The Kindle, the Reader, and e-ink: The buzz continues

Electronic-book (or e-book) readers, including the Amazon Kindle and Sony Reader, use an electronic "ink" (or e-Ink) display to reproduce text. (The image at right shows a sample of the e-Ink technology. You can click on it for a closer look.) You move through a book by pressing a button to pull the next page from the device's electronic memory. Current versions are imperfect, but in recent weeks a leading print magazine; you, our readers; and several design and media experts have convinced me to follow this fascinating technology more closely.

The print magazine is Esquire, which announced that its September issue will appear on newsstands with a battery-powered e-ink cover. Meanwhile, our test observations on the Kindle continue to draw readers and comments some eight months after we posted them. Our tests and your comments reflect a mixed verdict, highlighting many disadvantages as well as some pluses. Our take on the second-generation Sony Reader was similarly ambivalent.

But several lectures I've attended in the past week or so argue that flaws are inevitable when products break significant new ground—as these devices clearly do, being more legible and more portable than past e-books. Last week, while attending Stanford University's Stanford Professional Publishing Course, I heard professor Paul Saffo urge magazine editors to embrace the Kindle and its ilk, in spite of their flaws. Another instructor, renowned product designer Bill Moggridge, told me the Kindle has streamlined his research process by allowing him to electronically highlight passages in books and download those excerpts to his computer, saving him hours of transcription time.

Here at Consumer Reports, we recently enjoyed a lecture from Bo Sacks, an expert on so-called Electronically Coordinated Information Distribution, who predicts that e-books will command a growing share of the print market. That will happen, he says, as the devices improve and as the downsides of printed paper continue—notably its escalating cost and its long-term environmental issues.

—Paul Reynolds

Comments

[Rochelle]

I'm looking at purchasing 75 electronic readers as a corporate gift. While the Kindle sounds preferable to a Sony reader, the problem is that many people who will receive the gift are based overseas-- Europe, Middle East, India, and Asia Pacific. Does anyone know if it's possible to download books to the Kindle if you're not in the States? There's an extensive network in the US, but it doesn't look like it's supported overseas. Is that correct? If so, would the Sony be the better product to buy for very globally dispersed group? Appreciate any feedback at all!

[SL Stephens]

What do you think about the Dutch inspirted Be-book next to these above?

[Bob Smith]

To Renee Feinberg, I was talking to my head librarian at our big, beautiful newly remodeled library just yesterday. She told me that she and her board of directors are still in limbo as to the purchase of eBook readers and files. I think it will be a while yet before we can get them in overseas locations. I've been studying the different readers for the last 2 days and I can't make up my mind yet. All the best in your search.

[Yitzhak Dar]

I bought a kindle last December, although I'll be using it mainly outside of the US. I was in the US in Dec. - Jan., and fell in love with it. The process of swift downloading directly to the kindle is excellent, the option to fit the size of the letters to your liking is a real bonus to everybody, especially those who use reading glasses, and the possibility of having a smple of the book downloaded for trial before deciding to purchase is important. I've not used my PC to download a book to my Kindle, so I can not say how easy that is, but altogether using it is a beautiful experience.

[renee feinberg]

overseas use is my particular concern and i don't understand whether kindle limits me to amazon products whereas the sony reader would allow me to download ebooks from the public library.
am i right in thinking that using the public library's ebooks takes time for the library to send the ebook whereas amazon's kindle is good to go with books amazon has loaded? this would make the kindle preferable if i'm traveling soon. renee

[Helen Kula]

Is there any information about the travel magazine Magellan's Jetbook available? I have a mac, doesn't work well with Sony. The Kindle will not work in a foreign country from what I can understand. I will be going on an extended trip with limited luggage space.
Thank you

[Thomas]

Paul Reynolds, one thing you MUST do wrt Kindle and similar E-reader reviews...
I love the idea of Kindle, the ability to save space/weight/clutter in my home. If I have to move, I'd much rather move a Kindle than my 8 bookshelves full of books.

...you MUST highlight, or even advocate for the need for content interoperability. I'm 100% certain that if I purchase an e-reader today, it won't last for more than 10 years. 2 years is more like the average replacement time for a gadget like this. Kindle and others will be no use if I can't EASILY get my collected stuff off of one device and on to another of a different and perhaps competing mfg'er. Better would be to have an electronic archive somewhere.
Please talk about it and highlight it in your next review.
Regards,
Thomas