Comments on: Amazon Kindle: One Very Small Step for E-Books

By: Sheila

Sheila — Mon, 04 Aug 2008 03:31:21 +0000

Amazon just announced they’ve already sold over a quarter-million Kindles (today is Aug. 3, 2008).

I have a Kindle AND I have an iPhone. You cannot read books on an iPhone. Indeed, the moment you access the iPhone, the goal is to get whatever you’re doing done as fast as possible in order to put it back in StandBy to save the battery.

While the Kindle has flaws, what it does is transmit the books, (much cheaper than the paper versions) instantly to the device, at no charge for the wireless service. That’s major. Here’s why: you don’t have to pay tax or shipping for the book, nor do you wait for it for days or weeks. You have it instantly.

If you’re an avid reader like me, the Kindle will also pay for itself by the time you’ve bought your 30th book… that’s about a year for the typical heavy reader. Bestsellers for ten bucks… instantly? Hell yeah! Loving it.

The only problem is the digital Ink screen is kinda gray, not white like the screen you’re reading. A drawback, but not a deal breaker. It is also a little too heavy, if it were no more than 5 ounces instead of its current 10 ounces, that would be better.

Despite its flaws, the Kindle really IS the iPod for Books. Its installed base will be just as large, and this really does change everything, just as Amazon hoped.

By: Yiwu Agent

Yiwu Agent — Mon, 09 Jun 2008 02:01:57 +0000

It looks very cool. Can we buy it on http://www.amandaiec.com, which is the permanent Yiwu Market Online?

By: GadgetFreak

GadgetFreak — Wed, 02 Apr 2008 09:41:00 +0000

It’s not only about the costs.

This little new gadget is heavy and not easy to carry with you all the time.

I guess these “Paper Readers” are only a short time on the market until people realize that you are just need to use your notebook.

By: Steve Whelan

Steve Whelan — Thu, 06 Mar 2008 11:50:33 +0000

Great article,In spite all the things that you said about cost, the new technology involved in the way the text is displayed sounds very promising.

The thing that makes it a no no for me is it’s just plain ugly, reminds me of calculators when they first came out in the 70’s.

It needs a massive redesign before I would even think of shelling out that kind of cash for one.

By: lauren

lauren — Sat, 22 Dec 2007 09:09:42 +0000

By: Dima

Dima — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:29:48 +0000

You are right that it is not only book reader, but i think you are mistaken about the the “no charge” aspect. To read the newspapers on Kindle you have to buy a subscription, and you even need one to reed RSS feeds (which is really strange). I do think, however, that their wireless solution is interesting, but it pales in light of everything else…

And i agree with you that Kindle is a step in the right direction, but a very small one… well, maybe in a generation or two :)

By: Boyce

Boyce — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 23:11:32 +0000

But don’t forget that the Kindle also, automatically and wirelessly at no charge, downloads every day’s newspaper (NYT, WashPost, WSJ, etc. as well as various magazines). So it’s not just a book reader, it also gives you newspapers and magazines. A lot handier than a laptop and easier to read than an iPhone other smartphone.

Give this technology another generation or two, and we may someday make a real dent in one of the biggest costs that’s dragging down conventional news media–paper and distribution.

By: More on Kindle and OX « ::: Think Macro :::

More on Kindle and OX « ::: Think Macro ::: — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:28:24 +0000

[...] of new devices for commercial use in the rich countries, which, in turn, keeps me (and also others) wondering why Amazon insisted on re-inventing the wheel, doing a rather poor job with it, instead [...]

By: Dima

Dima — Sat, 24 Nov 2007 09:28:14 +0000

Thank you for an interesting analysis. I can particularly relate to the points about OLPC and the potential social repercussions of Kindle. It will be interesting to see if marketing can actually overcome technological and conceptual drawbacks.