Amazon Launches Kindle DX eBook Reader with 9.7" Screen

[TraceyS/FL]

I normally don't agree with such comments but on this occasion I agree completely. I can't figure out the market. I was excited about this announcement as a college professor but I can't for the life of me figure out the target audience. College students buy textbooks and return them at the end of the semester for 40-50% of purchase price. Will this reader allow this price on textbooks? No color for PDF's and textbooks means a no go for all of my papers for class as well as two of my textbooks. Oh well I guess people that want to pay a premium to read regular books on the go will buy this but that might be the only people.

Agreed. I would kill to have this for university. Then I won't have 40lb's sitting on my shoulder walking around campus anymore! But, of course, Canada doesn't get this fine piece of electronics.

I would have bought one in a heartbeat. Give me color version to view on my computer in my house/dorm room - B&W and a light backpack to carry around campus & to the library... or home for hte weekend.

No more choosing which books to take to class because there are too many on certain days.

Anyway, i'd buy one if i had any money! LOL!

 

[gcmexico]

way too big to carry around...I like my kindle 2 better

 

[BMWFan]

Hows this integrated? Its less integrated than a newspaper, you cant just leave it on the train or chuck it in the bin when you dont want it anymore, you have to carry it around everywhere! Plus it makes you a mugging magnet with its high price. If you put it in your bag, you'll damage the screen, so it has to be carried in your hands, what a neucense.

I am talking about the hardware + software integration. The same integration that Apple fanboys always use as an argument when pointed towards Apple's overpriced hardware.

 

[kastenbrust]

I am talking about the hardware + software integration. The same integration that Apple fanboys always use as an argument when pointed towards Apple's overpriced hardware.

Apples hardware isn't overpriced. Find me a computer with all the same features as an Apple computer for a lower price.

 

[Shiner]

I don't imagine you teach economics. Let's assume the current List price of a hardcopy text is L, and the life-cycle of a text is thus: book gets sold to a student new for 100% L; then when s/he is done it is resold directly to another for 50% L; then when s/he is done the book is burned. That means each student pays net 50% L for each of two uses, while the publisher gets 100% L total for two uses, or 50% L per use. Now suppose with Kindle the publisher only charges 50% L per student. This works out exactly the same for the students as in the hardcopy case, and obtains exactly the same revenue per use for the publisher. However, the publisher has better net profits by not paying expenses for printing and shipping. Now, in reality, text books get more than 2 uses on average, which means the publisher will do even better than in my simplified model. So obviously it is in the publisher's best interest in charging 50%, or even less, of hard text prices for Kindle copies. QED.

Maybe except my students buy used books and then resale used books. The price of the text book would have to be almost nothing on the kindle. Additionally, I can't think of one textbook in the biological sciences that would look good and be useful in black and white. Maybe you are right only for business students.

 

[apelet]

Apple is not about copying other companies. Imagine if Apple copied Amazon and being relagated to being a me-too company just like Microsoft!

Oh, that's right. I'd forgotten about how they invented the MP3 player with the iPod. Before the iPod, no such thing existed.

 

[TheSlush]

Enjoy it while it lasts, Kindle DX... Apple tablet's comin'!

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Yes because Apple doesn't overprice its hardware. Where are all the people saying that it's the INTEGRATION that Apple charges the premium for. There are plenty of people happy to pay the premium to use integrated experience on overpriced hardware from Apple. There are plenty of people who want that from Amazon as well. Aren't the mac fanboys always saying specs don't matter?

Apple provides an entire operating system environment to develop applications to use in that ecosystem.

 

[mdriftmeyer]

Maybe except my students buy used books and then resale used books. The price of the text book would have to be almost nothing on the kindle. Additionally, I can't think of one textbook in the biological sciences that would look good and be useful in black and white. Maybe you are right only for business students.

As both a Mechanical Engineer and Computer Scientist I will add that anyone who sells back their textbooks, used or new is a fool. You will end up hunting down those valuable resources later in your career and wished you had kept them. The life cycle of the Kindle DX books is extremely limited. Backup to CD-ROM/DVD/Blu-Ray/External HDD?

 

[BMWFan]

Apples hardware isn't overpriced. Find me a computer with all the same features as an Apple computer for a lower price.

lol just lol. are you serious.

Apple provides an entire operating system environment to develop applications to use in that ecosystem.

And the kindle runs on absolutely thin air amirite? Fact is, the Kindle has its own ecosystem and integration that Amazon can charge premium on.

Like I've said before, it's hilarious to read the "overpriced" comments from Apple users , considering they so strongly defend the "overpriced" accusations from PC users.

 

[johncarync]

Thanks Microsoft...er...Amazon

This thing looks like what Microsoft would come up with if they created an eBook reader...100+ keys/buttons on a device that you spend 90+% of your time reading stuff on?!! No color? Come on Amazon. Think outside the box.

I know there are reasons for all the buttons and the b/w screen but Apple would take the time and do the research to come up with a way around it. Apple's version would have a touch screen and a virtual keyboard on the screen. The lower left and right corners of the virtual pages would be curled up a little so you could swipe them with your finger to turn the page. It would be black and white by default to extend battery life but there would be a color indicator that would let you know when there was color content so you could turn the color on.

On the other hand it would cost $899. It's the Apple tax...and some people just aren't cool enough to get it.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

I just finished my postdoc at harvard (which has the largest electronic scientific library) and I still couldn't gain access to some of the journals I needed).

Maybe your research area is different from mine, but I had access to 98% of all the journals online when I did my Ph.D. at UCLA. The other 2% I just walked over to the Chemistry library or the Biomed library to make photocopies of the hard copy version.

You are right that you must deposit it in pubmed but that does not mean everyone gains access to that journal article.

NIH public access policy says the public must have access to the published results of work funded by NIH, so yes, they're available as free full text articles (and there's even a bill trying to get rid of this requirement). You still have to pay to get the pdf version though.

 

[Shiner]

As both a Mechanical Engineer and Computer Scientist I will add that anyone who sells back their textbooks, used or new is a fool. You will end up hunting down those valuable resources later in your career and wished you had kept them. The life cycle of the Kindle DX books is extremely limited. Backup to CD-ROM/DVD/Blu-Ray/External HDD?

Well in the life sciences our textbooks change every 5 years or so but for other fields holding on to textbooks can prove to be worthwhile.

 

[pmjoe]

If the battery life is as stated (in the days) and I could annotate the PDFs with my notes (roughly, associate text with different paragraphs maybe) and export those notes easily, this is starting to sound really good.

Adding an SD slot would be useful.

Hmmm ... tempting.

 

[Shiner]

Maybe your research area is different from mine, but I had access to 98% of all the journals online when I did my Ph.D. at UCLA. The other 2% I just walked over to the Chemistry library or the Biomed library to make photocopies of the hard copy version.



NIH public access policy says the public must have access to the published results of work funded by NIH, so yes, they're available as free full text articles (and there's even a bill trying to get rid of this requirement). You still have to pay to get the pdf version though.

Well maybe in your field you can wait the 6 months to one year it takes for some journals to allow access to content but that is an eternity in my field.

 

[50548]

I don't find it expensive at all. That's what new technology costs.

This is a contradiction in itself. The fact that the technology costs a lot because it's new doesn't mean we can't still say it's expensive...the Kindle IS indeed expensive for the ridiculously limited scope it has as a device.

 

[PowerFullMac]

This has nothing to do with Apple at all, if I wanted to know about the Kindle I'd use KindleRumors...

 

[50548]

And the kindle runs on absolutely thin air amirite? Fact is, the Kindle has its own ecosystem and integration that Amazon can charge premium on.

Like I've said before, it's hilarious to read the "overpriced" comments from Apple users , considering they so strongly defend the "overpriced" accusations from PC users.

The comparison is simply ridiculous. The closed "ecosystem" of the Kindle PLUS its paltry set of possible uses makes it a proposition that is NOT successful at all in the long run...no wonder they are only selling it in the US...it's a testbed before Amazon finally decides that it's a commercial lemon.

 

[jbernie]

Too expensive for a single purpose device.

College kids won't spend their money on this. Text books are already so damn expensive and why would publishers lower their prices when you have no choice to buy the book?

Amazon should be giving these away. Give them the razor and make your money on the blades.

Actually that depends on the cost of the e text books vs the physical books, over the course of your 4 year degree, even a $20-30 discount over the physical book would more than pay off the device at retail price.

In the school market, I would think that if a large school commits 100% to the device then they should be able to get discounts on the units, or they could include it in the cost of the 1st year tuition at a corporate discount price so the student doesn't in fact pay more out of pocket up front. Let alone the fact that some are moaning about the price but kids are easily paying $30k for a 4 yr degree and goodness knows how much for the text books that magically replaced every year with a "new" edition that really hasnt changed at all.

The device itself, unlike your text books can be used for many purposes and assuming it is treated right you can keep it & use it for many years.

Let us not forget the environmental impact of such a device, how many thousands of books need not be published on paper?, reducing the need to cut down how many trees? reducing the need for how many trucks to not deliver said trees or books? further reducing the need for massive storage areas that need to be heated/cooled/lighted etc to store these phsyical books?

At least in education there is a lot that can be gained from such a device. It compliments any computer you have and about the only extra it really needs (if it doesnt have it) might be a notepad function.

IIRC the Kindle has a basic web browser so in theory you can access some email tools etc that way.

Now all we need is a way to trade e-books so the discount e-book market takes off

 

[Scott6666]

It's really funny reading all these "too expensive" comments from Apple users! What was the argument when MS claimed Macs were too expensive? "it doesn't do what you want".

+1

The whiners do sound like the new MS commercials: "nice design but too expensive...". And these are the people that say get the MBA with the SSD, can't use a hard drive anymore. Plus, it's my backup, travel computer.

 

[BMWFan]

The comparison is simply ridiculous. The closed "ecosystem" of the Kindle PLUS its paltry set of possible uses makes it a proposition that is NOT successful at all in the long run...no wonder they are only selling it in the US...it's a testbed before Amazon finally decides that it's a commercial lemon.

I've asked this before, what makes you think Amazon is going after volume of sales? I think that just like Apple and their Mac computers, they are going after high profit margins. It's not a commercial lemon if it's raking in money.

 

[JayLenochiniMac]

Well maybe in your field you can wait the 6 months to one year it takes for some journals to allow access to content but that is an eternity in my field.

Yes, true, it may take up to 1 year for it to be made available, but I guess I never notice it because I've been able to find all the articles I needed in pdfs (paid by the university of course) since becoming a postdoc. Your field may be different so it's different for you.

 

[W1LLk]

Apple has to get on the ball.

The question is... will Apple be on the $500 ball?

Call me crazy, but I still just prefer an old fashioned book made of paper....

You're crazy.

Not having these in places where consumers can touch and feel them will hurt. Most want to see tech in action before they buy it.

I have a difficult time reading your posts, as all I can see is the avatar.

 

[50548]

I've asked this before, what makes you think Amazon is going after volume of sales? I think that just like Apple and their Mac computers, they are going after high profit margins. It's not a commercial lemon if it's raking in money.

I didn't say that, I said Amazon is testing the waters before spreading lemon juice to the rest of its financial statements...failure factors for the Kindle, and MAJOR differences to any BS comparison you guys have been making with Macs and iPods:

- EXTREMELY limited use;
- monochromatic screen and no possible choice of other paper tones;
- ABSOLUTELY overpriced for its limited scope;
- BULKY.

The Kindle IS DEAD.

 

[Shiner]

Actually that depends on the cost of the e text books vs the physical books, over the course of your 4 year degree, even a $20-30 discount over the physical book would more than pay off the device at retail price.

In the school market, I would think that if a large school commits 100% to the device then they should be able to get discounts on the units, or they could include it in the cost of the 1st year tuition at a corporate discount price so the student doesn't in fact pay more out of pocket up front. Let alone the fact that some are moaning about the price but kids are easily paying $30k for a 4 yr degree and goodness knows how much for the text books that magically replaced every year with a "new" edition that really hasnt changed at all.

The device itself, unlike your text books can be used for many purposes and assuming it is treated right you can keep it & use it for many years.

Let us not forget the environmental impact of such a device, how many thousands of books need not be published on paper?, reducing the need to cut down how many trees? reducing the need for how many trucks to not deliver said trees or books? further reducing the need for massive storage areas that need to be heated/cooled/lighted etc to store these phsyical books?

At least in education there is a lot that can be gained from such a device. It compliments any computer you have and about the only extra it really needs (if it doesnt have it) might be a notepad function.

IIRC the Kindle has a basic web browser so in theory you can access some email tools etc that way.

Now all we need is a way to trade e-books so the discount e-book market takes off

I agree with everything you say about a device that would function like this. Unfortunately the kindle can not handle this workload. The no color is a deal breaker right off the bat. The price per textbook is still to high, no matter how you break it down. Textbooks on college campuses are out of control currently. But you have to understand that in the current system most students are simply "renting" the textbooks. I just asked one of my students how much books are for the semester. She payed $420 for the semester and she will sell them for $250-300. She is out over the long term $200-250. Those same books (some are not available) using the kindle would cost her $500 and she owns them but she will never use them again. What do you think she is going to do. I would love to get rid of paper books and newspapers but this device can not do that yet. A device further down the road maybe will have all the functions you mentioned.