CrunchGear

Why is this a “problem”, let alone the biggest problem? It can be labeled a little inconvenience at best; but surely not a huge issue.

This is not a problem with the Kindle, but with the airlines. You can say the same thing about laptops, ipods, videogames… anything with a battery in it has to be shut off. I’m sure the avid reader can find some other way to occupy him/herself for ten minutes.

Yeah, same thing yesterday for me.

Craig
craig@craigslist.org

No…this is hardly a problem…. The Kindle’s biggest problem, in *my* opinion is the design of the buttons on the left and right side. No matter how I pick it up, I go to either next or back page. Even in its case/cover, if you push it in to the “grooves” in the case, it goes to next page or activates the back button. The only way to pick and hold it is to hold it in the bottom third of the screen and even then, you press the keys which normally do not cause any page flip but still annoy.

I would be happier with the next and back etc. buttons in the middle of the keyboard where picking it up does not cause a page change which really annoys.

While we’re at it, another issue that I believe will improve, is the Newspaper/Magazine content. I live in Southern Cal, and while several news agencies report on events in the area, there is not even one local newspaper to subscribe to, like the LA Times. This will improve I believe as more content provider create a Kindle version of their content.

thanks for reading.

I agree, Amir. The placement of the buttons is my biggest gripe with the Kindle. Otherwise, it’s awesome.

yeah, for sure. And since i did not actually say it, but feel it, the Kindle IS awesome and I cannot wait for the improved V2.0 that no doubt will come sometime this year. Maybe color screen…?

The side switches do not bother me ANYMORE since I fixed the covor. The problem with the cover is that the two retainers built into the cover on the inside at the top and bottom keep the Kindle too far out of the outside edge of the Kindle, while still being totally inadequate in protecting the Kindle from falling out.

What I did was to cut off the two retainers with a sharp razor blade, so it looks like they were never there. Then I took Industrial Strength velcro, and ran a narrow strip up the right side of the Kindle, and at the top and bottom of the left side, leaving the opposing piece still attached to the side now glued to the Kindle. Then I put it into the cover as far to the left as possible, to still allow the cover to close over the Kindle. This leaves an edge of the back case panel exposed, making it easy to pick up the Kindle without touching the next page switch, or the left side switches either. And once it place, press down on it to secure the gummed side of the velcro piece to their proper place on the cover.

I leave both the power and the wireless switch on, and recharge the battery every night next to my bed, as it is the only “book” I have ever found that I can read in bed — it only takes one hand to both hold it and also to do the page turns, for which I use my thumb only. Kindle recommends you recharge frequently, never allowing the battery to become totally discharged. They say it is like the battery in your cell phone, and works best when recharged daily. Actually it will go three days without rescharging if the wireless switch is on, and ten days if it is not.

If I fly, I turn do take it a little bit out of the case just enough to turn the wireless switch off, which is all the aircraft crew has a right to expect. Actually if you left it on but keep it closed it would still violates flight rules, as it is still active until turned off. But once off, the Kindle should be able to be used, as it no longer has wireless access. Unfortunately it may take literally years for all airlines to get the word out to their flight employees.

Charles Wilkes, San Jose, Calif.

Sounds interesting that little mod you got going there…I might just give it a shot

I must agree with the rest, this is not a problem. It would be a problem, not a big one, if you couldn’t use it at all on an airplane because of height or some weird stuff.

Surely you shouldn’t have it on during takeoff because it’s got EVDO wireless?

“I’m sure the avid reader can find some other way to occupy him/herself for ten minutes.”

As someone who travels up to 80% of time for business, I must thank you for that great belly-laugh to start off my week. Ten minutes?! Not even out of the smallest podunk airports in the country have I been on a plane went from pushback to 10,000 feet (the altitude at which the announcement is made to turn them on again) in ten minutes. Not in flying around this country, anyway.

No, the biggest problem with the kindle is it makes you look like a tool…