Gadget: Amazon Kindle WiFi & 3G eBook Reader

Published on Tuesday 19 October 2010 18:34

The big hurdle for eBook readers was, until recently, the eBooks themselves - there simply weren't enough of them.

Yes, there were plenty of random out-of-print freebies littering the digital shelves, but nine times out of ten, the latest literary epic as recommended by Richard and Judy was available only in old fashioned tree format.

Amazon's new UK Kindle eBook store has more than 400,000 titles available to download, including 80 of the 100 Nielsen UK bestsellers. So, the supply of top eBooks is no longer that much of a problem.

Will you be putting a Kindle on your Christmas list? Amazon's latest model features a 6in e-ink display, stores up to 3,500 books, lasts for about a month between charges and is both thin and light (only 241g compared to the iPad's 680g).

Tired eyes and computer-induced headaches are reduced to a minimum with the e-ink screen - I found that it replicated the crispness of paper admirably at least in terms of legibility.

The clever technology comes with built-in WiFi and 3G internet connections. These allow you to buy books on the go and Amazon even provides the 3G connection free.

Amazon's Whispersync technology deserves a mention too - it automatically bookmarks your last page allowing you to seamlessly pick up where you left off.

The price of the Kindle is simply stunning - 109 for the WiFi model and 149 for both WiFi and 3G.

Unless you speed read faster than Superman, the WiFi version will be all you'll need. Amazon's eBook pricing is equally aggressive - Dan Brown's latest was only 2.69 when I checked. The best bit - no more waiting for the postman. I'll have free wireless delivery any day.

It replicated the crispness of paper admirably, at least in terms of legibility

Amazon Kindle WiFi & 3G eBook Reader

From 109, available exclusively from.amazon.co.uk

This article was first published in The Scotsman, 30 October, 2010