Amazon Kindle - personal review

Amazon Kindle - personal review

Happy Kindle Birthday

This year, my geeky gadgetry nature received a lovely birthday pressie from my equally lovely but not so geeky partner - an Amazon Kindle.

We had looked at this in previous years when we first heard that such a device had appeared on the market. But at that stage, there were many hurdles to combat - especially in the Australian market. For instance, I think we could not even get to buy and download books wireless as it depends on a wireless system called Whispernet which I am not sure was available to us Aussies at the time of release.

Just as well we didn't get one at that stage coz look how Mr Fatty it used to be in comparison to what it is now.

Old Kindle - Mr Fatty

to how good it looks now. This is mine! Woohoo!

My new Kindle

Of course I know that in the blink of a blinkety eye, Amazon (or someone else) will come out with something bigger/smaller, better, faster. And so it goes. But for now, I am content.

Standard Kindle vs Kindle DX

There is another current version of the Amazon Kindle called Kindle DX.
It is larger than the one I have. Mine is the one on the left, the DX is the one on the right. However apart from it being able to hold more books (1,500 vs 3,500 books. Really. I mean do you really need to carry that many books and reading material around?!) and having a larger reading screen (6" vs 9.7"), I cannot see much advantage of having the DX over the standard Kindle.

And if you like reading from a paperback size, then I recommend that you stick with the Kindle standard.

You can read more about both Kindles directly on Amazon.

Amazon Kindle vs Apple's iPad

You cannot fight it - Apple is sexy and so all little offsprings from Apple is the same. Kindle in comparison looks like a frumpy bumpy plain unwanted old Jane.

And if your main aim is to have good looks, sleek gadgets, latest toy, and lots of money to splash around (and you may even be one of those non-readers from the old before-technology days who were seen carry around a book to cultivate an image rather than that they could actually read) - then you have to shove the Kindle to the un-chic corner and go with spinning arms and legs for the iPad.

However if you are into reading, then for my money (or hubby's in this instance), you have to choose Kindle over the newly release iPad. Kindle is easier on the eyes, about half the price of iPad, more dedicated to the needed reading functions, and at the moment, can be easily bought over the Net (which I think, the iPad, cannot).

Pros and Cons of Kindle

Pros

• Love the fact that you can just about be anywhere and still be able to download and or buy books. You don't need to worry about not bringing along books for your holidays - you can buy them while you are relaxing in a spa in the hills of Bali!!
  
  
• Light - or to not have to lug around heavy books just because you can't decide which books you want to read before you leave the house.
  
  
• Feels like a book - well as good as. Not 100% user friendly but darn close so very easy to use.
• Audio - can read out loud to you (for books that have been enabled. E.g. the manual that comes within the Kindle can be read out loud).
• Can change text and image sizes for ease of reading.
• Can make personal notes and highlight points as you read. (I have not used this extensively - just played around with it. It is a cool feature but I suspect it still needs some improvements. I can imagine from what I have seen that one's personal notes can become very messy and hard to find. There does not seem to be any apparent way to organise those notes properly.)
• Easy navigation.
• Lots of free ebooks on the internet which, when downloaded (to your computer) can be easily transferred over to your Kindle.
  You can read more about the free books download sites and the formats required at each at http://www.amazon.com/gp/b/?node=2245146011
• Long battery life - I have not been reading continuously I admit. But I do find it so very annoying when batteries run down even when I am not using them: like mobile phones, and cameras. However since I got this Kindle in mid-April 2010 and now, a month later, I have only charged it once and have not had to do it again.
• Easy to charge - just use the provided USB cable and connect to computer.
• Easy to switch off/on and Kindle will remember which page you were last on (for each book) when you next "open" it.

There are many more goody features but these are the main ones that come to mind.

Cons

• Cannot read in the dark. OK. I understand why this is so at the moment - but it is still a disappointment. Reason: technology.
  Kindle uses the e-ink technology which is what makes it so special. It consumes little power hence longer battery life. And it is easy on the eyes - you can read with glare-strain (which is a problem that iPad has. Being backlit, it also means that prolonged reading produces eye strain.). But because Kindle cannot be back-lit, you need surrounding ambient light to read. Which is a shame coz it would be lovely to be on a plane and be reading your Kindle without having to switch on the overhead. Or be in bed and just read your Kindle without having to switch on and off lights and disturbing sleeping partners.
• It does not come with its own padded safety jacket - which means, I will have to jacket him myself ... soon ... one day ....
• No color choices. No sexy colors.
• pdf files are easily copied-pasted over to the Kindle. However the size of text cannot be changed - so you can end up with very small text.
• Turning off is not always effective. Supposed to hold on-off slide in off position for 5 seconds. A number of times, that does not work. It puts K in a sleep mode (with a static pic still showing on screen) when what you really want is a blank (off) screen. Have to repeat process a number of times. I normally hold 10secs to be sure - which gives surer outcome.

I am sure I can think of more pros and cons. But right now, that's it for me.

Addendum 8 June 2010

Ads on Apple iPad has recently hit our TV screens (Australia) so I am presuming that means that finally, the iPad is commercially available here. It looks darn good. "Sexy" is the word my friend uses and sexy is what it is to be too. But is it all it is touted to be?

Here are some quick links to reviews that might prove useful:

• Apple iPad Review on engadget.com
• IPad review: Is it as magical as Steve Jobs promised? (on news.com.au)
• Top 10 iPad Pros and Cons (on news.com.au)

I only quickly browsed through all the above reviews. Without a doubt, the iPad is either going to kill off Kindle or K will have to really step up to the mark and change quite a number of things. But how can anyone beat the designers from Apple?!

The other things that caught my eye about iPad which are cons for ipad are:
1) its weight - for extended use, it might be a bit on the heavy side
2) the backlit screen - tho looking better than K's eInk screen in the short run, with extended periods of use, it might very well be an eye strain

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

Movie Review: Star Trek (2009)

Just watched the latest Star Trek which chronicles the beginning of the legend of Captain James T. (Tiberius) Kirk and his iconic crew. Was not as enthused to go and watch it as I had imagined I would have been. Am glad I did. Was a surprise and much better than expected.

I went with no conception of the story plot and expected to see the "Fat Boy" (aka James T Kirk; less well known as William Shatner) appear. But that was not to be. However his younger version did very well indeed.

Chris Pine, who appeared in the role of the young James T. Kirk did a remarkably good job. As did the rest of the young Star Trek crew. The most outstanding and remarkable part of this show (for me) was that they had new faces appear as substitutes for iconic, beloved faces in the guise of the younger selves of these long-standing icons. I expected at the very least, some derogatory comparison or some faint irritation with the substitutes standing in the shadow of such large shoes. However, the casting crew of this movie Star Trek, did a remarkable job as did the actors.

Without seemingly trying to pander to the tenacious grip of ardent fans, these actors stepped into their roles without overt and often futile mimicry of the original stars. They performed the miracle of being fully assimilatable and acceptable as the younger selves of the legendary stars so much so that one could immerse oneself fully into the story and not into the on-going negative comparison of mis-portrayed characterizations.

What is also remarkable, to a lesser extent and maybe as a result of how full acceptable these young actors moved into the roles of their predecessors, is the fact that despite the license they took in tweaking some (seemingly unnecessary) parts of the Star Trek legend, it did not grate as much as a semi-Trekkie like myself would have expected. One of these tweaks was the where-did-that-come-from romance between the character of Nyota Uhura (played by Zoe Saldana) and the young Spock (played by Zachary Quinto). Why this imaginary romance that was never part of the lore of Star Trek was necessary in this movie is beyond me and all I can say in its defense is that it did not harm the movie itself.

Leonard Nimoy also made an appearance (one would almost call it cameo as it was too brief for true Trekkie fans) but with Mr Nimoy and his unrivalled portrayal of the one-and-only true Vulcan Spock, it is always a pleasure to see him on screen.

Not to end this review on a bad note but rather a cautionary one: one should not dissect the storyline overly much. That the supreme villain of the piece was some disgruntled mining person who then unbelievably managed to build some super-technology and gather a forminable crew and go back in time to destroy Spock's home planet and with further designs and ability to destroy the federation truly begets imagination. If there is one main weak point in the movie, it would be this intellectually big black hole in the storyline. That aside, the time distortions and time overlaps found in the storyline is rather intriguing.

Summary of Star Trek (2009)

Definitely worth a watch. The unexpected smooth blending of the young actors in the roles now solidified by fans, time, and accolades is more than worth the experience.

Review: Cesar Milan Dog Whisperer Live

Review: Cesar Milan, Dog Whisperer - Live in Sydney

Yesterday, I had the great pleasure of seeing Cesar Milan live at the Acer Arena, Olympic Stadium, Sydney, Australia. And it was definitely a pleasure.

Cesar Milan is not only THE Dog Whisperer, he is also a man of high and admirable integrity.

The trip to the show started off with a bit of a disappointment. I found out as we were driving to the venue that two of my friends would not be coming and so their tickets were just going to waste. Which is a shame on many levels. As the Cesar Milan seminar was a sell-out event, someone could have benefited from these two wasted tickets if I had known any earlier.

The Acer Arena must hold up to 6,000+ people and it was a sell out. As it should be.

There were Cesar Milan products for sale at the show. Before and after the show, one was offered the opportunity to buy his DVDs, books, Illusion Leash, T-shirts, and caps. What really impressed me about this man is that he did NOT push any of his products. I am sure that he could have easily quadrupled his sales figures if he had. The attendees were all fans and eager I am sure, to take away something that was going to enhance their lives with their pets and that was recommended by the man himself. But no, he was commercial free.

And for a big personality like him, coming from America (the land of the push-push-sales), it was an absolute delight to see him not push his products. For that alone, I would recommend everyone who has a chance to attend his shows and talks. This is a man rare and honest and if nothing else, it restores one's faith in the continued existence of integrity in our times.

I have to note here in passing that I could not help but compare him to another big(ger?) star - Anthony Robbins. Anthony Robbins is without question, the most invigorating motivator around. He is an absolute talent. However the last time I attended his seminar, I left with a most unpleasant taste in my mouth. After paying out a goodly sum for a seminar that covered a few days, Anthony disappeared on the last day without any announcement to us either when we made our bookings or at any time throughout the seminar. And what was worse, almost the entire last day was devoted to selling his other programs, books, DVDs, etc. So disappointing to be left with the bitter disappointment of the brash commercial taste to linger over as the seminar drew to a close. Thank goodness Cesar Milan chose the higher road.

And Cesar is a man of true and sincere emotions.

We have all experienced, even if we have not fully credited out senses with the validity of it, how it is almost impossible not to pick up on the emotions that emanate from a person. We all give out this energy and we all pick it up. It is not without truth when they say that almost 70% of our communications is non-verbal. Sometimes we might dismiss what we are sensing because logically it does not fit or when we don't want to believe what we are picking up. However it is also almost impossible to not be affected by someone who is expressing true, heart felt emotions.

The last thing I expect from a doggie seminar was to be tearing up. But when Cesar stepped on the stage, the applause and appreciation from the audience was such that he was deeply touched. And those heart-felt emotions in him came back clearly to us. Making me tear up. There is no clearer heart and nothing that reaches us more than a heart who is appreciative and sincere in his appreciation.

In comparative terms, this was not a high-priced ticket event. But Cesar made sure that we got value for every penny we spent. We all expected the seminar to last an hour; two hours at the maximum. Cesar, with his boundless joy and energy, kept us going for three and a half hours. Truly well worth every dime we spent and then some!

I have only one suggestion to his format. I noticed in myself and those around me that some eyes were getting sleepy during the show. I think it was partly due to the fact that many of us were already quite familiar with his work and philosophy (either having seen him on telly or DVD, or having read his books) so that quite a bit of what he had to tell us was repetition to us. However I think it was even more due to the fact that so much of his seminar was just talk-talk-talk and not enlivened enough with pictures and/or video clips. If he had had more slide shows, pictures and/or video clips interspersed throughout, I believe it would have been an even better event.

He did have some live demonstrations towards the end of the show. This, unfortunately, was unbeknownst to the attendees as there was no program printout that we could have refer to beforehand. Consequently, during the half hour break before the live demonstration, I noticed a number of people who left the arena and never returned for the last half of the show. Which is a shame because I am sure they would have stayed had they known.

Better yet, in terms of presentation and even format, would have been having life demonstrations inter-spaced throughout the show. That format is always a sure winner and seeing is always a better way of learning than just listening to someone talk.

Conclusion

Go! Go and see Cesar Milan! He is a joy to watch and he is soooooooooooo good.
Rating: 7.5 out of 10