This is definitely on the top of my wishlist. I used to think it wasn't that great of an idea, but I saw somebody using it and they demonstrated a lot of cool stuff you can do with it. It makes taking notes, highlighting text and marking up books so much easier. Too bad Kindle 2 is like $350 and more fragile than an iPod with, from what I've heard, no warranty.
Also, this is definitely a demonstration of the electronic industry springing ahead with very little regulation. It's probably the least regulated industry in America and it shows in it's leaps and bounds. 1990 seems like the stone ages to any kid growing up now. It's ****ing great.
When color E-ink displays (perhaps with a faster refresh rate, allowing them to display decent animations, and a more functional web browser in E-ink devices) are commercially available, I will be all over this.
Actually, if the Kindle were under $150, I'd probably have one already. I've played around with some E-ink devices before, and the display really does read just like paper. It's great.
I understand the high price somewhat, as the Kindle has internet access through Sprint's wireless network, with no monthly fee. They have to subsidize that somehow. Though it would be nice if they gave it WiFi capability, lowered the price of the hardware, and then charged an optional monthly fee for wireless access. I mean, how often would you find yourself in a situation where you absolutely have to have a book, and can't wait until you find a WiFi hotspot? Not often, I'd imagine.
The article notes that this would be great for textbooks, and might delay the inevitable death of the traditional newspaper. Too bad I'm not several years younger. Something like this would have saved my back in college and law school.
I still don't get the Kindle. My friggin iPod can do just as much and more. What I would like to see is some kind of touch-screen tablet pc that is about as big as the Kindle, but is all screen a la the iPhone/iPod. That might pique my interest. Black and white display that allows you to read books? Eh... not impressed. I mean, I'm sure reading on a Kindle is an enjoyable experience, but I expect a lot more out of such an expensive electronic device and I've even be willing to spend more on something like the Kindle that could double as a laptop replacement.
The problem with that is that E-ink displays, while very readable, have a slow refresh rate. It's no problem when you're just reading a page at a time, it takes less than a second for the next page to display, but it would be worthless as a laptop replacement, where you'd want quick scrolling in a web browser, and maybe the ability to display video.