For the record, I still think the kindle is dumb. But it's good to hear different opinions from both angles- a couple things I want to add to this; all things considered.

Yes, I know that I've never used a Kindle- so what gives me the right to hate it? Plenty. I think it started off as a great idea. If it requires me to actually try it to believe it's a great device- their marketing team has lots of work to do. E-readers seem like a great idea, but I don't think Amazon/Kindle is making enough of a case for itself to justify I really NEED this device instead of purchasing a book (let's not forget Amazon offers some of the best prices for printed books). I don't even want to get started about its pricing point- plenty obvious that it's a luxury item (like Jonah mentioned).

What drives me nutz-o is hyping the Kindle's adoption rate and usage. It's inline with the same argument I had when Second Life was popular- sure everyone's flippin' talking about it- but do you actually know anyone who's really using it? We're so quick these days to try to guess what the 'next big thing' is. I think it's healthy to constructively evaluate everything, avoid shiny object syndrome and just admit when you believe- "You know what, that sounds great in theory, but realistically that's stupid."

I do not think the Kindle isn't going to replace books.

E-readers in general won't replace books. If I had to guess, it will be one alternative to books. An alternative that has the exponentially increase if pricing becomes closer to reasonable for the middle class citizen. For E-readers to become mainstream- I think it's going to take a breakout company to design something that destroys the competition like Apple did with the MP3 industry.

However, the Amazon Kindle isn't the iPod of E-readers. It's like the gold-plated-diamond-encrusted-still-smells-like-new-plastic version of MP3 players. There's lots of progress left to be made, some of which completely falls on figuring out the business model behind selling book content in a digital format and the raw cost of hardware to make E-readers.

Reading BonnieGlick's comment above, it seems that I'm wrong about having to buy everything through the Kindle store.

I have no doubt that the Kindle is a great reading device and is especially convenient for frequent travelers. But it troubles me that you don't really own the content, you just license it. You can't re-purpose it, give it away or lend it like you can a book. It is also an attempt (like the iPod) to tie the technology to a proprietary service, locking you into a relationship with a single vendor.

I love all tech gadgets of all kinds, and I have ZERO interest in this one either. But it might be because I love old school paper books so very very much.

I love to read and am a very proud owner of a Kindle 1, which was a 50th birthday present from my husband, a tech geek. Best gift he ever bought me! I no longer weigh down my suitcase with books, my New York Times is automatically delivered to me every day, if my eyes are tired, I just increase the font size. If I'm stuck somewhere and finish my book, I can download another within seconds,and there are enough free e-book sites, such as manybooks.net, to keep me busy and not spend a pile of dollars at the Kindle store.
Plus, reading on the kindle is nothing like reading on a computer screen. You should try it before you condemn it.

OK, I'll bite. The Kindle is a specialized device. It's expensive. It looks outdated already. It does one thing very, very well: it delivers text when you want it.

After using a Kindle for a while, I appreciate the simplicity. When I read articles on a computer, I'm easily distracted to surf other sites, do other tasks, etc. Turning pages with big buttons on both sides is an mindless effort. Adjustable text size is cool and even helps read faster.

There is no comparison to reading on a computer vs. reading on a Kindle. The Kindle starts up in a second or two and I am reading. It marks my place in any of the books I read. Reading on the Kindle is analagous to reading a book. No eye strain from a computer screen, light is reflecting off eink, similar to print.

There are limitations, the waterproof aspect mentioned above. Plus I would be leery about leaving a Kindle unattended in public; too easy and tempting for someone to walk away with.

Sounds like you will never own one, but I love mine!

Ramsey! I'm so very ashamed of you! If anyone should be interested in the newest techno-gadget it should be YOU. At least TRY it before you tell your loyal readers it wouldn't be worth it! Although, maybe you just aren't a "reader", in which case this type of product WOULD be lost on you.

I, for one, wish I had the money to purchase it! I LOVE to read but the bookcases are overflowing and I don't know where to put any NEW books! The Kindle DX (new version) holds 3,500 books in it - holy CRAP this is amazing for someone like me! It's my whole library and then some. Plus it can get newspaper downloads and have PDFs uploaded onto it.

Also, since I tend to do a lot of reading during meals, this would make it SO much easier than trying to hold a paperback and flipping pages while balancing a plate and putting fork to mouth.

I actually DO have a couple of friends who own them. They commute via train/subway and it's great for them - just slip into their briefcase and then catch up on the news or read their current book while letting someone else do the driving.

I could also go into the conservation angle, the "read-to-me" feature, the built-in wireless ordering, etc. but I think you get the point that there are a LOT of good reasons for this product! YOU may not be the target audience however.

What I'm really trying to get across here Ramz is that you shouldn't bash something unless you've actually tried it!

Oh - and if anyone wants to gift this to me, know that it will be used and appreciated on a daily basis!! :)

I don't like Kindles either! What's wrong with actually TURNING A PAGE?

Plus, you probably can't bring that thing to the pool. Some brat will go cannonball on your Kindle. It's refreshing to take my eyes off a screen for a few hours and actually read words on paper.

I think that you don't understand it because "I don’t know any friends, family, co-workers who actually own a Amazon Kindle.... I personally do not have any desire to even consider purchasing one."
If you had a horse and buggy and suddenly saw an automobile, would you give it a chance to get you across town quicker? I think that dead tree books are wastes of resources. The Kindle is the new way of reading.