I'll be watching this post...I want one, too!

Wasn't there a free download of a Kindle on these posts somewhere?

My daughter uses it all the time.

I'd like to hear more about it too.

(If you surprised me with such an expensive gift out of the blue, I'd feel a little embarrassed.)

Jel48, do you know which size Kindle your daughter has?

I think the Kindle is a good choice from what I've read about it and the couple of my friends who have them. It's not just a decision about technology, but about what types of materials you will have access to depending on the reader you select. Just this week, the NY Times had a good review of the various readers, and I've included a link below. If you read the article, make sure to click on the graphics at the left side of the page, which provide really good comparison charts, and show what all the displays look like. You might also want to look at some of the reviews on Amazon for the two types of Kindles to see what people like and don't like. Amazon also carries some of the other readers, and you could check out those reviews, too.

In any case, that's a very thoughtful gift, and I'm sure your friend will be pleased.

Here is a link that might be useful: Readers compared

My mom really likes her kindle and that's about the extent I know about them.
DD is getting the nook for Christmas because we have a couple Barnes and Noble stores about 80 miles away which can help us with it. It will have a fun green leather carry case to keep it a little more safe in a teens hands plus it will feel a little bulkier like she's used to feeling with a book. I like that it has color and the screen is eye friendly, much less fatigue than reading from a PC. And the size of the words can be made different sizes or highlighted. The price seems to be comparable to a kindle. Thats all I can recall this moment. DD is going to be so excited to find a nook under the tree.

Wow, what a generous gift, Caroline! I have a friend who has one of the first ones and she loves it. I wish I had one, but then I'm too cheap to buy books all the time...

I gave a friend a Stieff(sp) stuffed animal for Christmas once, it cost me the equivalent now (it was over 20 years ago) of about what you'll pay for a Kindle but I wanted to give it to her as I knew she'd love it. And she did. It was fun. So do it if you want to, she'll feel the love.

Yes, that's really generous. I've talked to two people who use the Kindle, and they love their Kindles. Since your friend seems intrested, it could be a great gift. If you want to read more, I'm sure amazon.com has lots of reviews.

Personally, I've been very interested as well. They look very handy for travel, and the technology aspect is fabulous. But I ususally get my books from the library or the used book store, and buying them on Kindle would be more expensive. I'm going to stick with the old fashioned books.

One other thing I forgot to mention is that the Kindle can save you lots of money if you are a newspaper or magazine reader. For example, my NY Times subscription delivered to my door 7 days a week costs about $60 a month, but it's only $14 a month on Kindle. The cost of the Kindle would be paid back in about 6 months, which is why I'm about to get one.

One of Santa's Elves is giving my son and I Kindles for Christmas this year, and I am SO EXCITED!

There are literally THOUSANDS of free e-book downloads...Almost all of the classics - go to amazon.com and find the link for the Top Kindle Downloads - a lot there are free. Also search at Amazon "free kindle downloads" or "free kindle books". I've already loaded close to 100 books on my son's kindle so far, classics like The War of the Worlds, and The Adventures of Sherlock Holmes. I can't wait till he opens it and sees...

We are SO fortunate, I think this will be THE gift of the century, for both of us.

From what I understand, the First Generation Kindle has an expansion slot, where the latest version does not. Something to take into consideration if she REALLY likes to read. I think the First Generation ones are less expensive as well.

april

I have the Latest Generation Kindle and I love it. The size is perfect to fit in my purse. You can change the size of the font, which is really a nice feature. Just released books are more expensive than those that have been out for a while. I did get the leather cover.

"From what I understand, the First Generation Kindle has an expansion slot, where the latest version does not. Something to take into consideration if she REALLY likes to read."

The larger, US wireless, Kindle can hold something like 3,500 books. The smaller, worldwide wireless, Kindle holds about 1,500 books. I can't imagine needing more than 1,500 books available to me at any one time.

I would have loved one as a gift! But I bought one for myself a couple of months ago and love it! Here is a link where I posted about it a week or so ago. I'm too lazy to re-type it, hope the link works!

A friend is making me a cover for it (she sews on a machine well, I do not). The covers can get expensive, from 25.00 up to 54.00 for nice cloth covers and more for leather. Also, check out the site link on my other post for the kindle boards. Lots of info. and advice there. Also notices at the top when refurbished become avail. from Amazon.

Hope this helps!

Here is a link that might be useful: previous post on Kindles!

I bought one for my husband...not sure which one it is, but he LOVES it. It's nice because you can read it in different sizes. The only thing he doesn't like is you can't read it in the dark.

I want one I hope my Santa puts one under my tree this year......I am going to keep checking this post! Stacy

Y'all are getting me interested in the Kindle. I went to the dr. today, and it would have been much more convenient to have had a Kindle rather than haul a book as they marched me through various procedures.

QVC has come out with another one--the Cool-er. It's just slightly cheaper and doesn't really measure up too well to the Kindle.

Hmmm...maybe Santa will bring me one? Or maybe I'll get myself one as a reward for......something. LOL!

If you're considering an ebook reader, do be sure to look at it before you buy. If you can't find it in person (like the Kindle), check on Youtube, as they have videos of the various readers in use.

The reason I say this is that, for whatever reason, I can't stand the way that the Kindle and the Sony ebook reader turn pages. There's a sort of flash as the page turns, and I find it irritating. I don't know whether I could get used to it.

I was so glad to find the Sony reader in person and the Kindle video on Youtube. If I hadn't seen them, I wouldn't have known about this. I'm sticking to reading on my Windows Mobile cell phone, though I do wish I could find a way to convert the Kindle-format books to something my phone can read.

I don't know why we have to have all these special, one-purpose gadgets.

I have a whole file cabinet drawer full of such things, now outdated.

I'd be happier if they made the e-books compatible with computers and cell phones, which you can use for lots of other things. I can't see how a kindle could be any easier to read than the screen of a laptop, if you adjusted the light and the size of the document. And I keep thinking that, if I wait long enough, they will come out with computer software that will read kindle downloads. Then I won't have to add a kindle to my file cabinet drawer.

Ilene_in_neok, many of the ebooks *are* compatible with computers and cell phones. I buy my books from Ebooks.com, and download them in the Mobipocket format. You can also get PDF format, which is nearly universal on electronic devices.

I set the background of my ebook reader to a pale gray, which cuts down on glare from the screen, though I never was bothered by the glare.

The reason I decided against getting a Kindle or other dedicated ebook reader, aside from the page-turning quirk that I don't like, is because I figured that I always have my cell phone with me, where I might not always have the dedicated device. I carry about two dozen books with me at a time on my cell phone, which is plenty for me. I could carry more if I bought a larger card for them.