-book, e-ink, iPad, M-Edge, Mobile, New Yorker, reader, reading, review, RIM, sleeve
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March 12th, 2010 at 1:14 pm
wow you’re so lucky to get a kindle! i really want one
March 12th, 2010 at 2:48 pm
Thanks for the review on Kindle. Couple of questions:
Can you return a book that you downloaded?
Can you highlight sections and add book marks?
March 12th, 2010 at 2:59 pm
Thanks Abby!
Chaminda, yes, you can return a book that you download if it was an error. You need to work that through Amazon Support. But no, typically a book you purchase you keep, like purchasing at a bookstore rather than a library. They are very cheap though!
And yes, you can highlight sections, add bookmarks, search for words, look up words in the built-in dictionary… you can also change text size, orientation of screen, and do text-to-speech etc.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:19 pm
I’ve had the 2d gen kindle since july last year, I cheated a bit and got it before it was available for the international market. In my review in Amazon I describe it perfectly. It’s sleek it’s extremely functional and not having to carry a ton of books makes it very convenient.
I live in the Dominican Republic, so my access to English books is very limited, plus buying a book would end up costing me almost the double when I included the shipping and handling, I calculated that in the first three months I had covered the total price of the kindle (taking into consideration that the classics are free).
So my goal for this year? I’m going through the list of books on the BBC… The big read, 100 books, let’s see how many I can read this year… I don’t have 100 because I have already read 35 of that list, but so far, so good. And now with its native pdf reader it’s just sooo much more convenient! I’m even saving some blogs on pdf format and then reading them on my own time!
March 12th, 2010 at 3:40 pm
You make a compelling case for the Kindle! I figured that if I decided to go for an e-reader, that would be the way I’d want to go, especially for the e-Ink display. What I wasn’t aware of (that you mentioned in a comment) that you can actually turn it and change it to a landscape orientation, which could be handy for those manuals or bigger-text-sizes.
One question though. Some of the books I read will have black & white engravings or symbols (yes, fantasy books like the Lord of the Rings) – does the Kindle still display those?
I’m not expecting color images; just sometimes there’s a diagram or a family tree, etc. As I can see having a Kindle for those art references/anatomy books; setting it up next to my art area on the little stand accessory is highly appealing.
March 12th, 2010 at 3:44 pm
Hey gabbie, that sounds like an awesome goal! Wow!
Mike, yes any drawings in the books will show up on the Kindle. But yes, it is black and white (although I hear colour e-ink is in the works)…
March 13th, 2010 at 2:16 am
Blackberry 4 life!
March 14th, 2010 at 3:22 am
I love to read. With it there’s no need to carry something big and it takes very little space! The Amazon Kindle must be great!!
xxx
- Laura
March 14th, 2010 at 2:02 pm
The Kindle, in particular, looks awesome. Would love to have one. Will stick to the library for the time being though. However in Japan, the English sections are a bit lacking…
March 15th, 2010 at 2:48 am
I love read!
It has to be good have one of this.. I spend too much on books even I buy cheap ones ’cause I get too much
Maybe someday I get one.. You don’t need a lot of space, and weighs less for sure!
xxx
March 15th, 2010 at 7:32 am
I have the Kindle App for my iPhone (I’ve had it since it was released) and it does a lot of what the actual Kindle does, not everything but enough for me. Either way though, I’ve read over 60+ books with it. I love it. I love that I can just carry my phone in my pocket with me and have everything I need, otherwise I would have totally bought an actual Kindle. It has certainly rekindled my love of reading. Good reviews. Excellent blog.
March 16th, 2010 at 5:51 pm
Ooooooh thanks for the review on the Kindle… that’s awesome to hear it looks exactly like ink on paper… one question though. Does it light up?
March 16th, 2010 at 5:59 pm
Hey Lauren, it doesn’t. One of the reasons it reads like a book and it doesn’t cause straining after reading for a long time… I bought the m-edge iluminator. Basically a booklight it’s an led light, lights up the kindle quite well and it doesn’t bother my husband when I read in bed.