Live Coverage From The Amazon Kindle Launch

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The folks at Engadget are featuring live coverage of the Amazon Kindle launch event. What do you think? Big deal or big dud?


"It's so simple you could be a moron and it works." Um, thanks video clip guy. It's got two switches: on / off, and radio on / off. It's got a USB port on the bottom, as well as a 3.5mm jack.
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COULD be useful...if it wasn't so INCREDIBLY expensive.

This device is at LEAST twice as expensive as it should be, maybe four times. The tech-savvy will just keep using their PDAs and/or PCs (notebooks, tablet PCs, etc), which they already have for other reasons. And those NOT tech-savvy would rarely spend $400 on a one-trick-pony piece of technology.

I mean, it can read books. That's it.
 
I'm old fashioned when it comes to books. I even built myself a library in my house, a whole room with books and cases and lounger chairs and sofa, ambient lights and a bookshelf CD player.. I love the musty smell of paperback and old prints.

But when I'm on the road, that eBook would be downright fantastic. There's an eBook that's $100 cheaper by Sony (http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs...ategoryId=16184&XID=O:ebook:corp_read_gglsrch) but the Sony eBook requires wireless broadband internet connection whereas the Amazon supports EVDO which is another reason it's perfect for the average road warriors.
 
I've had the latest Sony E-book reader since it came out and this looks like no big improvement. The screen update time is still slow and it's still too expensive. The best thing they could do to attract customers to the format is to offer E-books substantially cheaper than they currently are.

Why should I pay $13.99 for a file when the actual book is $ 15.99?
 
I think the price is that high because they are paying for the evdo service. I honest don't mind syncing the kindle to a computer if I had too. I would never pay more than a 100 bones for something I will just read off of. I think this is a flop but who know's maybe other people don't mind the price.
 
no one is going to buy it. there are much cooler devices out there. i for one read on my palmTX, and it's great. it's always with me, in my pocket.
 
if there were more free services like web browsing and instant messenger, this would sell a lot more. however i can't justify spending $399 and then an additional monthly fee just to read the news or a blog which I could get read for free over the internet.
 
Why anyone would spend that kind of money on something like this is beyond me...
For the past 2 years I've seen Black Friday deals for $399 Laptops, and I've consistently seen sub $500 laptops this entire year. Even average Joe will look at this and wonder why he should buy this when he can get a cheap laptop that he can download thousands of e-books onto from his local starbucks wi-fi.
 
I really, really want a product like this to work, but it's just too much money. I read tons and tons of books, and would love nothing more than for this device to be practical, but for $400 it's just not worth it.

What they really need to do is cut a deal with some textbook publishers and subsidize this thing for students/teachers. Imagine instead of having 40 pounds of textbooks to lug around you have one of these dandies. Of course, I'm sure just downloading the textbooks would still be ludicrously expensive since they have a racket going there.
 
I like the text book idea, but you're right - it plays right into a publisher's monopoly goals. Theoretically, this type of product is needed. Practically, it's still not there. Maybe when printing on paper becomes prohibitively expensive?
 
Oh lord I bet this takes off like wild fire in the textbook sector. The publishing companies would be all over this like white on rice. Think about it. It would be the death of the used book market. Every book would be a "new" book, just like d/l games. The thing the publishers hate the most is the organized used book companies. The ones that buy your book for $10 and sell it for $80.
 
On an additional htought, I bet they would keep the cost the same, $120 for a book. While at the same time increasing revenue, it would be a virtual GOLD MINE for publishing companies.
Man, it almost scares me. I already pay enough for books, damn advanced chemistry stuff. $180 for this book $150 for that one.
 
WHY they keep trying to shove book readers at a $300-400 price point is beyond me.
Right now I have an Ipaq and use Ubook for all my reading needs (If I can fix the screen on my Toshiba E755 I would go back to that)

I saw one from Hibook (Korean) that was going to read everything but .lit files, the bad thing is it still has yet t o be released over here.

Believe it or not the best E-book reader just came out in the last couple of weeks.
It is the laptop that is being given to kids in africa.
$200 gets you a laptop that can be read both ways (H+V) color, Linux, has an SD slot
Does have a power cord, the crank is good for campers, built in wireless,USB (for harddrive) multiple LIGHTING settings, and a full keyboard when needed. and anything that linux can read it will read txt,pdf,etc etc (LIT?)

The ONLY problem is that to get one RIGHT NOW (and I mean RIGHT NOW) is you have to buy 2 one for you one to give away, to the poor country.

I wrote them and asked them to think of entering the e-book market (add $50,color it black/grey strip something out)
They could use the increase in price to put towards their REAL project- Hell maybe $75-100 and it could still work (the $100 MORE would hurt me, but still)
 
There are alternatives to the amazon kindle. When you think about the battery life of the device and also the contrast and readability of the screen it helps balance the cost (somewhat.) Since it uses e-ink, which is non backlit, it can be read in full sunlight without worry of glare similar to a paper book. Also the battery life is much longer than your 500$ laptop, and it is a smaller device size wise. It is still too expensive to make a huge impact, instead its paving the way for more affordable e-ink technology.

If you're interested in other readers similar to the kindle but possibly more useful consider the Bookeen cybook gen 3. http://www.bookeen.com/. This reader doesn't have wireless capability, but it uses the same screen as the kindle with comparable battery life. Also, books are available in mobipocket format, as well as import of html or txt documents. Files such as .Lit can be converted to mobi format through supported software making the range of books large.

Also the sony prs 505, the newest update to the sony reader (prs 500) which uses the new vizplex e-ink tech just like the kindle or cybook.
 
What a bunch of fail. You could get a small laptop for that price. Less simple but does a touch more. Even has color. And a higher resolution screen.
 
File said:
There are alternatives to the amazon kindle. When you think about the battery life of the device and also the contrast and readability of the screen it helps balance the cost (somewhat.) Since it uses e-ink, which is non backlit, it can be read in full sunlight without worry of glare similar to a paper book. Also the battery life is much longer than your 500$ laptop, and it is a smaller device size wise. It is still too expensive to make a huge impact, instead its paving the way for more affordable e-ink technology.

If you're interested in other readers similar to the kindle but possibly more useful consider the Bookeen cybook gen 3. http://www.bookeen.com/. This reader doesn't have wireless capability, but it uses the same screen as the kindle with comparable battery life. Also, books are available in mobipocket format, as well as import of html or txt documents. Files such as .Lit can be converted to mobi format through supported software making the range of books large.

Also the sony prs 505, the newest update to the sony reader (prs 500) which uses the new vizplex e-ink tech just like the kindle or cybook.
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Agreed. The 505 is a nice improvement. I devour books (I usually read a book every two days, not counting textbooks), and got the 505 for my birthday. It's nice to be able to take all of my textbooks, programing books, reference books and fun reading every time I go to the coffee shop instead of carrying 5 books. Also I have all my notes from all my courses over the last two years loaded up using this, which allows me to write with on normal paper then upload later. The battery lasts for at least a week. It's easier on the eyes then a laptop, weighs a lot less, and is less attractive to thieves because they don't know what it is, as well as being easier to hide.

Also it's really nice to be able to practically carry a whole reference library around with you and read in full daylight, turn on and off in a few seconds (like for reading on the bus), and throw it in a jacket pocket if need be. :)

Reading books on a palm gives a lot less resolution, screen area and battery life, strains the eyes. A laptop weighs a hell of a lot more (especially one for $500), makes a nice target for thieves, is at least four times the size and has a far worse battery life, as well as straining the eyes when one is reading hours on end. These devices simply aren't comparable (for me) to books, though some people can stand reading from LCDs more so it is somewhat subjective.
 
Here is the reason I can't see these taking off...yet. But the solution is so simple! Basically...I like paper books. I buy paperback SciFi books fairly regularly. Reference books to sit on my desk at work. Historical books I like to shelve on the nightstand. I basically just like to have physical books. 99.9% of my reading library is, and almost certainly always will be, physical books. I certainly approve of the digital format...but I like this format, too. And that's the issue.

I don't want to have to buy a book twice to get a digital version of it

Now, when paperback/hardbound/etc books start coming with RFID chips embedded in the cover, that a quick swipe by one of these e-readers downloads the contents to it...

...then HOT DAMN, I'll be all over these devices like white on rice.
 
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