I also really like the leather case with the built in light. Both brilliantly though out designs. I do most of my reading at the start or the end of the day so the light is an integral part of why the Kindle is more practical for me.

I can lay in bed on one side and because the reading page is always in front of me, this is, somehow, more comfortable than with a real book.

I like the instant nature of getting a book as well. I'm in th emood to read something and it's there. It means I get into books much quicker.

I don't really use it for anything other than novels. I have a few RSS feeds emailed to my Kindle, but to be honest, I don't read them very often.

I also read on my ipod touch with the Kindle app sometimes. It's great how they synchronise.

Things I miss - finding a page is a bit of a chore. Page numbers as well. But that's about it.

My mum's 76 - Gadget Gran. She loves her Kindle for all the reasons you state, plus the fact that she doesn't have to pack half a dozen heavy books whenever she decides to wimp out of the British weather and spent a few weeks in the sun. She's reading books she wouldn't normally consider - I was a little concerned to hear how much she was enjoying the violent bits in Martina Cole's dodgybusters, and she's even considering War and Peace. At her age I'm wondering about the wisdom of such an undertaking...
But I want one now.
And an iPad.

on my smartphone...it's become my default for reading on my lengthy commute. All the things you say above are the things I like, and while you'd think something the size of a phone wouldn't work for reading, my phone has a decent sized screen which is just the right size. I don't think about page length of a book anymore, which somehow makes reading go more quickly.

I'm mostly surprised by how quickly it's taken me to get over my love of a lump of paper, although I'm tempted to convert all my ebooks to pdf and print them out just so I have a hard copy of those I may want to read again. The fact that new books I own are purely digital makes me nervous.

What I really don't miss is that moment at the start of a long journey home when you realise you've finished the book and you haven't another to read. Or finishing a book at the start of the day and having to carry it around with you. I've a drawer at work full of books I finished on the way into the office that I've yet to take home, just so I could avoid carrying them around all day!

I was against this for a long time but I've just read my first ebook, Michael Connolly's Reversal, on a combination of the wife's Sony reader and, when my daughter's let me, an ipad.

If I have a choice, it's the ipad I'll go for, more for the display then anything else but the Sony Reader is very light and easy to use, on the bus for example. I'd agree with all the points above and add that it just feels strange after a lifetime of handling books but, like my first introduction to digital music and ipods, this will pass and eventually, just like with the music, I'll most likely end up wondering how I lived without this before.

I'm not sure if it counts but I have been reading the daily papers on my laptop/desktop for the last few years and have now moved to the ipod, I prefer this method of news ingestion if you will (not reading the Irish news of course, country going down the toilet, ho-ho) as the use of hyperlinks, embedded content, etc, adds to the experience and I can see the day when all magazine/newspaper content is delivered in this way.

My GLW has an early Christmas Kindle - both her and my daughter (8) have taken to it with a vengence. It is now the device for both of them for bed time stories. My daughter was previously not fond of reading and finds the Kindle easier (her twin brother is happy with paper books). I think that paper books will soon be obsolete in my house.

My Kindle arrives tomorrow, so this conversation couldn't happen at a better time. I'm particularly looking forward to taking it on holiday (it'll be far more sensible than the large newly released hardbacks I normally take).

However can anyone advise re decent blogs for ebooks? Especially music related ebooks, and free ebooks? I'm having difficulty sorting the wheat from the chaff at the minute and would like quality recommendations for what to download.

I really like my iPad, although I marginally prefer the reading experience in iBooks to the Kindle app. That said, there's much more choice on Kindle, and the books are mostly cheaper. So in practice, I read most things in the Kindle app.

I do really like it, but what would seal the love-in deal for me would be apps for the papers and magazines that I love. If I could have Word, Empire, the Telegraph and the Indy all coming straight into my iPad on demand, I'd be so happy I'd actually run out of words.

Sorry, that's ridiculous. I've never run out of words in my life. But I would be happy.

come on Dave! I reluctantly accept the argument for the e-book but I am able to gauge the percentage of the book I am reading by comparing the bulk of pages to the left and right of the point I've got to.

When I bought my eReader last Summer I looked around and didn't fancy either the looks of the Kindle or the fact its tied to Amazon. I got a Sony eReader. That's my first bugbear about the debate so far in the Word its all been about the Kindle or books.

I still read books at home, if there is something by an author I love, or I think I'm going to keep it, I still get a hardback version. I use the eReader for when I'm travelling or working away from home and I've loved it. I can travel and read without yanking my shoulder out from the weight of my carry-on bag stuffed with books, or worry about exceding my luggage allowance. I find it easy to read and its good not having to physically move the page to get to the next one.

The main problem for me now is that the two partner sellers for Sony, Waterstones and WH Smith, have stopped selling me eBooks in France. I can still buy physical books from them which they put in the post but they no longer sell eBooks. Naturally all the native French eBook sellers have a heavy list of French books but nothing of interest in English. No reason why they should.

you are doing a good job of selling me a Kindle ! I don't have one but was in John Lewis the other day and they sell them (apparently they have done an exclusive deal with Amazon) so I had a little play with it and my view is that it is too light and skimpy for me and would find it awkward to read a pad. For me, it just seems strange and I have to confess, would be too self conscious using it on tube or in public (I don't see much use on the tube or buses in London). Of course I like the idea that you could be reading it at a kitchen table or pub (as you would a newspaper) and whilst travelling but I still think I would have a problem using it to read a book because it doesn't compare favourably to the heft of books which I like. I do also wonder why they didn't have a fold open Kindle so you have two screens and therefore read more like a book but perhaps I'm missing the whole point. I can see the attraction with newspapers but not with books, for now. I can see many advantages but apologies massive, it's still books for me. If anyone brings one with them on Friday though, can I play with it ?

All the Kindle lovers above have said it better than I ever could. All I'll add is that the Calibre download is fantastic. Think of it as iTunes for the Kindle. It controls what is and isn't on your Kindle, you can convert EPUB and PDF files into Kindle-friendly MOBI files. Plus you can download cool periodicals like The Guardian, The New Yorker, Time and Rolling Stone. Gratis.

As someone living up in the far northern part of Europe, British (or other international) newspapers are only available when they are at least one day old.

The kindle will have them ready for me when I wake up. And even if there are no pictures, it is different from reading a web page.

Took the Kindle away on holiday and used it for the full fortnight - at least six hours a day, probably more. Loved it to death for the quality of the text, the ease of reading, the weight and the ability to use it one-handed. And the battery life.

Since coming back, I've used it less as I've been clearing the backlog of 'real' books that has built up by the bedside. However when I've come across a new book I want to read, my first instinct has been to download it and store it on the Kindle rather than to wait for the opportunity to get the paper version.

so - slowly - it looks like I'm transitioning away from paper to e-ink.

Exceptions - I've tried magazines/newspapers on the Kindle - both from Amazon and free feeds from Calibre - and I've not really got on with them. They do seem to lose something when they become a stream of articles devoid (for the most part) of pictures and, even, adverts.

I've recently invested in a leather cover and I agree with Lee - it does improve the 'heft' of the thing considerably.

I'm not doing my best to sell anyone anything. I'm interested in this because it's clearly changing the way people read books, which is interesting to me, and it may change the way people read magazines, whih is considerably more than interesting to me. And let me say that I think there's a big difference between the way people anticipate feeling about magazines delivered this way before they've tried them and the way they feel afterwards. I'm really interested in how people feel about all these things after a couple of months.

Re: the percentage meter. It's a lot more accurate than looking at the number of pages.

yes, but are you really that bothered about how far you've got with a book in terms of precise percentage?

I only that as I near the end of a book I love I want to slow down and savour it, and I can gauge that by how many pages are left... okay I see that you wouldn't have the pages in hand to tell that on an e-book but even so...!

When we'll have passive colour displays that you can roll up and stick in your pocket.

I expect the iPad and Kindle form factors will not be long-lived.

My dear dad who is in his 80's and only has 5% sight was given details of the Kindle. They are advertised as doing text to voice. This would appear ideal but I was advised the voice was similar to Dr Steven Hawking. I did get the chance to try one and the voice is indeed not one that would send a baby to sleep. Far too metalic and computer generated. I assume if you download audio books (if you can) they remain in the actors voice.Any body know any more?

Based on discussion here I have ordered a Kindle for Mrs. T for Christmas. I have to do something complicated to do with transferring the ownership of the account to her once I receive it. Anyone done this? Also I want to load it up with a few books before Christmas Day. Will this transferring the account business complictate this? ie can I receive it, stick some books on it, hand it over, and transfer the account later?

but I think this is worth sharing as it's pretty impressive.
In case you're unaware, last night Apple released iOS 4.2 for iPod, iPhone & iPad and amongst the improvements is this facility, 'Airplay' - all is explained in the video.

Since I work for a computer magazine I've seen and handled lots of different ebook readers.

The Kindle is good, it has one of the fastest page turn rates and among the best screen contrast. It's not the only game in town though. Others are better in terms of the way they feel in use - the iRiver Story is a class act and is better balanced, but it's a lot pricier.

The other slight drawback of the Kindle is that it won't read open source ePub files so you're tied into Amazon's bookstore. I doubt if Amazon is going to disappear any time soon but some people may be uncomfortable with the closed format.

The big drawback with all of them at the moment is price. Even at £109 the Kindle feels a bit too costly. Until e-readers are consistently below the £100 barrier I can't see them catching on in a big way.

featuring a road test of the different types of readers?

I had the iPad before the kindle. I now own both.

I argued against the iPad as a filler for a non-existent gap in my gadget range between my Macbook and my iPhone.

I got one anyway.

After a few weeks with it I noticed a big change in my reading habits. Where before I would spend the day short-form reading from RSS feeds and the online trade publications and then sit down in the evening with a good book, I found I stopped with the long-form reading altogether and used the iPad in the evening to continue reading short articles.

I tried the ebook experience on the iPad and found it too tiring on my eyes, plus the form factor of the iPad doesn't lend itself to book replacement.

Anyway, I bought a Kindle just to see if I liked it better for book reading and I do.

The final verdict -

In 5th Place. The iPad.
It has a role to play as a mobile media centre - iPlayer, video, web browsing, bit of email, cool remote control for my iTunes collection. But a toy. I do not need it. I wouldn't carry it out of the house - I have an iPhone for that.

In 4rd place. Physical books
They seem strangely unwieldy now and I find them harder to handle than my Kindle

In 3rd place. iPhone
My go-to mobile computer for checking all sorts of stuff on the run.

In 2nd place. My beloved Macbook Pro
It does everything I need except work as a long-form reader

In 1st Place. You guessed it, the Kindle
Love. It. Can read for hours, never lose my place, it fits in my coat pocket when I go out. I have the case with the light. Brilliant if a bit of a rip off.
Seriously, if you love reading, try one out.

…my experience is very different. I have (at the moment) no desire to read complete books on an e-reader, even one as good as the Kindle, I simply like the tactile aspect of paperbacks too much. However dipping into magazines is another matter and the adaptation of Wired for the iPad is, in my opinion, extremely well executed:

Was your criticism of too much video and basically just "trying too hard" based on the first issue? If so I think it was certainly justified but the versions since then seem to have been toned down a bit. Or maybe I've just got used to it!
Either way, I look forward to each new issue and would love to see The Word at some time in the future in a similarly attractive and browsable format.

That's the big difference.

The ability to search back to look up a character you're losing track of is handy.

Browsing through the vast emporium of free & legal books that is Gutenberg (or archive.org) is a pleasure. Downloading sample chapters from Amazon is also good.

It is possible to while away an afternoon browsing books old and new and not actually spend any money at all. The Kindle therefore recreates something that I really enjoy about books. And that, for me, is the tipping point.

But I'm glad my wife's iPad has a wipe-clean cover.

Because I often use it in the kitchen to study a recipe as I cook.

So there.

who either has one, or wants one. There's no real 'buzz' about it- and I work in the media where such toys are commonly reckoned to be indispensable. Of course I can understand the specialist 'geek' appeal of such gizmo's but, in real life, you can't beat a roomful of books can you? I like objects and having them. Stupid maybe. Outdated almost certainly but, as I look around any High Street or bus or plane, I somehow don't believe that I'm in the minority. As far as I can see ( and, hey, it may not be very far...my eyesight isn't what it used to be ) the demand and the hunger for these plasticky things just isn't there in any significant measure.

Whilst I like the Sony reader the ability to search the kindle store and download in seconds on the device has made it my 1st choice. I love books but would now definitely download to the kindle rather than buy a book. I agree that the case with reading light has also made a huge difference.

My original decision was due to space becoming an issue and I even have six poetry books on the kindle when my original idea was to purchase those in paper form and download fiction.

We Also have an I pad but this is used by all the family and even if I did wish to read on this I would not be able to if someone else is using.

One thing I have not tested is using the readers in the sunshine , little fear of having to worry about that for a while.

I also find that I am reading two books at the same time (I also like the percentage at the bottom of the screen)

that I saw a slip of a young thing reading an ipad one handed standing on the tube this morning. It looked bloody awkward and fear the poor thing will soon be suffering from arthritis if she carries on like that. I was kind of in awe of her but wanted to tell that a hardback book would have been a lot kinder on her joints, even a Kindle !

I bought my wife an 'Eco Eclipse' e-reader, equivalent of a BeBook, the size of a paperback. I have a Dell Streak phone (5" screen) with Aldiko and Kindle as apps. We've been looking mainly at free books - Jane Austen, Edgar Rice Burroughs, Dumas, Turgenev and so on.

The e-book reader isn't tied to any particular proprietary format, so we can get books from a range of sources, mostly in the e-pub format. The e-book is e-ink, so easier on the eyes to read than the Dell (and the iPad) and just as portable as a paperback, but it can hold 5000 books. And it's much cheaper.

Yes, I like my books, but we got rid of most of our reference books and instead rely on the web. And books take up a lot of space, competing with CDs and DVDs.

You don't have to have an ipad, kindle, kobo or other of these big brands.

I bought a Kindle mainly for my long flights from the UK to the Philippines and back. It has been a boon not to have to juggle several books, especially in an economy seat (though the feature I should have liked best, to silence - or at least block out - crying babies, is sadly absent from the current Kindle).

On terra firma, I have also found it useful, not least for its experimental feature of a Web browser; I have the 3G model, and am pleased to say that it has provided me with internet access in the UK, the Philippines and the Netherlands. I appreciate this facility might be withdrawn at any time, or have a charging structure introduced, but it was a forty quid gamble I'm pleased I took.

I have the case with the light, which seemed a worthwhile expense, and it has proved useful, so I'm glad I went for it (which seems the consensus on here, from what I have read); it seems to be the thing that impresses people the most when I demonstrate the Kindle to them. I just checked, and it is now a fiver less than I paid for it: that'll teach me to be an early adopter.

My reading material is a range of classics and work-related material; I've recently discovered Charles Dickens, who really is rather good, and I'm glad to have everything of his on my Kindle, which still leaves acres to spare for not-so-good writers, prolific though he was.

I've not explored the benefits of Calibre yet, but plan to do so when I make the time.

Living abroad (and I imagine a fair few far-flung folk will agree with me), I feel it would great to have a Kindle-friendly version of the magazine available in a timely fashion, so I'll certainly add my vote for that (if somebody is counting). I appreciate there are lots of difficulties with this, not least piracy, but I am pretty sure I wouldn't mind seeing the pictures in black and white or not at all, as it's the text that matters, for me, anyhow.

Oh, and the Kindle battery life is fantastic.

I'm a voracious reader - I'm a member of three different public libraries, and I will typically visit every fortnight or so and take out about five to ten books, which I read during my daily commute and in the evenings. I will read anything, going through phases of reading biographies, history, novels, travel books ... Many of my choices are made on the spur of the moment while browsing, looking at book covers or spines, and just trying something on spec. Can you do that with an e-reader? I also love trawling though second hand book stores and charity shops for interesting stuff and bargains. Could I download the book I'm currently reading, "News from Tartary" (Peter Fleming, 1935, $5 from a second hand book shop) on a Kindle?
I haven't been tempted to get an e-reader yet because I just don't see the point. I already have more than enough books to read and it hardly costs me anything. If there's a really good new novel out I will reserve it at the library. The only reason I could see myself getting an e-reader is for travel. For my regular trekking jaunts around Asia I usually buy four or five cheap paperbacks from the charity shops and then either throw them away, trade them or swap them when finished. It would be convenient to have a lot of book on an e-reader, I suppose.
Am I missing something?

A friend of mine wrote on his blog about eReaders: http://www.mark-jackman.com/blog/ebooks-would-you-read-something-you-can...

In response, I invented: http://img17.imageshack.us/img17/5845/kindle.jpg

in an airport yesterday. I feel bereft. The good thing is that I can redownload all the stuff I've bought from Amazon when I get a replacement courtesy of the Ministry of the Interior at Christmas. In the meantime, back to paper.

My main complaint about the Kindle and eReaders in general is that my bookshelves will, in a few years, look rather sad and out-of-date, because I've stopped buying real books. And books do furnish a room, as Anthony Powell so wisely said. Kindles on the other hand most certainly do not furnish a room, no matter how funky their cover.

for my birthday (looks like one of the last that came to Australia-There is now a 2-3 month wait) and I love it. It has produced the same increase in my reading as the iPod did in my music listening many years ago.
Some random comments building on what others have written:
- The leather case + light is a critical part of my enjoyment and should be included with all Kindles. It makes it feel like a book, comfortable to hold and easy to read at night. I implore anyone getting a Kindle to get the case
- The main reason for getting a Kindle as opposed to using and iPad is the screen. It truly is just like reading a book and does not fatigue the eyes at all. When I'm getting tired I just increase the text size. I know some people claim to feel no eye fatigue when reading from an iPad, but I certainly haven't found this to be the case.
- There are many books available for free (millions in fact) and many converters to convert other formats to Kindle. I have about 30 books already on my Kindle. About 25 were free, a couple cost me 9 bucks and the rest 1-2 bucks
- There is a great feature where you can email in a PDF (or other document) and Amazon convert it to Kindle format and send it back to your Kindle within a few minutes. While the Kindle does read PDFs directly, you have to scroll around the screen, so this feature is a godsend
- You can download samples. I use a lot of my books for work, and this has been great for separating the wheat from the chaff

Here are the things I think they could improve for future versions:
- Colour (in the same quality as B&W) would obviously be great
- Likewise, touchscreen would be brilliant. I'm sure it's just around the corner
- It would be good if you could resize images/diagrams. They often come out very small and don't increase as you up the text size
- The table-of-contents navigation is awkward. Most books default to page one rather than the TOC, and some books have no TOC at all. I mainly read non-fiction and the TOC is vital
- If they included a dedicated, high quality MP3 player in the Kindle (with dedicated buttons) and upped the storage to 30-40 gigs it would be perfect. There is an MP3 player but it is 'experimental' and awkward to use
- Some books have obviously had no thought at all go into their formatting for the e-reader. This is excusable with free ones converted by volunteers but not for paid ones

Just as digital music allowed artists to bypass record labels, the same will happen with books, where self publishing will become as easy as writing a document in Word and converting it (obviously a double edged sword!). Check out the dubious quality of many books in the Kindle shop for confirmation!

In essence, we are seeing the birth of a new publishing medium, and it will take a few years for capabilities and limitations to be recognised.