WoW Insider is available on your Amazon Kindle
by Michael Sacco 
Sep 29th 2010 at 7:00PM
So, I bought an Amazon Kindle recently, and it's just the coolest thing. All the books I could ever read, available to me any time, on a crisp, easy-to-read display that doesn't hurt my eyes. "But I don't care about books," you say. "I care about blogs! Specifically, blogs about WoW that are named WoW Insider!"
Well, you're in luck. WoW Insider is available on the Kindle right this very moment, and you can get it one of two ways. The first is to use the experimental browser, accessible from the main Kindle menu under "Experimental"; enter our URL or mobile address (i.wow.joystiq.com). The browser is surprisingly nice for being on an e-reader device, and especially for being in black and white.
The second way is admittedly cooler. You can subscribe to WoW Insider from the Blogs section of the Kindle Store for a small fee, and as long as you have a wireless connection, your Kindle will automatically update your archive of WoW Insider articles as often as we post new articles. Most formatting is intact in the Kindle blog format -- the only thing missing is pictures.
Reading the latest Know Your Lore like it was a book? Now that's technology I can get behind.
Well, you're in luck. WoW Insider is available on the Kindle right this very moment, and you can get it one of two ways. The first is to use the experimental browser, accessible from the main Kindle menu under "Experimental"; enter our URL or mobile address (i.wow.joystiq.com). The browser is surprisingly nice for being on an e-reader device, and especially for being in black and white.
The second way is admittedly cooler. You can subscribe to WoW Insider from the Blogs section of the Kindle Store for a small fee, and as long as you have a wireless connection, your Kindle will automatically update your archive of WoW Insider articles as often as we post new articles. Most formatting is intact in the Kindle blog format -- the only thing missing is pictures.
Reading the latest Know Your Lore like it was a book? Now that's technology I can get behind.
Filed under: WoW Insider Business
Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)
keith Sep 29th 2010 7:09PM
Sweet!!! I've read some WoW Insider stuff on my Kindle before using the browser, but I was having trouble with links on the mobile site taking me to the full articles... This looks great, though! I'm subscribing right away. :)
Elyxaar Sep 29th 2010 7:09PM
Are those Kindle thingies really as good to read as a proper papery book?
i not vewy smat Sep 29th 2010 7:18PM
e-readers are very nearly as good to read as a real book. The biggest advantage though is that you can carry your entire library with you. When i first got mine I got stuck on a 2-week business trip in the middle of nowhere. There was nothing to do in the area, and the hotel internet was so bad as to be non-existent. My nook kept me sane.
gundamxzero Sep 29th 2010 7:46PM
If you are gonna go with an e-reader spend the extra money on an iPad. Why limit yourself to something that can do something limited when you have the option of purchasing something else that doesnt just restrict you to one bookstore, and also has so much more media/entertainment potential. Also the wall street journal is better than the real deal on it ;D
Michael Sacco Sep 29th 2010 7:48PM
I already have a laptop and a smartphone -- I don't need another internet appliance. I want to read books. And the Kindle lets me read books with much more ease and comfort than an iPad.
Plus? I can read in the sun with a Kindle. :)
Alex Ziebart Sep 29th 2010 7:59PM
I TOTALLY disagree with the iPad suggestion. I absolutely adore my Kindle and one of the best parts of it is that the screen simulates paper. It's easy on the eyes and therefore wonderful for reading books for any extended length of time.
The iPad sure has more uses than a Kindle, but if you're looking for a device to read books on, you absolutely want the Kindle (or a similar ereader like a Nook.)
Before I had a Kindle I thought they were just neat ideas. Now that I have one, I wish I'd gotten one a long time ago.
Enigma Sep 29th 2010 8:01PM
It lets you read with more ease and comfort? WTF? How much is Amazon paying for this shameless endorsement?
Michael Sacco Sep 29th 2010 8:06PM
I think I'm entitled to give my honest opinion on a product I bought with my own money, and it's a fact that it's easier to read text for prolonged periods of time on a Kindle than it is on an iPad -- or any computer screen.
The iPad can do a lot of things that the Kindle can't, but the Kindle does books a lot better than the iPad. If you just want to read books, an e-reader is your best bet. If you need a full-scale internet appliance, then by all means, grab a laptop or an iPad.
Enigma Sep 29th 2010 8:09PM
Oh, you're more than entitled, no one argued that. But with you and Alex responding so quickly, it also appears you have the right to paid endorsements.
I'm no Apple fanboy, that's not the point. I just think if there's an ad on a page it should be labeled as such.
Keith Sep 29th 2010 8:10PM
Anyone who is recommending an iPad over a Kindle as an ebook reader has never used both. The iPad maybe the superior mobile computation device, but it's not in the same league as the Kindle as an ebook reader. The iPad is three times heavier, has a third of the battery life, and most importantly has a backlit screen. The Kindle's eInk screen is exquisite to read, and in an entirely different class to the iPad. If you want to read books, get the Kindle.
On the other hand, the blog subscriptions on the Kindle Store are overpriced and mostly pointless. £1.99/month to read WoWInsider? When it's free on the Kindle browser, let alone on my computer? I think not. Nice try, though.
Michael Sacco Sep 29th 2010 8:11PM
The FTC requires blogs to acknowledge that they're being paid to recommend a product or service, if they are.
http://www.snowflakesinhell.com/2009/10/06/new-ftc-rules-will-have-serious-impact-on-blogs/
Alex and I both own Kindles and we like them very, very much. It has nothing to do with being paid. I would love it if Amazon bought me a Kindle or paid me to recommend it to people, but they didn't and aren't.
I just want people to know that a product is worth the money.
Enigma Sep 29th 2010 8:16PM
Another poster (just below this one) mentioned he has a Nook and WoW Insider looks great on it too. This isn't an iPad vs Kindle thing, it's a "Kindle gets a shout out and no other device does" thing.
Look, I'm not trying to stir the pot, but this just smacks of unnecessary bias towards a particular product from a pretty loud megaphone. Everyone knows how many millions of readers WoW Insider has, the impact of a story like this can't be overstated. I'd welcome with open arms a post about all the different devices that access WoW Insider on the go... even a side-by-side comparison. This just feels irresponsible.
I'm done now, I've said more than my $0.02 and I have no agenda, just wanted to voice my concerns.
Michael Sacco Sep 29th 2010 8:17PM
That's a great idea, Enigma. Thanks!
chris crouse Sep 29th 2010 8:31PM
I own both. I would still recommend the ipad. Kindle is easier to hold, but I hate chasing down light sources to be able to read. I can read on the ipad in bed in whatever position i feel like because i don't have to have a light on or even position it toward the light source if i do have a light on to be able to read it.
Sleutel Sep 29th 2010 8:35PM
I bought a Kindle 2 back in February of 2009, and just upgraded to a Kindle 3 about a month ago. I love, love, love them.
1.) The screen is amazing to read on, especially since the latest generation came out with even better contrast. I don't miss not having backlighting at all--there are lights to read by just about everywhere, and you can get cheap clip-on lights if you need them. (The K3 even has an optional cover with a built-in light that's powered by your Kindle itself, but I skipped it 'cause I didn't want the extra weight.)
2.) The storage capacity is awesome. It used to be when I'd travel I'd bring practically a whole bag just of books. Now, I shove my Kindle into my purse, and maybe pack an extra paperback or two.
3.) The physical design is solid. TBQH I initially preferred the pageturn buttons on the K2--the K3's are MUCH smaller and took a lot of getting used to. What helped a lot was when I realized I could orient the text in any of four directions--so I flipped it upside-down. Now I read with the text flipped like that all the time, which puts the page-forward buttons in a spot where it's much more comfortable for me to hold the Kindle. Overall, though, it's great--mindblowingly thin and light, really. Probably one of the best physical changes on the K3 was the update to the selector from the weird nubbin thing--pushing a switch repeatedly took a lot longer than pushing a button, like you do now.
4.) The charge lasts for-fucking-ever. I've got weeks without plugging it in, and even when the battery is almost out, it just keeps going and going and going. As long as you leave the wireless turned off, you never have to worry about walking away and coming back to find the battery drained, either--outside of 3G/WiFi, it only uses power when it changes the display.
5.) In general, the GUI is pretty decent. For sure, the current crop of text display options are good: multiple fonts, a wide range of sizes, orientation options, etc. The menus are pretty easy to navigate.
Here are the things I don't like:
1.) I still think they slimmed down the pageturn buttons too much on the K3. I actually find myself hitting them accidentally more now than I did on the K2, and I found them much harder to find a comfortable reading position for (until I flipped the display).
2.) DRM. Ugh, ugh, ugh. Hurry up and let me "lend" books to friends already. (And don't tell me the Nook has this feature so I should switch--it only has it for those books where the publisher has enabled it, and you can only do it once.) And figure out a way to let people get library ebooks while you're at it.
3.) You can only create "collections" on the Kindle itself, which is tedious using its small keyboard. (A collection is a sorting method that works kind of like labels in GMail--a single book can be classified under multiple collections.) What it needs is an application like iTunes (only not as annoying as iTunes) that would let you manage your library, including rewriting the information (e.g., author/title) on non-DRM works and creating and assigning collections. Or, hell, just let me create folders on the Kindle's drive and drag and drop items into them.
Reading on my Kindle is the closest experience I've ever had to living in the future, if you know what I mean. There's something just so sci-fi about it.
Snuzzle Sep 30th 2010 9:14AM
@gundamxzero
That's like saying get an iPhone when all you want is an MP3 player.
(cutaia) Sep 30th 2010 2:28PM
More importantly, I think it's obvious that Sacco gets paid every time someone mentions Garnier Fructis. Just fess up man. If you're gonna advertise with your girly hair, I think you should at least be honest about it.
i not vewy smat Sep 29th 2010 7:15PM
I have a nook and pulled up the wowinsider page on it. Looked just fine there as well.
Dave Sep 29th 2010 7:20PM
I really like the idea of the kindle subscription, I just dont like the idea of paying monthly. i know its a low cost but Id rather pay a one time fee. my wow is paycheck to paycheck as it is :/. might this be an option. or is this one of the requirements for the kindle subscription
chris crouse Sep 29th 2010 7:39PM
What the heck are you talking about? I don't pay monthly for my kindle. The cost of internet access is built into the original sale price. Once you buy it, the only thing you pay for are books/magazines/newspapers.