A nice option to carrying around an armload of books

I bought this Kindle 4 with the expectation that I would later pay the extra $30 to remove the advertisement. These are so unobtrusive, though, that it isn't worth the extra money unless you just absolutely hate the idea of it. The main Ad is a screensaver that comes up when the unit isn't being used; the only other is a small band at the botton of the home screen where your library is listed. While reading there are no ads. It couldn't be more inoffensive, and I'm one of those people who hate ads on my devices on principle.

The device itself is easy to use and quick to learn to navigate. The light gray "paper" bothered me at first, and I looked for a way to lighten it. There isn't one. But once my expectation of a whiter base was overcome, I found the contrast between and base and text just about right to read without eye strain. If you plan on taking notes, one of the keyboard models would serve you better. The basic model works well to read though, and the virtual keyboard, while clunky, does the job if you only need to use it occasionally. You'll want books with good, active tables of content in order to avoid having to search locations by key word, which may or not not get you where you want to be. Navigation on the whole is pretty straightforward.

Battery life of one month is a joke, really, but at least they do tell you it assumes only a half hour of use each day with the WiFi turned off. Turning the WiFi off when you are not downloading books is not a bad idea and does save power, but if you read a significant amount on the device -- at least a couple of hours a day -- you've got about a weeks worth or less of charge, which really isn't bad.

Until I saw a friend's unit, I was a sworn enemy of ebooks and their reading machines, and a physical book printed on good paper is still my preference. For mobility, however, the Kindle is great. I can leave the house with a vast choice of things to read without having to trouble my foggy, morning brain about making a decision. And I can carry a library of free classics with me all the time, including some things I frequently go to.

So, while I fervently hope that ebooks do not replace real books -- for one thing flipping through a real book to the spot you are looking for is much, much easier --I've now come around to acknowledging that they have their place. And that I actually like the thing.

Good product with some limitations

I bought this kindle to carry books electronically ( I could not afford a laptop that time). After receiving the kindle, it seemed a little smaller than I expected (the actual screen size is 4.8"X3.6"). So when I wanted to read a book I had to rotate the screen to see the full line on 4.8".The effective length of the page was 3.6". It is lightweight and easy to carry in big packets. Every time I press the page up or page down the screen flashes which is annoying but when you know you cannot avoid it you become used to it. I do not use it very much but I like it. I would go for a bigger one in future if I ever plan to buy one.

Best buy in 2011. Brought back my pleasure in reading.

I said to me this would be the last time I would try to read in any digital device. I tried it in Palms, Smartphones, Laptops and Tablets and none of them worth it. Instead, you get tired, really tired of reading stuff on them for too long. That and the lame battery life. Yep, it's lame after having a Kindle.

I risk to say I enjoy to read more than actual paper books now with a Kindle. And the battery? You don't even know it's there. The 5-10 min I spent everyday with the Kindle plugged in (to fetch news and stuff by Calibre) are sufficient to make its 90% a 100%, I guess I never saw the battery bar below 75% besides the day I received it (which was in 50% +/-).

I must say it was my best buy last year, and that because I received it December 27th, after paying U$90 in tributes since Amazon doesn't sell it here in Brazil (yet, I guess they'll this year).

Anyways, I don't have one complain. If you have the least care on reading you must lend yourself the right to have a Kindle (and get the free opensource wonderful software Calibre to manage anything on it, this project is outstanding). Thank you ebay and erl_stores which gave me a way to purchase one from my country.

A must buy for insatiable readers for an unbelievable price!

Comparing to similar products available such as tablets and more advanced ebook readers like Kindle Fire, this was a great purchase. I wanted it only for reading, so I didn't want to spend all that extra money for the frivolous features that the other possesses and plus, since it's way cheaper, I'm not afraid of taking it with me at ALL times in my bag. There were just a couple of things that bothered me: 1) The fact that I had to buy a cover with light to be able to read in dark places was annoying. 2) The buttons that change pages feel a little flimsy. I don't if they are, but I'm actually afraid of clicking them too much and breaking it. That was the only thing that made me regret not buying the touch version of this Kindle model. 3) As an avid reader, the battery doesn't last as much as the announced, but considering that sometimes I use my Kindle for about two hours a day, it's still pretty impressive! 4) As an extra, it would be nice if this model could also support 3G. I travel a lot to the beach / my relatives' houses, and I don't have access to Wi Fi on those place. That, or a way to download books / sync by connecting the Kindle to a computer connected to the Internet!

Great grab and go e-reader.

I like the size of this Kindle. I can easily take it with me to read when I am waiting for appointments, getting the car washed, down time at work, etc. It is light weight and has a long battery life. Downloading books is a breeze. I also have a Nook which i like as well, but this is handier to grab and throw in my purse. The price I paid was an excellent bargain as it is in perfect working order.