I really like the idea of an eBook reader as a stand alone device. I would read so much more off line if I had a good eBook device. The Amazon Kindle would NOT appear to be THAT device. Disclaimer: I don’t own a Kindle but I also will NEVER touch one by choice.

It shows up on the cover of Newsweek and yet gets shit on by everyone on the net. Oh and by the way, the image on Newsweek is misleading, it can’t display text in red. (Even the guy designing the cover tried to make it cooler than it really is.) It may actually go down as the worst designed device since the UMPC. It kills me that someone actually looked at the concept of a book, the holder of print for thousands of years, and thought they needed to add some sharp edges to that concept. Yeah, sharp edges, that will make it more comfortable to hold.

The design looks like a throw back to the 80s. Angled edges, funky little tick-tack buttons and buttons all in the wrong places. This is industrial design direct from the Atari and Pet computers. The Sony eBook seems like a much better reader, both in design and the use of the media. It’s also smaller while keeping the same screen size and costs$100 less than the Kindel. If someone wants to buy me an eReader for Christmas, make mine a Sony Reader.

Kindel, we don’t need no water let the $&#@ burn.

Gizmodo has a great side by side look at the two devices here.

Filed under: Geek Wishlist, amazon, books, ereader, kindle, sony