Amazon Kindle, the best eBook reader… for now

Later this week Apple is doing its big announcement and the expectation is that Apple will announce some sort of tablet computer or eBook reading device. If we assume that Apple is not just announcing the Mighty Mouse ][ then as it enters the eBook reading space (if it does), the device to beat will be the Amazon Kindle.

While the Kindle is still the kindg of the hill it seems to me a good time to review this wonderful device which has become a regular resident of my backpack. My kindle holds technical books, business books and a number of classics (this later group I downloaded for free from Amazon).

Because the Kindle includes wireless EVDO connectivity you can decide pretty much at any time that you want to read a new book and can find and download that book quickly.

The screen uses the eInk technology which has the strange characteristic that it uses power to change what is on the screen but not to display anything. For this reason when the Kindle is “off” it displays pictures of famous authors. And just before a Kindle completely runs out of power it changes the screen to say “I am out of power”. Because this technology is low power the Kindle has a long battery life. The eInk technology does not light up like an LCD. You need to shine a light on it to see it just as with a book. It would be nice if the screen had a bit higher contrast but the device I have found to be pretty easy to read from in a decent light.

Perhaps next week there will be some better eReader out, but Amazon deserves some credit for taking an idea that people have talked about for some time and turned it into a device that is so useful.