Amazon Kindle

[telcta]

Who's going to drop $400 for a wireless reading device? I'm interested after watching Jeff Bezo's announcement but I'm not sure if I'm ready to jump in this early. I would like to find it somewhere to put my hands on it and see what the screen looks like.

Kindle

Paper-like Screen
Utilizing a new high-resolution display technology called electronic paper, Kindle provides a crisp black-and-white screen that resembles the appearance and readability of printed paper. The screen works using ink, just like books and newspapers, but displays the ink particles electronically. It reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays. As a result, Kindle can be read as easily in bright sunlight as in your living room. The screen never gets hot so you can comfortably read as long as you like.

[LawBeefaroni]

It reflects light like ordinary paper and uses no backlighting, eliminating the glare associated with other electronic displays.

That part is nice, but other than that, I'm happy with any number of existing, cheaper, and more capable devices. If it's in PDF, HTML, or any other common format, I can read it.

[Smoove_B]

I would absolutely try one...but not for $400. If I could trade all my existing books in and get credit enough to buy one, sure.

It definitely looks like a step in the right direction for e-books.

[JonathanStrange]

I thought it looked fascinating - from my brief glance at it. Does it also do audiobooks? I thought I saw something about audible.com (a leading audiobook publisher) being involved.

Either way, $400 is a bit steep - even for a fanatic about this sort of tech.

(The big thing is that my public library really is such a great asset for me - both for audiobooks and dead-tree books - that paying for books (esp. at the rate I go through books) just isn't a smart move for me.

[Bad Demographic]

The Sony Portable Reader also used e-ink and also handles a reasonable variety of non-proprietary file types. But it's not wireless, nor can you type stuff to it. E-ink is a lot easier on the eyes than a regular type of screen. As for size, I find it really nice that I can carry around a lot of books in a small, lightweight package.
I don't know how many thousands of books we have at home (between us, too many degrees and/or minors in history). The main point for me of an electronic book is to cut down on the number of physical books we have to find storage for.

[Kelric]

So when do they give it the ability to read audio books and play mp3s with GPS capabilities, built-in cameras and the ability to use it as a cell phone?

Edit - Not to mention e-mail and more web browsing than just wikipedia.

[Smoove_B]

The main point for me of an electronic book is to cut down on the number of physical books we have to find storage for.

Yup. After moving, I realize I have too many books. Way to many. But I'd really have to sell all of them to invest in one of these -- which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I'll probably wait a year or so and jump on board when they revise the technology a bit. Other than TiVo, I'm not really an early adopter. I'll let someone else figure out the problems first.

[Kadoth Nodens]

What they need to do here is give away scads of free e-books to anyone who purchases one of these. I'm thinking 20 books at least. Amazon would be taking a hit, since that'd be about 5 bucks a title back to the publisher (I think), but I imagine the expanded user base would be worth it in the long run.

$400 bucks probably equals (or exceeds) the yearly book-budget for potential customers in their target demographic. Covince people they're not only getting a gizmo, but a gizmo + all the books they were planning on buying this year, and more people will jump on board.

Hell, load the thing up with public domain classics, too.

[Teggy]

Yeah, I think it could use another iteration, but I am very impressed by that, especially how thin and light it is. If I had the disposable income, I would consider it.

[qp]

I've been waiting and waiting for a decent e-ink based book reader. For $400 i'll keep waiting...but at least they're getting there!

[rrmorton]

Looks intriguing but I agree that $400 is too steep. It's also just a tiny bit ugly. They should introduce a variety of nice colors to off-set the black and white screen and give it more of that stylish iPod feel.

[Rumpy]

Looks interesting, but way too expensive. Besides, I just love reading an actual book. I don't get the same feeling when reading something in electronic form. Is this their first branded product?

[Mr. Sparkle]

I'm very intrigued by the concept, and would love to move to something like this in the long term... but no support for PDF's makes it much less valuable to me than it could be. I'd love to only buy paper books when they're "special", but it's hard to justify if I can't also read papers for work.

Maybe the next generation or if they widen their services a bit.

[Jag]

I read all my books off my 5 year old Dell Axim. I use it every night to read and never had a problem with it. Reads all the basic formats too, .txt, .pdb, .lit, htm, etc.

[Freezer-TPF-]

Does anyone really want another single-purpose device that needs to be recharged? Plus it looks a bit big and ugly, like it was built in the 80s.

Some sort of hinged-dual screen design would be cool, so you could hold it like a book and even turn it 90 degrees for newspapers.

[YellowKing]

I really like the idea of wirelessly purchasing/downloading books. However, I hate the look. Looks like someone walking around with a Speak 'N Spell.

[Freezer-TPF-]

I really like the idea of wirelessly purchasing/downloading books. However, I hate the look. Looks like someone walking around with a Speak 'N Spell.

The wireless is indeed a killer feature.

[Zekester]

I see everyday how heavy the bookbags are getting for school kids to lug around.

Looking forward to the day when students can load all of their classroom books on one of these things and only have it to carry around.

[The Preacher]

Does anyone really want another single-purpose device that needs to be recharged?

Given that it is replacing objects with even "more singular" purpose, I can't really hold it against the Kindle. Especially if I can get the newspaper as well as books on it.

Plus it looks a bit big and ugly, like it was built in the 80s.

Some sort of hinged-dual screen design would be cool, so you could hold it like a book and even turn it 90 degrees for newspapers.

This is definitely true. The form factor looks like it could use some lovin'. for instance, it would also be better if you could hide/unhide the keyboard (either through a foldout or slider mechanism). I don't do a lot of typing on my books.

It has a lot of potential, especially if the price gets down to $100 or so.

[Fitzy]

I think if there is a big enough price difference between an ebook and a paper book I could see getting one, but if the price is the same (or more) as a regular book I don't see the point.

[Moggy123]

What they need to do here is give away scads of free e-books to anyone who purchases one of these. I'm thinking 20 books at least. Amazon would be taking a hit, since that'd be about 5 bucks a title back to the publisher (I think), but I imagine the expanded user base would be worth it in the long run.

$400 bucks probably equals (or exceeds) the yearly book-budget for potential customers in their target demographic. Covince people they're not only getting a gizmo, but a gizmo + all the books they were planning on buying this year, and more people will jump on board.

Hell, load the thing up with public domain classics, too.

Making the New York Times Bestseller List available is a great start. Now expand it to other genres. Hell, as most books printed in the last 30+ years or so are typeset electronically by the publisher (i.e. soft copy already available) it could be very easy. Limit it to out-of-print titles if you're worried about lost sales.

I can see this kind of technology doing an iPod/iTunes with books and if they did, I'd be all over it. I'm a voracious reader and buy all my books. Being able to take 2 weeks worth of books on a trip (10+ titles) would be great!

edit to add:

Holy Sh*t, I see they have! check out the number of books available:

Code: Select all

Fiction (26,451)
Nonfiction (54,101)
Advice & How-to (3,649)
Arts & Entertainment (2,146)
Biographies & Memoirs (2,587)
Business & Investing (8,816)
Children's Chapter Books (1,181)
Computers & Internet (4,576)
Fantasy (1,559)
History (5,577)
Humor (687)
Lifestyle & Home (2,040)
Literary Fiction (1,131)
Mystery & Thrillers (4,066)
Parenting & Families (967)
Politics & Current Events (4,138)
Reference (3,040)
Religion & Spirituality (3,471)
Romance (4,637)
Science (15,989)
Science Fiction (3,006)
Sports (686)
Travel (576)

Magazines are a little meh - especially without a color screen.

Newspapers are also a little light, but it does have the SF Chronicle, which I read most days.

I'm going to do a little browsing of the book selection, but I just may take one for the team to try this holiday season...

[ChaoZ]

A gross miscalculation on Amazon's part. They jumped on the boat too early. A device of this class needs to be $150, with a colour model (I know it doesn't exist yet) going for $250.

The pricing model is also in need of tweaking because of the inability to transfer purchases.

Amazon should also offer trial chapters of books. I know that I would load up on a dozen novel samples a week and pick a few a month to buy. Heck, offer a "pass it on" feature which will allow other users to try chapters of what you're reading. Annotations could also improve the system (shared via book groups or all users via a wiki model).

The thing is that if Kindle competes 1 on 1 with physical books, it will certainly lose. Form factor is a relatively minor point - the electronic medium has to offer a lot more to draw users in.

[gbasden]

Actually, from what I read, they are offering trial chapters.

[Shkspr]

I wholeheartedly support the pro-Nazi bookburning metaphor Amazon has chosen with the moniker "Kindle". I just hope they eventually offer the reader in a variety of colors, like Prussian Blue.

[The Preacher]

A gross miscalculation on Amazon's part. They jumped on the boat too early. A device of this class needs to be $150, with a colour model (I know it doesn't exist yet) going for $250.

I disagree with the miscalculation. I think you're right about the prices (not sure what the magic price is, but I agree in principle). But like most technology, it will be sold high initially and then come down as scale grows. Plus, the goal, I imagine, is for Amazon to prove the market to push publishers and the manufacturers to get to scale. You have to take a bet early on. It's a risky one, but the potential for Amazon is absolutely enormous.

The pricing model is also in need of tweaking because of the inability to transfer purchases.

Huh, ya know, I never even thought about that. I'm a hoarder (especially with my books), so the issue of transferring a book is not really a big issue for me.

Amazon should also offer trial chapters of books. I know that I would load up on a dozen novel samples a week and pick a few a month to buy. Heck, offer a "pass it on" feature which will allow other users to try chapters of what you're reading. Annotations could also improve the system (shared via book groups or all users via a wiki model).

The first paragraph is available on all Kindle books, but I do like where you're going with transferability including notes. That could be a really cool way to "communitize" the experience and thus sell more Kindles and books. That was very insightful, Chaoz.

The thing is that if Kindle competes 1 on 1 with physical books, it will certainly lose. Form factor is a relatively minor point - the electronic medium has to offer a lot more to draw users in.

I agree. But I think the potential to turn books into a impulse purchase could be pretty compelling to a lot of educated, high income folk.

[Rumpy]

I think books are often impulse purchases anyhow. I often walk into a book store and buy books I haven't been planning to buy, and I think it works that way for almost everyone. A device like this won't change that. In fact, I have so many books waiting for me to be read because I tend to buy them on impulse so much.

However, if the device isn't attractive enough, not just in aesthetics, but in price as well, then that could turn people off into buying on impulse. Books would have to be priced far lower than print books for it to be worth it.

[Kelric]

I think books are often impulse purchases anyhow. I often walk into a book store and buy books I haven't been planning to buy, and I think it works that way for almost everyone. A device like this won't change that. In fact, I have so many books waiting for me to be read because I tend to buy them on impulse so much.

Here in Amrca, some study just came out saying young Americans read less than evar b4 and whatnot. So it doesn't quite work that way for most people.

I would bet that many more people impulse buy digital mp3s than impulse buy CDs at brick & mortar places. The same will probably be true for books if this thing takes off.

[The Preacher]

Well, if you're going to a bookstore, it's not particularly impulsive and it is certainly no benefit to Amazon. But perhaps it's simply a different set of demographics. For instance I don't often get to browse a bookstore anymore due to my other dozen commitments. Therefore I rarely buy new books these days other than online and I don't pull the trigger quite as "impulsively" as you do (or I used to).

As for the pricing, here's what I found:

A Thousand Splendid Suns: $10 Kindle, $14 hardcover (29% savings)
Neuromancer: $5.50 Kindle, $11 paperback (50% savings)
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court: $10 Kindle, $16 hardcover (37% savings)
Beloved (Toni Morrison): $8 Kindle, $11 paperback (27% savings)
Water for Elephants: $7 Kindle, $8 paperback (13% savings)

It seems like there is a reasonable cost savings. Anywhere from 13% to 50% versus the next cheapest option. And it looks like they are very aware of those options. For instance, you can get Treasure Island for $0.79 or Oliver Twist for $1.56.

I don't think this is a home run by any means, but I think they have a well thought out strategy and I like it.

Now if I could just get someone to buy it for me...

[LordMortis]

A Thousand Splendid Suns: $10 Kindle, $14 hardcover (29% savings)
Neuromancer: $5.50 Kindle, $11 paperback (50% savings)
The Nine: Inside the Secret World of the Supreme Court: $10 Kindle, $16 hardcover (37% savings)
Beloved (Toni Morrison): $8 Kindle, $11 paperback (27% savings)
Water for Elephants: $7 Kindle, $8 paperback (13% savings)

Except can you sell a used kindle book? (serious question)

Neuromancer you could get fifty cents for a buck in trade and buy used for three.
Beloved you could get a buck for or maybe three in trade and could buy used for five.

I'm literary enough to know the other books.

I buy books from both the primary and secondary market and I like them being books. I'm too damned old fashion I guess. IPods sound like a great way to port music. I don't particularly want to port books. Reference material, oh hell yeah. Books, no thank you.

[Kadoth Nodens]

Except can you sell a used kindle book? (serious question)

I believe the only way you could do that would be to sell the actual device.

[Clanwolfer]

Make it sub-$200 or have a 'library' subscription. I would gladly pay $30/month, since that matches or is lower than my 'real' book intake, and give me 5 books/month.

[GuidoTKP]

I strangely want one of these .... Won't be an early adopter, though. Will be very interested to see where Amazon is with this in a year.

It was genious hooking the thing into Wiki. While I think the price point is a little high, I don't think it's majorly off for what is being offered (the free Whisper network is pretty significant).

[Rumpy]

I think books are often impulse purchases anyhow. I often walk into a book store and buy books I haven't been planning to buy, and I think it works that way for almost everyone. A device like this won't change that. In fact, I have so many books waiting for me to be read because I tend to buy them on impulse so much.

Here in Amrca, some study just came out saying young Americans read less than evar b4 and whatnot. So it doesn't quite work that way for most people.

I would bet that many more people impulse buy digital mp3s than impulse buy CDs at brick & mortar places. The same will probably be true for books if this thing takes off.

It's interesting you make that comparison, because I was initially thinking of doing the same thing, but then I realized that they aren't quite the same thing. I mean, with music, it's music any way you put it and it doesn't really matter where you play it. However, put a book in my hand, and I'm far more likely to buy it after reading the back if I find it interesting. For music, the medium isn't so much important anymore. It's all in the way you use it, but with books, I do think the medium is important.

Books are all about comfort. I want to be able to get comfortable and read a book, and I'm afraid that I wouldn't be able to do that with an electronic device like the Kindle since I'm at the computer most of the time, as the last thing I want to do is put another electronic device in my face after I'm done with my computer for the night. There's also a factor of eye strain, and I don't think I would get the same sense of warmth that I do from reading an actually book on paper. That said, I don't think books will go away anytime soon. It's too big a market.

You know, the funny thing is, after looking at it more closely, I find it kind of looks like a TOS Tricorder.

[jament]

Kindle Killers for me:

The DRM scheme. Even if I buy the mobile edition for Kindle, that device is the only one I can read it on. Can't move it to PC, or Palm or any other thing. Other, non-DRM files even have to be converted through Amazon to go onto the Kindle, so they can still control what content you read on it. That's bullshit. You're basically renting the book for the Kindle device. Part of SD support should be portability - but not here.

Subscription fees. $.99 /month for each blog you subscribe to? If I moved all the blogs I read to the device, that'd add up pretty quickly. I love the idea of getting my morning paper on an e-ink device but if content is freely available on the 'net I should be able to get it to my Kindle - for free.

I think this is a bad step for e-readers, actually, since it might promote these types of proprietary DRM schemes.

[Kadoth Nodens]

Here's a hands-on review:

-- Bottom line: Although Amazon’s been working on this for awhile, this is very much a first-generation product. It’s not going to revolutionize the industry overnight, though it sounds like Amazon is going to take this business seriously and continue to invest in it. It seems safe to guess that in a couple years, the top-of-the-line Kindle will be a much-improved product. The concept is definitely sound. Bezos’ speech had most of the audience pretty enthusiastic about the device—the problem is the gap between the description and the device itself. With some improvements to the display and a more intuitive navigation system, it could become an attractive product, even at the price.

Subscription fees. $.99 /month for each blog you subscribe to? If I moved all the blogs I read to the device, that'd add up pretty quickly. I love the idea of getting my morning paper on an e-ink device but if content is freely available on the 'net I should be able to get it to my Kindle - for free.

The weird thing about the blog subscriptions is the device does come with a bare-bones web browser. I think I'd rather putz around with the browser than pay the buck a month.

[Bad Demographic]

I have a Sony Portable Reader which also uses the e-ink technology.

Some points (good and/or bad):
Eye-strain is not an issue. The e-ink screen is not back-lit and you can adjust the text display size.
The Sony does not have a light built in for reading in dark areas. You would need to get a little book light or something.
I think the Sony is pretty nice looking - much nicer looking than the Kindle. It also costs less.
The Sony is not wireless.
The Sony has no capacity for keyboard input.
The Sony handles a wide variety of file types although the e-Connect books are in a proprietary format.
The Sony can play MP3s - but that's hell on battery life.
The Sony can display pictures (I don't know which formats) but only in black and white.
Electronic books do lack the phyiscal attributes most of us like about books - blurbs on the back, colorful (sometimes) cover art - but on the other hand, a few hundred books weigh very little in electronic format even if you burn them to a cd or dvd for storage.
An e-book takes up less room in my luggage and on my shelf than real books.
I would not take an electronic book on a rafting or canoe trip (but I would and do take paperbacks on such trips).

[Kyosho]

A black and white screen without a backlight is a feature! Hahaha! And charging people to send their files to the device? Hah. They're out of their minds. I feel sorry for the people who buy this thing without looking at other options.

[jament]

The weird thing about the blog subscriptions is the device does come with a bare-bones web browser. I think I'd rather putz around with the browser than pay the buck a month.

Hmm... I don't think you can get on the web with it, though. The wireless is for Amazon's "Whispernet" wireless delivery service, using Sprint's EV-DO network. Unless I'm misunderstanding things, you can't just jump on a wireless network with it and browse.

[Tao]

Saw an interview with Jeff Bezos on Charlie Rose last night, was the first I had heard of this device. I was very intriqued by this.

To date Amazon is offering 90,000 books for the Kindle. Apparently 101 of 112 of the NY Times best sellers are available.

You can download the first chapter of any of said 90k books for free.

It will hold up to 200 books at a time, if you delete a book from the device you can later download it again from Amazon for free.

The device also houses a 250,000 word dictionary that you can use on the fly as your reading something, I believe it also identifies the context of the sentence for the word your looking up.

You can make and store underline's, margin notes, highlights etc. for any book your reading. These are stored server side as well.

The device will auto-bookmark any and every book you are currently reading.

The vast majority of books available will be downloadable for $9.99 regardless of in store pricing. If your an advid reader of early releases this could be a huge savings.

The Kindle provides online access to Wikipedia, which is sort of a neat feature.

You can subscribe to a significant number of magazines and newspapers for a monthly subscription fee.

I believe they also mentioned the Kindle supports Audio books as well.

I agree $400 is a bit steep for this and I am hopeful the price will come down in the next year or so. I also agree that having someplace you can go and physically examine the device before making a purchase would probably help sales. That is one of the things that would make me leary even if the price did come down.

[Rumpy]

The weird thing about the blog subscriptions is the device does come with a bare-bones web browser. I think I'd rather putz around with the browser than pay the buck a month.

Hmm... I don't think you can get on the web with it, though. The wireless is for Amazon's "Whispernet" wireless delivery service, using Sprint's EV-DO network. Unless I'm misunderstanding things, you can't just jump on a wireless network with it and browse.

Yeah, from what I understand, you're paying them to convert an RSS feed into their format to be read on the Kindle. I don't think there's a browser involved at all.