Bests & Worsts Reviews from Amazon

Just an update. It's been six months since I have touched the Kindle. It's a $400 paper weight. ----------------- My wife bought this for me for Christmas. I guess we were one of the "lucky" ones as it was delivered on Christmas eve day. I like to read, although I don't seem to have enough time these days, but the Kindle just doesn't work for me. The ergonomics are terrible, as several reviewers have noted. I see they tried to give it the form factor of a folded open book. But, it's not a book! They easily could have done much better if they got away from that paradigm. The refresh on the digital ink is too slow for a cursor so they had to add the funny reflective scroll bar that is hard to see in low light. I was also disappointed with the user interface. It's clunky at best. I suspect they were again severely limited by the digital ink capabilities. The touted web interface is a joke. Trying to access my simple web email interface was long and drawn out. Forget an even slightly complicated web site. I have a hard time getting lost in a book with this thing. I just find it too uncomfortable in the case or out. I also wish that you could read the books on a PC, much like an audio book or an MP3. Having my entire purchased library only available on one screen is just too limiting. The only way I can share a book is by giving my entire library to someone, or by buying another kindle! The subscription services seem decent, but I have a hard time finding time to read my local paper and could not even come close to justifying this thing on what little time I have to read other news sources. Plus you miss out on most of the photos, graphics and layout. That is not always a minor point. It was a nice gift, but when I found out it cost $400 I about fainted. Considering they have a monopoly on the wireless content and will make a ton of money from the purchases, this thing should sell for $100 or less. At least sell it for $400 and give a $300 credit towards purchases. I suppose if you are a fiction or best seller fanatic and/or travel a lot, then this would be marginally worth it. In it's current form it seems mostly a novelty product where people pay a premium to have "instant content" as more of a gimmick. $400 will buy a lot of paperbacks. My favorite seller is the half priced used book store. They even have many of the best sellers a couple of weeks after they are released. If they improve the ergonomics and the cost it might be justifiable for it's limits. As for me, if it wasn't a gift from a loved one, it would already be on eBay.