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I just cancelled my Kindle Fire order (which I made the day of the announcement, perhaps too hasty) based on the review by David Pogue: http://www.nytimes.com/

I just cancelled my Kindle Fire order (which I made the day of the announcement, perhaps too hasty) based on the review by David Pogue: http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/personaltech/the-fire-aside-amazons-lower-priced-kindles-also-shine.html http://www.nytimes.com/2011/11/14/technology/personaltech/th... My take away is that if they can't get the included apps to perform well, it is likely not a device I will enjoy using. I'd rather pay another $300 for something that is a joy to use. Probably be better off using the Kindle app on an iPod Touch.

notatoad 15y ago
if you can afford to spend an extra $300 like that, and like to read, you owe it to yourself to get an e-ink kindle.
- spullara 15y ago
  When they fix the flicker on page turning, I will.
  - notatoad 15y ago
    have you used an e-reader? it's not really anything that needs fixing. when you see it on youtube the flicker looks annoying, but when you're actually reading a book you don't notice it at all.
    - spullara 15y ago
      I have used an e-reader. It is annoying for me. Since they are trying to fix it, I am going to assume that I am not the only one that hates it.
  - bad_user 15y ago
    That's how e-Ink currently works. On the other hand you've got good contrast, especially in direct sunlight. Also battery life lasts for a whole week with the Internet connection on and for a month (at least) without that connection active. Reading entire novels on my Kindle 3 is an enjoyable experience. Reading long essays on an iPad has given me nausea - as I could see the reflection of the light above and my freaking face in the screen glare of that iPad. The contrast is really poor in a strong light environment. Also the battery died during a single flight from Europe to the US, when I needed it the most. Of course, the E-Ink Kindle is only good for reading books or long essays. It's not an iPad replacement, but the one thing it does well can't be matched by devices with normal LCD or Amoled screens.
    - spullara 15y ago
      I'm not sure why I would be modded down for pointing out how e-ink currently works and how I don't like it and won't be using it until they fix it. Someone mentioned that with the Kindle Touch they have pushed the flicker to every 6 page views and have reduced its jarring effect. Presumably there are other people that also think that e-ink, as it currently works, isn't that great because of this problem. I've mostly read books on my iPhone 4 using Amazon's Kindle app and I find it to be much more enjoyable, YMMV. So, when they fix that problem, that it currently has, I will probably get one -- which is why I have been buying books on Kindle instead of iBooks in the first place. You are lucky you can enjoy e-ink, I wish I could.
      - gfodor 15y ago
        It'd be nice if you could elaborate on why the flicker is important enough to you that it outweighs the obvious benefits of e-ink. Up until I read this thread I never even considered it as a 'thing', it surprises me anyone could care about the particular way a reading device transitions between pages, as long as it's fast enough. It seems like the least important aspect of what makes a reading experience on a device good vs bad. The portability and convenience of the Kindle DX has basically changed my life as I now have been plowing through all those technical books I've been meaning to read over the years.
        gnaffle 15y ago
        I think it's a bit difficult to explain this to someone that isn't experiencing it as a problem. It's similar to the way some people react to DLP projectors with color wheels ("rainbow effect") while some don't. People are sensitive do different things. I find the flicker jarring even though it's short. I do enjoy the benefits of e-ink, but I'm perfectly fine with staring at a backlight display for hours, so I'm OK with reading on an iPad as well.
        gbog 15y ago
        Strangely, I had the same reaction as yours in the beginning, each time I flipped a page on my Kindle I "saw" the dots flicking. Then, around one week after, I completely forgot, until you reminded me about the issue today. So, in short, except if we have a very different neural system, which is not likely, the annoyance should disappear soon enough.
  - dean 15y ago
    It's not a bug. It's a feature. Consider it a page transition effect.
  - jasonlotito 15y ago
    Just curious, have you ever owned an e-ink reader, or is this just from observation? I'm not a fan of the flicker, either, but the truth is, I don't notice it while actually using the device.
- ippisl 15y ago
  The bookeen odyssey[2] looks more interesting as an e-ink tablet. While it isn't out yet(it'll be out in 22/11), they made an impressive demo of the technology[1], showing a really fast display. They also have strong processor(cortex-a8, 800mhz), so web browsing will probably be much nicer and fun than the kindle. [1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwceUvxlCo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwceUvxlCo [2]http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook/odyssey http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook/odyssey

notatoad 15y ago

if you can afford to spend an extra $300 like that, and like to read, you owe it to yourself to get an e-ink kindle.

spullara 15y ago
When they fix the flicker on page turning, I will.
- notatoad 15y ago
  have you used an e-reader? it's not really anything that needs fixing. when you see it on youtube the flicker looks annoying, but when you're actually reading a book you don't notice it at all.
  - spullara 15y ago
    I have used an e-reader. It is annoying for me. Since they are trying to fix it, I am going to assume that I am not the only one that hates it.
- bad_user 15y ago
  That's how e-Ink currently works. On the other hand you've got good contrast, especially in direct sunlight. Also battery life lasts for a whole week with the Internet connection on and for a month (at least) without that connection active. Reading entire novels on my Kindle 3 is an enjoyable experience. Reading long essays on an iPad has given me nausea - as I could see the reflection of the light above and my freaking face in the screen glare of that iPad. The contrast is really poor in a strong light environment. Also the battery died during a single flight from Europe to the US, when I needed it the most. Of course, the E-Ink Kindle is only good for reading books or long essays. It's not an iPad replacement, but the one thing it does well can't be matched by devices with normal LCD or Amoled screens.
  - spullara 15y ago
    I'm not sure why I would be modded down for pointing out how e-ink currently works and how I don't like it and won't be using it until they fix it. Someone mentioned that with the Kindle Touch they have pushed the flicker to every 6 page views and have reduced its jarring effect. Presumably there are other people that also think that e-ink, as it currently works, isn't that great because of this problem. I've mostly read books on my iPhone 4 using Amazon's Kindle app and I find it to be much more enjoyable, YMMV. So, when they fix that problem, that it currently has, I will probably get one -- which is why I have been buying books on Kindle instead of iBooks in the first place. You are lucky you can enjoy e-ink, I wish I could.
    - gfodor 15y ago
      It'd be nice if you could elaborate on why the flicker is important enough to you that it outweighs the obvious benefits of e-ink. Up until I read this thread I never even considered it as a 'thing', it surprises me anyone could care about the particular way a reading device transitions between pages, as long as it's fast enough. It seems like the least important aspect of what makes a reading experience on a device good vs bad. The portability and convenience of the Kindle DX has basically changed my life as I now have been plowing through all those technical books I've been meaning to read over the years.
      - gnaffle 15y ago
        I think it's a bit difficult to explain this to someone that isn't experiencing it as a problem. It's similar to the way some people react to DLP projectors with color wheels ("rainbow effect") while some don't. People are sensitive do different things. I find the flicker jarring even though it's short. I do enjoy the benefits of e-ink, but I'm perfectly fine with staring at a backlight display for hours, so I'm OK with reading on an iPad as well.
        gbog 15y ago
        Strangely, I had the same reaction as yours in the beginning, each time I flipped a page on my Kindle I "saw" the dots flicking. Then, around one week after, I completely forgot, until you reminded me about the issue today. So, in short, except if we have a very different neural system, which is not likely, the annoyance should disappear soon enough.
- dean 15y ago
  It's not a bug. It's a feature. Consider it a page transition effect.
- jasonlotito 15y ago
  Just curious, have you ever owned an e-ink reader, or is this just from observation? I'm not a fan of the flicker, either, but the truth is, I don't notice it while actually using the device.
ippisl 15y ago
The bookeen odyssey[2] looks more interesting as an e-ink tablet. While it isn't out yet(it'll be out in 22/11), they made an impressive demo of the technology[1], showing a really fast display. They also have strong processor(cortex-a8, 800mhz), so web browsing will probably be much nicer and fun than the kindle. [1]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwceUvxlCo http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CxwceUvxlCo [2]http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook/odyssey http://www.bookeen.com/en/cybook/odyssey