[FoRK] Re: Kindle first impressions

[Jeff Bone]

On May 4, 2008, at 10:44 PM, Tom Higgins wrote:
> If the device can be liberated( :) ) then i do not see why it can  
> not be a
> great reader..but if its greatness is hinged on a pay-what-they-demand
> service then that breaks the bank and thus the use...which is  
> another whole
> take than just the freedom-flag-waving-hippy-shit I spout on these  
> topics.

Here's a question tho, Tom...  what difference does it make if you  
have e.g. access to Linux on the device if they're the only (or best  
priced, or most convenient, or whatever) purveyor of the stuff you  
want to read?  I mean, I generally like to have access to the shell  
whenever possible --- TiVo and iPhone are hacked, and in both cases I  
with they'd made it easier, but the "soldering required" (while I can  
do it) is a bit more than I'd like to do.  What would you do w/ a  
hacked Kindle?

I don't mind paying $10 to Amazon --- and via Amazon, most of that  
going to the original author --- for a commercial book that I want in  
that type of form factor.

> But if you got the cash to have that not be a problem,

There's a price for convenience --- a different price for everybody.   
I'm willing to pay a bit in order to avoid certain hassles, and the  
fully-integrated Amazon stack streamlines and speeds up a process I  
already engage in several times a week (buy book from Amazon, wait for  
shipment, read.)

jb