Posted on Sun, Jun. 29, 2008
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Amazon Kindle, a portable reading device about the size of a paperback, lives up to its considerable hype. With the press of a few buttons, you can instantly - and wirelessly - search out and/or download more than 110,000 full-length books and audio books, plus major newspapers, magazines and blogs.
Each e-book costs about $10; daily newspapers, $10 to $14 a month, billed to your account on Amazon.com. Read reviews and the first chapter of a book or get a trial subscription before committing. You can bookmark pages, inject comments, and change print size. The text is easy on the eyes and can be read even in full sunlight. The free wireless connection operates on a high-speed cellular data network that covers more territory than WiFi.
The Kindle's battery charges via the included USB or AC power cables and has a headphone jack. It has 185 MB of built-in memory (about 200 books), and an SD card slot for more.
Amazon Kindle is $359 at www.amazon.com; 1-800-201-7575.
- Judi Dash