Kindles vs books

whiteoaks7

whiteoaks7

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South Wales, UK
www.seasolutions.co.uk
Okay, I find two things wrong with Kindles so far:

(1) you don't necessarily get the same content as the book from the shelf: I bought a Kindle copy of some egeptian histroy books published by Penguin and discovered that most (80%) of the plates and diagrams were not included. Kindle offered the money back but that's hardly the point - they also blame the publisher. I think Amazon have a duty to inform us when we place an order that the book is missing content.

(2) They don't like being sat on - mine is now firmly broken after two months and looks likely to be heading for the bin. i could have bought a lot of books with that £100

otherwise they're great...
 
Talking to computer guy the other day who said that screens are very susceptible to even small knocks - so small to medium sized boats probably not best environment
 
try contacting the after sales service as i seem to remember that they have a years warranty that includes accidental damage too so you may get a replacement foc.
 
Agree with visual content - was babysitting over-lively granddaughter yesterday, and considered downloading "Go the f*** to sleep", for my own bedtime reading. Ordered paper version instead (AND I will be able to read it to her, cos she doesn't speak English!)
 
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Mine broke last week. The screen has part of a screensaver on it, and a small corner where the text shows underneath. It is not cracked, just a fragmented image. I called the freephone number Amazon supplies, and within 5 minutes had a free replacement on its way to me. Excellent customer service, answered the phone in 1 ring. They checked that I had tried rebooting it and charging it up, then said it sounded like a write-off. When the new one arrives I have to send the old one back in that packaging within 30 days. There is a freepost DHL label so I just have to arrange for them to pick it up.

The only worry is that it broke so easily. It was in a silicon cover which I bought to stop the edges getting bashed on the boat, and a hard case. I put it in an empty backpack and went for a walk. It was broken when I took it out an hour later. I am told I must have put pressure on the screen, but can't see how. Certainly not as robust as the advert of someone shoving it in their jeans' back pocket implies.

The warranty is 12 months from original purchase, or 3 months from replacement, whichever is the longest.

I had used it for 5 months and thought it brilliant. Read it most days, and had loads of pdf's on it to reduce paperwork (insurance docs etc). The web browser was good as it is much easier to see than a computer screen in bright light. And I downloaded occasional newspapers for 99p.

A lot of people are buying the 3G version as it gives you free internet access anywhere you can get a 3G phone signal.

I had no idea they were so delicate though. If I had dropped it or sat on it at least I would know why it broke.
 
Thanks everyone. 'Sat on it' is a bit of an overstatement - I don't think there was enough pressure to have snapped a bar of chocolate! It seems from your comment and Googling that the screen is particularly fragile so I'll be phoning Amazon as soon as I get back.
 
Had my Kindle for over a year now and its been dropped and stuffed into daysacs and the like. Couple of little dents in the case but it works fine. Just a note on internet access. In UK you get pretty much full internet access but its limited in other countries; no access at all in Greece for example. The detail of the levels of access are on the kindle part of the Amazon website.
 
I'm a businessman so don't take this as anti-profit!
But if replacements are so easily gained for accidental damage, I wonder just how much profit must be in one of these machines.
(£lots) :)

Try that lark with a motor manufacturer, camera or boat maker....
 
I'd say that Amazon are after you buying content to put on the device and therefore the cost of the Kindle is being kept low and a replacement is easy to obtain. The profit for them comes from the content which costs them only the fees the publisher charges them for each copy...... Once you've had one for a year, you'll never want to be without one!
 
duncan99210 said:
I'd say that Amazon are after you buying content to put on the device and therefore the cost of the Kindle is being kept low and a replacement is easy to obtain. The profit for them comes from the content which costs them only the fees the publisher charges them for each copy...... Once you've had one for a year, you'll never want to be without one!
Click to expand...

Good point, I don't have one so hadn't taken into account the continual revenue stream.
 
What happens after you've had it a year and it breaks or stops working? Are they repairable or do you just have to grit your teeth and buy another?
 
for duncan..

I have just found out that, if the kindle is bought in the UK, as opposed to from amazon.com, it seems to work fine in Greece.. I've just been looking at the internet on a freind's kindle whilst here at anchor in the Ionian.

I didn't realise they would pick up internet (for free) wherever there's a phone signal.. and now, realizing that, I'm very tempted to buy one. Saves keeping on subscribing for sim cards and PAYG fees whilst traveling back to France (for limited use getting emails and weather).
 
Who actually digitizes the content? If it's not Amazon then it's not really fair to blame them for the content of the electronic version not being exactly the same as the print...
 
Carolwildbird said:
for duncan..

I have just found out that, if the kindle is bought in the UK, as opposed to from amazon.com, it seems to work fine in Greece.. I've just been looking at the internet on a freind's kindle whilst here at anchor in the Ionian.

I didn't realise they would pick up internet (for free) wherever there's a phone signal.. and now, realizing that, I'm very tempted to buy one. Saves keeping on subscribing for sim cards and PAYG fees whilst traveling back to France (for limited use getting emails and weather).
Click to expand...

How good is the internet browser functionality??? I know the kindle is b&w, but does it show pictures on web pages OK, etcetc??
 
a kindle won't substitute for a computer, though it might at a pinch clunkily show you mail etc. It's not a computer, it's an internet capable ereader, and it does that one thing very well.

If you break the object, you still have the licence for the books etc in you kindle account. Buy another kindle, point the books in your kindle account (from a computer) at that address and away you go. (This is also useful if you want to ensure something you bought via iphone or computer is available (and synced) on another device.
 
Compared with buying books from a secondhand bookstore which provide ammunition for countless book swaps as you travel round they are very expensive. The inability to swap explains why publishers are so keen on promoting this new medium.
 
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