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Amazon Enters Gadget Market with Kindle, an eBook Device
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That is what makes me, personally, excited.
Imagine this hooking up with the British Library or the US Library of Congress?
*faints*
Yes, I think this is a spectacular point, if for example I was in my weekly class debate and had at my disposal, my entire textbook and other science journals at my disposal to quickly bring up facts and what not, it will be wonderful and furthermore, productive for everyone.
If it connected with libraries around the world, people's knowledge will be further increased.
I would like to exclude books. Apart from throw away paperbacks printed on cheap paper, books to me represent something of an investment. Especially art books or works like our 4664 page, 3 volume Dutch dictionary. The work consists of a printed and an electronic version. The print version is just beautiful, the paper superb. The CD, it integrates with Word, allows you to do fast searches. I dont care if someday I could carry the complete Library of Congress on a single e-reader. I want to keep my books.
Why not just use the current 20 year old technology that has served us well all these years? Next thing you know some mis-informed CEO will reinvent the wheel and make it out of a rubber like material that costs more and uses more resources to make, but it's cooler than a regular wheel and he/she would think they are on to something.
eReaders are stupid, plain and simple. Journalism students already have laptops and computers, or they can just read the $.50 newspaper. eReaders are a waste of time and money and I don't think anyone in their right mind will pay $400 to read a book on a computer screen when they can do that already with their phones and laptops.
What the hello are these CEOs thinking?
First of all, 99% of your post is entirely subjective, and of course you're free to express your opinion, but if you want people to take you seriously, please backup statements like "eReaders are stupid, plain and simple" with plain and simple facts. Thanks!
I assume, when you say the current 20 year old technology, that has served us well, you are referring to laptops/computers? I don't know about you, but I think, and I would think many agree with me, reading large amounts of text off LCD screens sucks, plain and simple (see what I did there?
) Here is a more portable option and cheaper for people who don't need laptops. Your comparison to some CEO reinventing the wheel is completely irrelevant and doesn't make much sense, plain and simple, but nice try.Also, who reads books on cell phones? Please link me to a statistic that a lot of people do this. Thanks!
And maybe it's a generation gap thing, but I would think most young students today don't like reading the large and inefficient newspapers on paper. Statistics *do* show that newspaper readership among younger readers is declining. I think this device might help. I'm not saying it's perfect. But neither was the ipod (or the iphone) when it first came out. This is a step in the right direction, plain and simple.
This product is perfect for a certain niche, which I feel I am part of, like the blackberry is perfect for a certain group of people. For someone who hates lugging around hundreds of pages of research and scientific papers, this is great.
Frankly I do see an audience for this. Most of the Macheads here are NOT that audience. Some wrote that they would rather take real books with them and I agree but for real readers you could take a bunch with this or get them on demand.
Also I used to get the WSJ and the NY Times and the SF Chronicle but now I read only online.
Its thin and you could hold like a book or newspaper and black & white is fine for people who READ!. Yes I think the price should be half. But there are many who just want to read without all of the tech additional crap to deal with.
Someone should post a link to the thread when the ipod was first announced
The iPod answered the question: "What device can people use to access all their music whenever they want, organize that music, purchase more music from a store, and play different file types all with the ease expected of a device of the future?"
I don't think people have a hard time reading a book or newspaper.
Besides, Apple didn't charge people to listen to their music while using the iPod, and the iPod had more functionality back then than this eReader does now.
Pardon me if this has been said already but i wasnt going to read 11 pages on an eBook reader, but cant we somehow get eBooks on the Touch or iPhone?
eBook
iPod
Internet communicator
Productivity station
Entertainment system
and more...!
It even has a 17" screen!
Anyway, I understand the e-ink is nice to read and I can't wait for all monitors to have color e-ink with quick refresh rate (maybe 10 years if the technology takes off?), but at this time how many devices do we want to carry around? I am happy to have MBP and iPhone...
Yeah but the MBP weighs like 3kg...
Yeah, I know.
But there's something about that library wall o' books that goes deep into our cultural memory in a way that a wall of CDs doesn't.
Umm... How do you archive the books you've purchased to free up space to download new books?
If the answer is: memory cards then that's an expensive way to store books.
If the answer is: dump to a memory card and sneaker net the memory card to a computer where you burn a DVD, then that's a lot of trouble just to avoid a connection to a PC.
Someone should post a link to the thread when the ipod was first announced
Okay, since this thread is bound to go the way of the 500 thread, let me just go on record saying I can see this product being a huge hit and I believe it will be revolutionary!
I do wish it was a bit less pricey though!
Already did.
First of all, 99% of your post is entirely subjective, and of course you're free to express your opinion, but if you want people to take you seriously, please backup statements like "eReaders are stupid, plain and simple" with plain and simple facts. Thanks!
I assume, when you say the current 20 year old technology, that has served us well, you are referring to laptops/computers? I don't know about you, but I think, and I would think many agree with me, reading large amounts of text off LCD screens sucks, plain and simple (see what I did there?
Also, who reads books on cell phones? Please link me to a statistic that a lot of people do this. Thanks!
And maybe it's a generation gap thing, but I would think most young students today don't like reading the large and inefficient newspapers on paper. Statistics *do* show that newspaper readership among younger readers is declining. I think this device might help. I'm not saying it's perfect. But neither was the ipod (or the iphone) when it first came out. This is a step in the right direction, plain and simple.
This product is perfect for a certain niche, which I feel I am part of, like the blackberry is perfect for a certain group of people. For someone who hates lugging around hundreds of pages of research and scientific papers, this is great.
I think you need to realize that the proof you need is in the polls, plain and simple. You don't seem to see the things right in front of your eyes.
Reading text off of an LCD is what... a decade or more old, and LCDs have gotten better, and this Kindle thing is any better, or how about Sony's failed attempt at an eReader, or Palms attempts at supplying users with that capability and their company (much loved by myself and many) isn't doing as expected.
Statistics are great when making a serious accusation on a topic not known by a wide audience. If you look at this simple poll, and the lack of PDAs and eReaders in the hands of Coffee Shop customers, you'd realize that it's something that isn't really needed. eReaders have been around for years, and most people say the same thing...
$400 for an electronic reader to carry along with my laptop and other gadgets... or bring a $20 book with that I won't finish in 4 hours anyway... or better yet... read the book off my laptop screen.
Most young students today have their own laptops, and read the newspaper off the internet anyway, and this device won't help at all, since it can't access all the graphics, video and Flash that is used on many websites.
As for reading off of the phone.... ask the many iPhone users on this sight which they'd rather have. The $400 useless eReader, or the $400 iPhone.
Come on man! Open your eyes and see what is real, and not what could be if it were to go like this and that.
The iPod answered the question: "What device can people use to access all their music whenever they want, organize that music, purchase more music from a store, and play different file types all with the ease expected of a device of the future?"
I don't think people have a hard time reading a book or newspaper.
Besides, Apple didn't charge people to listen to their music while using the iPod, and the iPod had more functionality back then than this eReader does now.
That wasn't the point I was making. I was saying that the thread demonstrated how easy it is to trash a product that was just announced and you've never tried. People actually liked the ipod once they got use to it.
And you aren't forced to buy from Amazon to get material. It handles your own documents which you can transfer wirelessly for about as much as a sms message costs (or for free via USB). If you already have a lot of ebooks, it shouldn't be too hard putting them on this. I assume if you already have a NYT suscription, then you can easily put it on the device.
And please.
it isn't a matter of which has functionality. Apple was successful with the ipod because people were sick of CD players and a real, good, and easy to use mp3 player needed to be made. A good eReader has been needed for a while, and I'm glad Amazon released it.
The iPod answered the question: "What device can people use to access all their music whenever they want, organize that music, purchase more music from a store, and play different file types all with the ease expected of a device of the future?"
I don't think people have a hard time reading a book or newspaper.
Besides, Apple didn't charge people to listen to their music while using the iPod, and the iPod had more functionality back then than this eReader does now.
Just must try to think out of the box more, really. News print is very, very short lived. Who wants to read a week old paper again? Perfect for a medium like this. It'll save so much energy. Different size and even more geared to reading newspaper like content. Yes, I can see that. Can you?
let me get this straight. you're saying a poll on a site that is frequented by devoted apple fans is a useful representation of how well this product will do? if that's the case, then the ipod would have never sold a copy
Agreed, but I think the solution is to digitize the books, and buy them for download to your laptop or a computer in the classroom. Choice is a wonderful thing, so if someone wants to spend $400 on an eReader just so they can read books and still need a laptop for other things, or they can get a cheap Windows laptop (Yuck!) and save money with a more capable device. But I do like the idea of downloading books and using your laptop to read them. I had to spend $250 for a semester of Biology.
Yeah... it's an intellectual thing that goes all the way back to the printing press, and if you are really interested in knowing about the history of writing, it goes back to the beginning of RECORDED history. When the Library of Alexandria in Egypt was burned, much of Ancient Greek's knowledge was lost with it. Books are an amazing thing. It'd be nice to reduce the amount of trees needed to make the paper, but we are going to be doing more damage to the environment it everyone has to own an eReader just to read a book. Laptops are a much better solution.
Because it does more and has more usefulness.
Yes... been that way for about a decade or more when we first got PDAs. It's really old news that some guy is rehashing in a soon to be failed or mooted business venture.
I am glad that you realize this.... because the same goes for any form of statistical analysis.
In it's defense... this forum/site along with many others said that the $400 Foleo which did more than the eReader/Kindle and could somewhat squeeze it's way into the smartphone market would be a flop, and Palm canceled it after spending what.... 10 million on the project.
It's not really thinking out of the box. It's old news already... been that way for about 8 years. Newsprint is useful when the lights go out, and the energy needed to manufacture the eReader is more than what is needed for newsprint. Besides... newspapers are going online, and laptops and cell phones are already more capable at viewing them.
Thinking out of the box would be giving users a cheaper, smaller, just as capable notebook, not a crippled PDA.
So the only conclusion that we can get from this poll is that it means nothing. It can go either way
No, the only conclusion that we can get from this poll is that most people on this site don't think the Kindle is useful. Now if we get polls from other sites then the general consensus can be determined, but that doesn't mean that it's going to determine the outcome of a product.
The problem I have with the device is that it's not going to have any staying power against what is already established, i.e. cell phones, laptops, desktops, BOOKS. Things that are already pervasive and standard. Everyone is going to have a cell phone or whatever communications device replaces it in the next 10 years. And cells are more than capable at reading books and newspapers.
Newspaper have been online for 5 years or more for the ones in larger markets. They have Flash, Video, and other graphical elements that the Kindle and other eReaders can't display.
People are already used to reading things off of LCD screens and screens are getting better.
And lastly you won't be able to find too many people that are screaming to get rid of their books for leisurely reading. Books are also a cultural thing, not just something to be replaced. Books are attractive, and intriguing... a lot is to be said about a person based on the books he/she reads. My GF reads Decarte and I read Asimov, and we can relate the two.
Not that going digital would make a difference... just that this device misses the mark by a lot. If it's just a reader then it might not do so well. If it was a cheap tablet, like the Foleo could have been the cheap UMPC, then it would have had a broader market.
Already did.
The best quote found just a few posts after its start:
"I still can't believe this! All this hype for something so ridiculous! Who cares about an MP3 player? I want something new! I want them to think differently!
Why oh why would they do this?! It's so wrong! It's so stupid!"
Simple difference from the Amazon thingy: it's beautiful, it's useful, it's small, you can add your free content and the interface is just awesome. Not like the Amazon white brick at all.
Good idea for 2015, not now. We are not talking here about online mags where you just check a few articles (such as in Macworld); we are talking about long times regarding a screen instead of reading a book. Not quite there yet, really.
Amazon, you may try again later...
I don't see myself liking any of these dedicated book reader devices. I like to have electronic copies of technical books on my computers, but books that I read cover-to-cover are different.
I like the graphical feedback of how much I've completed, and how far I have to go, by the thickness of the book in my hand. I feel the same way about analog clocks and wristwatches. The format tells me more than just the current information.
I like the graphical feedback of how much I've completed, and how far I have to go, by the thickness of the book in my hand. I feel the same way about analog clocks and wristwatches. The format tells me more than just the current information.
I didn't buy a 1st generation iPod. A bit bulky, didn't hold enough music, too expensive. But I bought the 3G and so did quite a few other people...
I think this will work. Yeah its a bit ugly, but that's easily fixed. If it were cheaper and Amazon start selling bundles with the real book plus the Kindle version this might catch on. Like my iPod - I still want the physical CDs but I like to take my iPod on holiday...
Like MP3 players this will come down to usability. If the screen really is as good as they say, and it's seamless to use it will gradually catch on.
Shame Apple didn't design it though...
I think this will work. Yeah its a bit ugly, but that's easily fixed. If it were cheaper and Amazon start selling bundles with the real book plus the Kindle version this might catch on. Like my iPod - I still want the physical CDs but I like to take my iPod on holiday...
Like MP3 players this will come down to usability. If the screen really is as good as they say, and it's seamless to use it will gradually catch on.
Shame Apple didn't design it though...
Wow
Ha.
Well, color me shocked.
Like, mouth hanging open with a goofy grin, kind of shocked.
I mean, sure. Eventually, everything will be digital (yes, even books).
But wow - this, in my mind, is no where near where it needs to be in order to redefine a medium. Granted, Amazon (alone) has enough capital to push such silliness along pretty far. But in the end... I just don't see people interested in dropping $400 on such a thing.
And if sex sells, these babies will sit on the shelf and rot.
Wow.
Really?
Hmmm...
Ha.
Well, color me shocked.
Like, mouth hanging open with a goofy grin, kind of shocked.
I mean, sure. Eventually, everything will be digital (yes, even books).
But wow - this, in my mind, is no where near where it needs to be in order to redefine a medium. Granted, Amazon (alone) has enough capital to push such silliness along pretty far. But in the end... I just don't see people interested in dropping $400 on such a thing.
And if sex sells, these babies will sit on the shelf and rot.
Wow.
Really?
Hmmm...