I have spent the last month of so complaining to my friend Victor Medina about the Kindle: Amazon’s New Wireless Reading Device that he finally felt sorry for me and provided me with this great guest post and review of Kindle. You will soon discover Victor loves the Kindle. I am going to have to get me one of these soon.

By Victor Medina

Sitting at Gate E8 at the Philadelphia International Airport, I suddenly realized that “The Post-American World”, which was the only book I had packed for a trip to Orlando, wasn’t going to hold me over until I got home. Just to make sure that I had enough to choose from, I decided to pick up a classic novel (“A Tale of Two Cities”), a recent, trashy page-turner (“Executive Privilege”), and, just in case I couldn’t sleep, a copy of “The Art of War.” That little trip to the bookstore took about 5 minutes start-to-finish, cost me $9.99, and at the end of it all, my pile of books still only weighed 10.3 oz. As you might have guessed, I was using my new Kindle eBook Reader from Amazon.com and I thought this trip to Florida was the perfect opportunity to put it through its paces.

A lot of noise has been made since Kindle’s release about how this is the perfect device for people who devour lots of books. I think that’s only true if you consider the inconvenience of carrying multiple books with you at a time. If, on the other hand, you read one book at a time, but you read lots and lots of them, it’s going to be cheaper for you to borrow them from the local library. Even at $9.99 per new hardcover release, those numbers can add up pretty quickly, even if you’re saving $10 bucks per book.

Okay, then, who is the Kindle for? Well, the Kindle is really an amazing product for people who find the heft of carrying a book with you everywhere you go a PITA. At just 10.3 oz, this is an incredibly convenient device. I just throw it into my backpack, or briefcase, or take it to my in-laws - and I’m ready to read whenever the occasion presents itself and I have a wealth of reading material from which to choose.

In addition to books, Kindle owners can have their favorite magazine delivered to the device automatically, as well as daily editions of newspapers from around the nation. There is also a useful web browser for navigating the Internets and an MP3 player for listening to music or audiobooks.

Don’t be fooled, though, this isn’t a mobile computer. It’s not meant to be. This is a high-quality book reader, and if you’re like me, you understand the value of having the one, super-sharp paring knife when you need it, not the bulky Swiss-Army knife that you carry with you all the time.

There are plenty of reviews out there that go over the major (and detailed) features of the Kindle. They talk about the built in Whispernet, which is Kindle’s EVDO wireless access, or onboard storage, etc. But, for me, there are two features that standout: the battery life and font flexibility.

First, because of the Kindle’s use of e-Ink, is the battery life and power consumption on the device is tremendous. Unlike my iPhone, which I dock and charge every night, I’m of the mind that my reading device shouldn’t need a nightly charge. The Kindle doesn’t disappoint. With the wireless off, the battery can go for a week easily, and if you aren’t reading much more than a few pages at night, it can go for a lot longer than that. This is a great feature both because it cuts down on the number of power cables you have to carry with you when you travel, as well as assisting with the whole “the book disappears into the reading experience” thing that is so important. And different from a laptop, you learn to shut off that little voice in your head to check the battery life after you’ve been using for an hour or two.

Second, font flexibility. Although it’s advertised as a relatively minor feature, the ability to play with the font size sets the Kindle apart as an excellent reading device. I can’t tell you how many times I’ve decided not to read at the end of a long day because my eyes were tired. The Kindle has 6 different font sizes that will satisfy the biggest Mr. Magoo out there. For me, I like that I can start with a small-ish size in the morning (I go with 2 or 3) and then ratchet it up at the end of the night, when I want to get through the next chapter before I turn in for the night.

A lot of criticism has been lobbed at Jeff Bezos and the Kindle design team for launching some so…so…so un-Apple. Apparently, no device is worth of praise unless it it’s stamped “Made in California” with a half-eaten picture of a Granny Smith on the outside. BUT, having used it for the last few weeks, I tell you that the design is EXCELLENT. From the location of the buttons (perfect) to the use of the retro-off-white plastic, I think that almost all of the design choices have been made deliberately to achieve a particular result. Let’s look a just a few of them:

Button Placement

Read any Kindle review and you’ll invariably come across the hapless reviewer lamenting how they inadvertently pushed the “Next Page” or “Back” button and got confused by where they ended up. These seem like the same folks who are stymied by the center lever on the Slushee machine (hint: it gives you both the “blueberry” and “raspberry” flavors for your iced delight). Spend more than 2 minutes holding the Kindle and you’ll notice, WHOA, there are buttons on either side of the device giving you some control over what you’re viewing. Spend that third minute with the device and you’ll learn that the “Next Page” button on the left is just above your thumb and the one on the right is the big, huge, long button. Spend the 4th minute memorizing that little fact and you’ll be leaps ahead of most of the reviewers you’ll read discussing the Kindle.

To me, the buttons are perfectly situated for reading either right or left-handed or with two hands. The edges of the device are beveled at the bottom to make it easy to rest either of the bottom corners in the crook under your thumb, and balance the Kindle in your fingertips as you use your thumb to change pages. If that wasn’t the way the designers intended on having you use the Kindle, it still makes for the most efficient way to read and keep yourself immersed in the reading experience.

Navigating Around the Kindle

If you’re using it just for reading, navigating around the Kindle is very straight-forward. There is a Home button on the bottom of the device and a Back button on the right-hand side. Using those two in combination with a scroll wheel will allow you to dive right into any of the books you have purchased or loaded via the included USB cable. Once you’re in the book, it’s just a matter of turning the page forward or back. Let me give the single most important tip that seems to keep reviewers scratching their heads like monkeys doing math - if you accidentally hit the Back button while you’re reading a book, it’s more likely than not going to take you to the home page. Select the book you were just reading and you’ll be back on the page you left. That’s it. Improvise on these instructions at your own risk.

Fit & Finish

Amazon chose to go with an off-white plastic that some have referred to as…well, ugly. And, I can see their point. It lacks the shiny finish of the first few generations of the iPod and is not as slick as the dyed aluminum of the more recent iPod Nanos. I don’t use Microsoft products so I have no analogies for you folks. (I’m not sure I could pick a Zune out of a line-up.) Regardless, the materials is pretty nifty because the Kindle has a bit of grip on it and contrasts well with the eInk that the Kindle uses in its display. It also does a great job of not reflecting any direct sunlight and stays in the background if you end up reading on the beach.

The Kindle also comes with a rubberized back-cover that makes it very easy to hold the device in your finger tips as you page up or down, right-handed, left-handed or using both of your mitts. In addition, the keyboard comes with the QWERTY keyboard keys turned about 45 degrees inward. This makes it possible for you to type with your thumbs (there really is no other way) without turning them uncomfortably upwards.

The “Hold” Button

Read any review of a music player and you’ll come across a discussion about the elusive hold button. This magical addition allows the user to lock down the device from inadvertent keystrokes. On the Kindle, that space is occupied by simultaneously pressing the “Alt” and “aA” (font increase) buttons. It’s a great way to quickly put your Kindle into sleep mode and lock out any keystrokes. Also, when the wireless is turned off, it’s a great way to store the Kindle because it’s drawing no power in that state. That’s right - unlike most displays, the Kindle, or more appropriately eInk technology, draws power only on drawing the page and then the images stays static, drawing zero power, until you turn the page or redraw the image.

Conclusion

So, is the Kindle worth the investment? Yeah, I think so. Look, the Kindle costs $359, and that’s not cheap. But, if you’re someone who reads a bunch, the $9.99 price point for new hardcover releases is going to save you some money. And, if you are someone with a very harried schedule, able to read only as the stars align, the Kindle is a great device because it allows you to carry 5-6 books with you at all time, adding just 10 oz to your bag, and immediately start reading whatever you want, whenever you want.

All I know is that I’m reading more than any time since law school. I think that’s a good thing…