Until recently, I’ve always been one of those guys who wasn’t concerned with buying extra gadgets or warranties to protect a purchase. Usually, I would rely on good QA standards by the manufacturer and my own careful methods. Up until the last year or so, this approach has served me well.

Maybe QA standards have fallen, because my meticulousness just doesn’t seem to cut it anymore. In the last year I’ve had to replace a practically new central air unit (leaky coils), a string trimmer, Xbox 360, and two Comcast DVR units. Service plans and extended warranties are beginning to look more and more attractive to me.

In regards to my Kindle, my “plan for protection” relies once again on my careful methods in addition to a leather Kindle cover. I hope it’s enough to provide me many years of enjoyment, but there are some neat products and services I’ve come across that I’m beginning to consider.

Kindle Warranty

For example, new Kindle owners should think about getting an extended warranty for the Kindle 2 or Kindle DX. I know, you’re probably thinking, “If I’m going to drop this much money on something, it had better work!” I agree. But, the fact is mistakes happen and it isn’t always the manufacture’s fault. Drops, scratches, and spills are three major incidents that could make you wish you had that extended warranty. Here are the details of the warranties provided by Service Net, Amazon’s choice for extended warranties:

• Adds an additional year and more comprehensive protection than the one-year manufacturer’s warranty, including coverage for accidental drops and damage (limited to one incident).
• Replacement of your Kindle DX for any device failures during normal operation. Includes free shipping both ways, for your damaged and replacement Kindle DX.
• Support available 6 am to 10 pm PT, 365 days a year
• 2-Year Extended Warranty available for any Kindle 2 or Kindle DX shipped within the past 30 days. (Only available to U.S.-based customers).

Kindle Cover

If you have been reading about the Kindle for any stretch of time, I’m sure you’ve come across the many different covers you can buy. I’m willing to argue that most people purchase a Kindle cover along with their Kindle, but the style one chooses should be considered with the environment their Kindle will be used in. A’hem… sorry, I’ll take my nerd glasses off now.

There is something to be said about what kind of Kindle cover to use. If you’re going to the beach or pool, you might want to use one of the splash proof covers by OCTO. If dust and pet hair is your top concern, an enclosure-type cover may work best. Of these, the Belkin Neoprene Sleeve Case (available for the Kindle 2 and Kindle DX) or Patagonia Book Case (currently available only for the Kindle 2) are among the best choices.

One last cover for the DX that really caught my eye is the OCTO Faux Leather Slip Cover for the Kindle DX. It has a really nice “executive” look to it and is made of a stiff material that will protect your Kindle DX in transport. From what I’ve read, the DX fits snugly enough that it doesn’t fall out, but can be slipped free easily enough. The full enclosure seems like it will protect against dust well enough and I’d be willing to bet your Kindle DX would be protected against the occasional dropped keys or cell phones too.

I’ve covered a lot of stuff on this post, so here’s a more organized list of links to everything I’ve mentioned. As always, if you have any of these items, please leave a comment!

Your legs are tired and you can’t help but think of the camping chair that lays forgotten beside the garage door. It’s been three hours since you stepped in line, but the store doesn’t open for another five. To make things worse, you never actually saw the beginning of this stationary parade. How many people could there be in front you? Fifty? Two hundred?

All imagery (and tired legs) aside, this is quite similar to the situation prospective Kindle DX owners are experiencing. Once again, the Kindle DX has been sold out and will resume shipping in about four weeks.

While anxious buyers may be a little disappointed by the limited availability and extended waiting period, this is sure sign that the Kindle continues to grow in popularity. While we’re thinking positively, we should also consider this as another demonstration of how the Amazon Kindle is a solid purchase. The more Kindles sold, the greater the user base, which means Amazon is going to continue to pump time and energy into the product.

If you’d like to grab a Kindle DX yourself, I recommend that you go ahead and place your order. Amazon fills their orders on a “first come, first served” basis. So when you place your order, you’re actually grabbing a place in line… thus, my line metaphor.

If you’re looking to spend less and want to receive your Kindle in a more timely fashion, you can always pickup the second generation Kindle (referred to as “the Kindle” on Amazon.com, but as “K2″ by affectionate users). If your budget is a little tighter than usual and you don’t mind using second-hand items, maybe a used kindle is right for you.

If you’re set on getting a DX, then the question is, do you jump in line or wait a few months until you can “walk in” and pull one off the shelf? If you’re already placed your order, would you mind leaving a comment? I’m curious to know how long people are actually waiting for their shipment.

Unlike traditional brick-and-mortar stores, Amazon has a unique problem when it comes to product demonstrations. However, they’ve come up with a fun, community-driven program that lets those who are interested in buying a Kindle or Kindle DX get a free demonstration in their city.

Amazon’s program consists of Kindle owners who love their Kindle so much they are willing to volunteer to meet with interested people and give a demonstration. So far the program appears to be a success, as lots of people are signing up to show and tell.

Setting up a demonstration is easy. From the main page, simply click your state to view the listed areas within. Kindle owners can then announce their availability and their area. Prospective owners can leave a message that they’d like to set up a meeting.

I think this is a really interesting and effective way for Amazon to get the word out about the Kindle. I can testify that when I brought my Kindle to the office for the first time, I had person after person stop by to check it out. Before I knew it, I had seen nearly everyone in the building.

On the other hand, this is a really strange phenomenon. It’s very uncommon to see people enjoy a product so much that they are willing to spend their free time telling people about it. Luckily for Amazon, this is the very thing that can make the program so effective. People don’t like pushy sales persons and, with this program, Amazon has found a way to deliver a very personal, one-on-one promotion with the most effective means of advertisement: word of mouth.

Having trouble justifying the cost of a new Kindle? Maybe the cost isn’t much of an issue, but you’d rather not pay the full price to see if you’ll like it? I have a solution for you. Buy a used kindle!

I recently found a website that makes finding a used Kindle a simple task. UsedKindleGear.com is an easy to navigate site that lists current deals on the popular used Kindle 1 (original), Kindle 2, and related Kindle accessories.

What makes this site unique is its use of sophisticated filtering that displays relevant, current eBay listings. I find this refreshing since most of my visits to eBay are spent sifting through useless “related” items (I’m reminded of the plastic baggie that was being marketed as a “water proof kindle cover.” What a joke!) This site helps us get to the point: finding the best deal on a used kindle.

I think this site has a chance of becoming rather popular for its convenience, especially if Amazon continues to release additional versions of the Kindle every six months. Users are likely to sell their current Kindle when the next version hits the streets, which means more deals for everyone else!

I just noticed on the main Kindle DX page at Amazon.com that the release date of June 10 has been set. This is much sooner than I thought!

The Amazon Kindle DX is the third version of the popular e-reader device. The Kindle 2 was just released a few months ago. This quick turn-around will allow Amazon to cook something else up for the e-reader market just before big Christmas spending.

The Kindle DX is still available for pre-order. All orders give you a “place in line” and will be shipped on a first come, first served basis. For those of you who jumped on board early in the game, you may be able to have the new Kindle DX in your hands before Father’s Day!

E Ink, who manufactures the display for the popular Kindle (and Kindle DX, available for pre-order), was bought by Prime View International. This news is all over the web, but I noticed something more interesting among the boring, “this business bought this other business” dribble.

About half-way down in the press-release, there is mention of a color E Ink display to be shown at an up-coming Exhibition in San Antonio:

The deal will help the combined company develop color versions of its displays and mass produce them by the end of 2010, said Sriram Peruvemba, E Ink’s vice president of marketing. Current models show shades of gray.

Privately held E Ink is expected to demonstrate its latest color display prototypes Tuesday at a display technology show in San Antonio.

If the color E-ink displays make it to another revision of the Kindle, I think we can expect another Kindle “craze.” This would be especially true in the academic and professional markets, who were quick to point out the loss experienced when viewing graphs and charts best viewed in color.

A color display would also benefit most Kindle users who take advantage of the included web browser. We’ve all come to associate surfing the web with a full-colored experience. The color display will make this a possibility.

I’m really curious how well the color displays will work. A few questions in my mind are:

• Will the screen refresh rates be faster, slower, or the same?
• The current kindle displays only provide 16 shades of gray. Will the color displays be like the 8-bit displays of the past, or more like current displays?
• Most importantly, how cost will a color display add to the Kindle?

The cost could be a sticky point. Many people already think the Kindle is priced a bit on the high side and I don’t expect a color display to be less expensive. How Amazon handles the price point for a Colorized Kindle may be very interesting.

We all know Amazon as that wonderful online location to buy just about anything, including our lovely Kindles and ebooks. However, Amazon has been granted a patent for a brick and mortar store. What can this possibly mean?

I doubt Amazon will open up stores across the U.S. That goes against the model that made them so successful. It not only goes against the idea of selling things online, but against the model that has made the Kindle (and soon, the Kindle DX) so successful. They’ve created a device that you buy online, and then make further purchases with the device that delivers content wirelessly. I don’t see how a store could possibly fit into that equation.

I believe this is all a result of Amazon’s venture into the grocery delivery service they tried back a few years ago. When you compare the images included in their patent to the pickup stations they used for the grocery service, a resemblance is impossible to deny.

The patent in question was originally filed back in 2007. It’s possible that Amazon filed the patent when they were just getting the grocery service out the door. The grocery service never took off, but two years later the patent was granted. So it’s easy to become confused by the fact that a patent was granted for a new storefront when many of us have never seen the physical product of Amazon’s failed grocery service.

Two of the features I like most about my Kindle are Notes and Highlights. When I first began using my Kindle, I barely gave the features any thought until I began to read more non-fiction. The first time I came across a bit of information I wanted to remember, the light bulb went off and I went straight to the highlights feature.

I found myself highlighting at least one or two excerpts per chapter and then reviewing and reading the context several times throughout the book. The notes feature is something I use less, but I still see the value in using it. Pulling yourself out of a book to scribble down your thoughts is something I’d imagine many people would struggle with. I rarely sit down to read with paper and pen at hand, though, I often wish I had. The notes feature takes care of both of these problems.

Amazon has very recently enabled another way to access your highlights and notes. You can now review them via your Amazon account. This can be very helpful for those of us who travel without (or forget) our Kindle.

This should be one more way to help sell the recently announced Kindle DX to students and schools. Those who will use the DX to read textbooks may benefit the most.

So far, it appears that Amazon does not want us to share our highlights and notes. I can see the legal reason behind not sharing the highlights, but our own personal notes? Well, maybe one day. I suppose we should focus on the positive fact that Amazon continues to improve Kindle owner’s experiences and has opened up yet another way to enjoy our books.

I came across a humorous parody of the Kindle DX this morning. The funny guys at Atom.com have a brief video of the currently unreleased Kindle 9XXXD, the world’s largest and most powerful e-reader.

There’s no doubt they’re playing on the somewhat unconventional move that Amazon made with their newest reader, the Kindle DX. Most gadgets and devices get smaller and feature rich. The Kindle DX, while offering a few new features, is larger than its predecessors.

Its increase in size really isn’t worthy of much debate. When you consider how Amazon is planning to sell the Kindle DX to schools and students, the larger screen size and native PDF support make an ideal product for the academic market. This helps to explain why I’m hearing of so many Kindle DX Pre-Orders.

I’ve been reading with my Kindle 2 almost every night for the past two months and I must admit that I’m hooked. I don’t know if I can justify moving to the DX when it is released, but I would love to check one out when they become available.

Amazon has released an update to the popular iPhone Kindle app. Version 1.1 allows us to read in both portrait and landscape modes. Also available in the update is the ability to “lock” the mode so that the screen doesn’t rotate when you don’t want it to.

Other new features include:

• Turn pages with a tap
• Zoom in on images with a “pinch”
• Change the text and background color combinations to suit.

Add all these features to the fact that Amazon recently iPhone purchases easier and the acquisition of Lexcycle (the company behind another free e-book app, Stanza), and you’ve got another great platform to keep you reading on the go.

This is a really smart move for Amazon because, let’s face it, we can’t always carry our Kindle or Kindle DX around where ever we go, but we almost always have our phones. This focus on the platform rather than the product should carry Amazon a long way.