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Fixed your typos ;)

But it's a correct observation. The Kindle faces the same closed system problem that the early Mac platform did.

And let's all be honest. The Mac died in 2002. It was replaced by an entirely different, Unix-based platform that assumed the Mactinosh name and opened up the previously closed ecosystem in ways the original Mac platform had never dreamed of. And *that's* when the Mac platform really started to thrive.
 
Here's where the news industry has one last lifeline before drowning in technology. As someone who has worked in said industry for the last 14 years, I've watched this scenario play out time and time again. Something new comes along, the news industry either downplays its importance or ignores it completely only to have it boomerang on them and cut them off at the knees.

I'm hoping the big media companies and Amazon will take a page from the cell phone/telecom arrangement and subsidize the cost of the hardware by tying it in with a subscription to news content.

Of course, history teaches us they will not do this until it's too late (watch for it around 2015) so goodbye news industry. It was nice knowing ya.
Actually, I think they did announce today that there will be subsidized models for three newspaper subscriptions: NY Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Post, I think. I don't believe they mentioned what the price or the subscription lock-in period would be though.

Another thing that might work for me is if they do what they used to do with DVD players: sell the device at a not-rock-bottom price, but bundle coupons for free discs. So for example, if they sold the Kindle at $350 but gave me 10 or 15 free downloads of my choice, that might get me to bite. Potentially it's some lost revenue for Amazon, but it only costs them what they pay for each e-book (at cost), which is assuredly much less that consumers pay, and if they entice more people to buy into the Kindle, that can only mean more future software sales (and probably more future hardware sales too as some people will want to upgrade).

EDIT: Oops, it looks like the subsidized subscription thing is not really going to work for most people. According to AllThingsD:

The yet-to-be-described subsidy the papers plan to offer to Kindle DX buyers who agree to long-term subscriptions will only be available to a fraction of subscribers–those who can’t get home delivery of the print edition.

Blah. So much for that.
 
150ppi vs. 167pi

Hasn't anyone noticed that the Kindle DX's resolution is only 150ppi as opposed to 167ppi for the Kindle 2? It seems to me that would result in a small noticeable difference in clarity, surely they have screens capable of higher ppi...
 
To be honest, I think this new Kindle device has so many better features than the previous one, most notably a screen that it is over 3" bigger so all the journalists will now be able to read the latest news articles more easily. Again, this is too pricey for the public as we are in the recession but for the big companies, it could be the next big thing!
 
So you can't buy one if nots made by Apple. If Apple were to release one and it sold 500 000 like the Kindle it would get panned.

That's right, basically I don't want any electronics made by other companies if I can avoid it. Keeps my life incredibly simple but substantially more flexible and effective than other people I know, with their pointless ludicrous array of crap tech with differing operating standards, philosophies and systems.

When you have ALL Apple kit across the board the advantages somehow multiply by a factor of 100. I know from the bad old days that having multiple windows devices did precisely the opposite to that point, and worse that I became some kind of home IT manager. This is also one of the reasons I recommend Apple to my friends and family cos I know they won't need to call 'family tech support guy' not only from my point of view, but for their own feeling of efficiency and well-being.

I said I want something like this made by Apple so it'll be better and more useful in the long term and, as outlined, a nice Apple device that cleanly and simply fits in with the rest of the my techno-sphere!

A 9" Ipod Touch that allows me to flip-flop between OSX and the ipod OS, with a 200 ppi display and 8 hours battery life for $600 will be perfect, thanks.
 
After some more consideration, I don't think this would be good for professionals after all. What happens when you want two books open side by side?
 
that's the same price as a netbook. I wonder which one I'd buy...

a book reader

or a whole computer that I can read books on

...hm thinking about it.
 
Kindle costs

Would love one, but that's ridiculous. Why aren't they going the cell phone route by subsidizing the unit and then charging a monthly fee? Seems to have worked for EVERY CELL PHONE CARRIER OUT THERE.

What they really need to do is to offer a version of the Kindle that does not also tie into a broadband network. There is clearly something added to that price to pay for this. That may be worth it for those who want to be able to buy new books anywhere and anytime. Me, I'd be happy with being able to do so from home and wifi hotspots.

Jim
 
Personally, I think the price is fine for arguably the best eReader available. It's a brand new market and there's a cost for first wave adoption. However, the only thing I think that Amazon is going cheap on is the 4GB (3.3GB user) space. I recently bought a Cruzer 8GB thumb drive for $20. For $489, we should be getting a minimum of 8GB and I would daresay 16GB wouldn't be asking too much. Many people are going to want to put music on this thing among other stuff. And to illustrate my goofy side, I personally have 7GB of Mad Magazine PDFs that I'd like to have on the device. 3.3GB is just too small.

The Dictionary, the blog reading, the Wikipedia --> these are all very compelling. I love the price of most books. This thing will pay for itself in the savings people find in downloading their reading as opposed to a hard copy. I like the idea also, of having the device "shelve" all my reading as opposed to having books taking up so much room.

I would like the option of backlit though for night time reading. The iPhone is great for this albeit too small for serious reading. Color of course would be great and I'm sure it's coming down the road.

---

With Kindle 2 having just launched, I'm surprised that Amazon would release the DX this quickly. Perhaps this is more indication that Apple indeed is soon to release a tablet of its own and Amazon just wants to get theirs to mark all the quicker. Apple, of course, will do it better and get far more attention than Amazon.

Fun times.
 
HAHAHAHA! All you people who are saying its too pricey, its just sad.
The moment a high costing electronic isnt made by apple, it becomes to expensive.

Seriously, if this was an Apple product, the cost would not be the issue.

Apple fans make me sick sometimes..

The iPod Touch is more high tech, had more R&D and is certainly not cheaper to make in the same volumes as the Kindle. A 9.7 inch ipod would probably also cost $499 but that would be more bang for the buck and way cooler. :)
 
Dang it!!!!!!!!!!! :mad::mad:

I just bought one less than a month ago. I would gladly have spent another $100 for the bigger screen..

If it's less than a month, Amazon has a 30-day return policy on the Kindle 2. Just return it and place a pre-order for the K DX.

:cool:

--DotComCTO
 
Personally, I think the price is fine for arguably the best eReader available. It's a brand new market and there's a cost for first wave adoption. However, the only thing I think that Amazon is going cheap on is the 4GB (3.3GB user) space. I recently bought a Cruzer 8GB thumb drive for $20. For $489, we should be getting a minimum of 8GB and I would daresay 16GB wouldn't be asking too much. Many people are going to want to put music on this thing among other stuff. And to illustrate my goofy side, I personally have 7GB of Mad Magazine PDFs that I'd like to have on the device. 3.3GB is just too small.

It does Audible books too - which shrinks the size even more. Does the Kindle 2 do audible? i don't see it on the chart. While not a huge thing - i could see carrying around a book or 2 for the kids to listen too.

And i agree on getting rid of the cell service on it - of course, then that will make the "rest of the world" stand up and demand that model outside the US.

But for the price they should have thrown more memory in there.

Also hoping a PP is right - that Apple is on the brink of doing something :D
 
How would an Apple ereader work?

So since people are saying "if Apple came out with one...", I have a few questions about that. Would apple just start up its own all-digital Amazon and sell these books through the iTunes store? Would people be able to buy from Amazon, or is the Kindle format proprietary and closed? I think it's DRMed so I'm assuming yes. And if Apple did get into the business of encoding their own books in their own format, would they be able to get the same kind of pricing that Amazon does? The record companies are already playing games with Apple's digital audio track pricing because they fear/dislike Apple control of the market (for example, even though Apple is selling more digital music than Wal-Mart, Wal-Mart gets a better price). Would Apple be able to compete?
 
I love the idea of this - it would be superb to carry lots of articles and text books with me all the time. I'm an academic and am forever ferrying books and printouts of articles between home and office. However, as I'm in the UK it is not an option. I really wish Amazon would offer the Kindle here. I keep reading suggestions that Kindle will be arriving on these shores "soon", but the first time I read that must have been at least a year ago!
 
The competition

So, I know the Kindle is the big boy on the block, but what about the competition?

My GF reads a new book about once a week, and I think she'd love an eReader. I've been looking at getting her one. But why shouldn't I get the Sony eReader? Seems to have nicer specs, nicer construction, a backlight, and it's cheaper. What am I missing?
 
My GF reads a new book about once a week, and I think she'd love an eReader. I've been looking at getting her one. But why shouldn't I get the Sony eReader? Seems to have nicer specs, nicer construction, a backlight, and it's cheaper. What am I missing?
Considerably less content than the Amazon store, I think. I don't believe it's compatible with the Kindle format (or vice-versa). Also, I think Amazon's ebook prices might be a little bit cheaper, but I'm not positive about that.

EDIT: Confirmed, Amazon's prices seem to be cheaper than Sony's. For example, Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver is $7.99 on the Sony store, $6.39 on Amazon (about 20% cheaper). That seems to be typical of most titles I've looked at.

EDIT 2: Actually it gets even worse. George R. R. Martin's Dreamsongs: Vol. I is $18.90 on Sony, $12.57 on Amazon, over a 30% price difference. Ouch. For someone who reads 5 books a year, that might not be important, but for someone like your gf reading a book a week, that could add up.
 
lol just lol. are you serious.

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.

Prove me wrong, the reality is, im not, and you cant, believe me i've extensively checked. You will NOT find a computer with the exact same specifications as an Apple computer for a lower price. Please, dont make yourself look even more stupid and argue it.
 
All the "too pricey" and "single purpose" comments sound an awful lot like the complaints about the original iPods.

For one of these items to succeed, it has to provide a compelling benefit - like the iPod. People don't really benefit from carrying their whole reading library around, so the iPod comparison simply doesn't work.

A better comparison for the Kindle would be the Segway.
 
No, it's not a contradiction. Unit volume and time decrease costs; "new" costs more. More is greater than less, at least on my planet. What's a contradiction? I still don't think, at the introductory price, that it's expensive. And I still don't want one. Your mileage may vary.

Wonderful remarks...and that's why the Kindle as it is NOW fails. Anything else you present in terms of futurology simply constitutes speculation and obvious predictions (economies of scale/wider adoption = lower prices).

Once more: 500 dollars for an ebook reader is RIDICULOUSLY expensive. Even the original iPod produced only for the Mac had many more uses than that.

So the net result will be the following: the Kindle will be seen as a "pioneering" product that failed...others like Apple will come and steal its thunder with MUCH better and more versatile solutions, which will at least justify their price tag with more enticing features.
 
Considerably less content than the Amazon store, I think. I don't believe it's compatible with the Kindle format (or vice-versa). Also, I think Amazon's ebook prices might be a little bit cheaper, but I'm not positive about that.

EDIT: Confirmed, Amazon's prices seem to be cheaper than Sony's. For example, Neal Stephenson's Quicksilver is $7.99 on the Sony store, $6.39 on Amazon (about 20% cheaper). That seems to be typical of most titles I've looked at.

EDIT 2: Actually it gets even worse. George R. R. Martin's Dreamsongs: Vol. I is $18.90 on Sony, $12.57 on Amazon, over a 30% price difference. Ouch. For someone who reads 5 books a year, that might not be important, but for someone like your gf reading a book a week, that could add up.

Hardcover from a reseller:
http://www.amazon.com/gp/offer-listing/0553805452/ref=dp_olp_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1241640232&sr=8-1

Brand new: $5.01.

What a concept! Amazon wants to make higher profit margins and thus was born the Kindle.

They know if they are nothing but a storehouse for resellers they won't make much profit. I don't fault them on that logic. I will never pass up a hardcover book for a 3 fold price increase on a short-lifespan digital product.
 
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I'm not really sure how this is supposed to replace text books or scientific papers. There is no easy way to "highlight" or write notes. This ignores the lack of color as well. I mean I'd love for a replacement for reading scientific papers but at the moment my iphone and laptop would do a better job due to iphone always being on me and the laptop having a much easier to use keyboard.
 
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