It's here and looking just as busted as it did when
we broke the Amazon
Kindle eBook reader for you last year. $399 (and free 2 day shipping) with access to 88,000 books including 100 of the 112 New York Times best sellers. No WiFi here, Amazon's Whispernet service is FREE and based on Sprint's EVDO: "Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless connectivity so you will never see a monthly wireless bill for shopping the Kindle Store." Whispernet allows Kindle owners to wirelessly shop the Kindle Store, download and receive content -- and it works out the box, no setup required. All new release books cost $9.99 as do books found on the NYT best sellers list. Newspaper subscriptions cost $5.99 to $14.99 per month and Kindle Magazines cost between $1.25 and $3.49 per month -- each is available for a free 2 week trial. Oddly, blogs will cost you $0.99 per month to subscribe. All purchased content is stored as a backup on Amazon's site. Running down the specs again: internal storage for 200 titles (more via SD expansion), battery that lasts for days (2 hour recharge), 10.3 ounces, built-in dictionary and Wikipedia, and plenty more. While the reader itself could be mistaken for a Handspring device from the 90s, the service itself certainly makes for a compelling proposition.
Read -- Kindle Store
Read -- Kindle device
Read -- Video demonstration
Read -- Video drop test (slow motion, thanks Joe)
posted Nov 19th 2007 9:21AM
Now. If I could get the service on my iPhone I would pay all that money for them to keep that device. Why would I walk around with both devices when the iPhone is perfectly capable of displaying books.
Reading pages and pages of a book is a different exercise . You will not be able to acheive the same feeling an e-book reader provides you compared to a high resolution ultra bright LCD display ....after a few minutes of flipping ( which is not available on an IPHONE ) your eyes would get tired ....reading books is not the same as watching movies
And thats a lot of flipping, you can fit a lot of words on the larger screen, so you would be doing more fliping on the iphone than you would on the kindle
I beg to differ. A native iPhone app (and there will be one sometime shortly after February) will handle flipping pages better than any device. I often read long articles- say 15 minutes of reading on my iPhone. My issue is that I would like the motion sensor turned off. I find that I like the hold it at an angle that makes the iPhone turn landscape. Something about ADD and not holding still for very long.
I'm sure it could/would obliterate battery life but you have to pick your battles.
Super-Slow-Motion drop tests: http://www.amazon.com/gp/mpd/permalink/m25LKTYHEBQP7L:m2R1NBG5A7VZSU
Get a Palm TX-Ereader and Mobipocket let you read unabridged books, with COLOR images. The TX screen is very sharp. I've read entire books without difficulty. With SD cards you can store as many books as you want. The TX has built in WiFi, but you can't download directly-yet.
where is password?
I don't really like the Kindle e-book. The reasons for that is because the Kindle e-book doesn't have a OLED/LED COLOR SCREEN and can't they think of a acrylic type casing (Only on the front as a cover so you won't be able to scratch your screen). Plus I doubt it's water proof (Coffee spills are a mess). I can add so much... =D
The display is the entire POINT. Its electronic ink paper display for readability Very high readability, very low battery usage
For a device intended almost solely for reading, an ePaper display is almost undoubtedly better than an OLED display. It's easier on the eyes, can be read in direct sunlight, and has vastly better battery life. And while a color display would be nice, it's almost completely unnecessary for the purpose of this device. As for being waterproof, are you kidding me? BOOKS aren't even waterproof!
when's the last book that you read that had red words? or do you read picture books? :P
I agree that color would be great, however it's definitely better to have e-Ink for eBook reading. It doesn't give you a headache after staring at it for a while. Also, the only color e-Inks on the market aren't on the market yet (that I know of).
Incidentally, acrylic is weak and cracks easy, you are thinking of polycarbonate AKA under the brandname Lexan.
Acrylic (PMMA) can crack or even shatter under some circumstances, but with the right impact modifiers and hardcoat, it is as clear as glass, as scratch resistant as glass, and much sturdier against impacts. I would be suprised if they weren't using acrylic for this, unless they have some non-standard composite plastic, which is becoming more common in the industry.
Polycarbonate, on the other hand, it almost the exact opposite of acrylic. PC is virtually shatterproof/crackproof. (Try dropping a Lexan water bottle onto concrete from a few stories up. It still shouldn't break.) The problem with PC is that it is super hard to make it scratch resistant. The same properties that make it shatterproof leave it very susceptible to scratching, even with a hardcoat.
In some circumstances, PET would be a good middle point between the two, because it is much more crack/shatter resistant than the acrylic, while being more scratch resistant than PC. However, PET gets hazy when you make it very thick, so it is hard to make a PET lens or screen that is thick enough to pass a puncture test that is still clear enough to look good. That is especially important when placed over a display specially designed for reading, because the last thing you want distracting you is a hazy lens.
I spent three years in the plastic lens business, mostly making cell phone lenses. Any other questions about screens?
Thats actually pretty awesome. they should make a cheeper nonwireless version, but this is nice too
They should make one that natively reads PDF...
It takes epaper, i think. I like Epaper because it is extremly energy efficent, and can be used without batteries, untill you want to change the page.
Come to think of it, since it's reflective, so it need light, why didn't they add a solar cell to boost the battery a bit.
Guess too little room
Cover the back plate of the reader with solar cells. Then you recharge it continuously in bright light while you are reading, or just place it cells-up on a table for a couple of hours and come back to a fully recharged book.
Each e-mail to the Kindle will apparently cost 10 cents.
FAIL.
You want email, get a Blackberry. That's not the purpose of this device.
LOL, and LOL at the reply not getting the joke.
what's the joke mate? i dont get it either.
Does look a little off-color ...but the ease of use ( wirelessly downloading e-books) + book-like reading view .....might work . I would not mind trying it if it were a little cheaper.
Was curious to know , if we can upload our own e-books instead of purchasing from their online store ?
It's not off color, it's just not bright white like you've grown to expect from Word or whatever else. It makes it easier to read without getting eye fatigue.
Sorry Bob, disagree. The brain can quite easily accommodate text played as "word video"- its just that we have been taught since childhood to read left to right and top to bottom.
Have a look at BookMuncher which is built around RSV (Rapid serial visualisation)which has been around for over 150 yrs. Currently exists as Beta for Nokia & Sony Erricson phones with Iphone in development. Anyway who wants to carry around more than 1 device?
In the product review of the kindle e-book reader ........they were mentioning blogs ...they failed to mention engadget
More than 250 top blogs from the worlds of business, technology, sports, entertainment, and politics, including BoingBoing, Slashdot, TechCrunch, ESPN's Bill Simmons, The Onion, Michelle Malkin, and The Huffington Post.
http://amazon.com/gp/product/B000FI73MA/ref=amb_link_5873612_3?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0B919GH7BJ8J5WZ46YJH&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=329252801&pf_rd_i=507846
Browse the available Kindle books/media here:
http://amazon.com/ref=kinw_ddp/b?node=154606011
hope engadget unboxes one for us and reviews
As a device, I think the Kindle is a huge step forward for eReaders. The wireless functions alone put it head and shoulders above anything else that has come before. However, watching the videos that Amazon has up, I can't help but realize that this is undoubtedly first generation technology. This type of device still has a lot of room for improvement. That coupled with the $400 price tag is what will keep me from getting a Kindle.
Wow that thing is ugly. Why do you need all those damn buttons? Plus I would much rather wait for a next-gen e-ink solution.
I'm with you on that. Why is it all angular? I can't imagine it's comfortable to hold being that it's thinner on one side than the other, and the next and previous buttons are at odd angles. Also, those little click wheels suck. I always end up moving the darn selection one or two spaces when I try and use the click function. I like the Sony design much better. But neither is cheap enough to warrant a purchase for me.
Can you use this device on a plane? I can't find any mention on Amazon about an "airplane mode' but with wireless built in it would be a must.
There is a radio On/Off switch.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/19/live-from-the-amazon-kindle-launch-event/
10:05 segment.
If I could get my college textbooks on the Kindle, I would be all over this in a minute.
I like that idea. However, given the current cost of college textbooks, you would exceed the cost of the Kindle after only 3-4 textbook purchases. And, to add insult to injury, you wouldn't be able to resell your useless textbook back to the book store after your class on 19th century basketweaving concluded.
But, in an ideal world where textbooks didn't exceed the cost of rent...
college textbook resell value ain't worth the value the ctrl+f feature would bring.
Well, since all of my important text books are medical in nature, I would be keeping them beyond school. The important thing to me is the reduction in weight. I'm very tired of carrying around 40+ pounds of books. A better idea is the Kindle, some note paper and a pen.
This would be great for students, but so would simply selling access to textbooks online for students, so all they need to carry around is a laptop. That hasn't happened yet, and I don't see it happening on the Kindle either. And really, I don't see the publishers wanting it to happen. They're all very happy with their ridiculous textbook prices, huge margins, and students that can only pay for the overpriced books by taking out huge loans they'll be paying for 20 years. Maybe someday they'll eventually allow online access, but I don't see them jumping on the Kindle bandwagon any time soon.
If they made the device itself free, and increased the price of the books slightly to offset it, this thing could potentially be as revolutionary as Bezos wants it to be. But, with an entry price that high... it's dead before it even hits the shelves.
I just can't get over the price of these things. The Sony is $299 and this is $399? Can those epaper displays really cost that much to manufacture? At these prices, ebook readers will never gain mass market adoption. I would LOVE one, but I definitely don't have an extra four hundred dollars to throw at something.
And the books cost ten bucks? Paperbacks don't even cost that much. They said ten dollars like it's a good deal.
Maybe you're young enough that you haven't seen new technologies hit the market before. It's to be expected that products with new tech will be a bit costly for the first couple of generations. The prices will drop as the tech matures and the production levels increase.
Where are you finding all of these cheap paperbacks? I just pulled 10 different books from my shelf, and the lowest paperback price was 11.99 for Chronicle Of A Death Foretold.
Yes, I know that new gadgets are expensive. But this seems extreme. And they're talking about it being revolutionary, and at that price, it definitely isn't.
And I just bought a paperback at Borders yesterday for $6.99. Sure, that's only three bucks difference, but still...
What are called Mass Market paperbacks are usually in the $5-8 range now, but the larger format (what are called "trade paperbacks") are in the $11-18 range these days. I think that's the form factor and price point that the Kindle is targeting.
I like the attempts at a book-like shape, but it doesn't quite work for me, especially not at $400.
So how long until someone figures out how to use it as a free EV-DO modem?
Umm... It already is a free EVDO modem. Just for the Whispernet.
I would guess that they have the IMEI number of all the modems, not to mention the MAC and probably the Serial number encoded in all of the URL's that are passed with each request.
Somehow, I doubt that it's that secure.
Not that I would encourage taking advantage of Amazon's generosity or anything.
I could see myself snagging one of these if the price were $200 instead of $400, I understand why it's $400, but its just a little high for me.
not that I am a reader, but that price and the ugg factor make this one a no buy.
Wonder if they'll work on a lease model where all content is free if you pay a monthly fee.
Shouldn't be too long until someone gets it to tether to get free EVDO internet access for my laptop.
I am just waiting for the nerds to hack the EVDO functionality to enable us to tether it to laptops!
Free WIFI for all!
don't you mean $400 EVDO for all!! ??
I won't be holding my breath for a dramatic upgrade to aesthetics or UI, considering that this thing has not changed ONE BIT in the 15 months since the FCC leaked pictures of the prototype, and considering how long it took for this product to come to market even in its current fugly state (remember when it was supposed to be released last Spring and cost $50?).
you may THINK it's ugly, but the angular form-factor is an attempt to emulate the angularity of an OPEN BOOK.
THink about it. - or better, go open a book.
THe edge THINS. THis is clever as all hell.
So, uh...how much do the bloggers make off of that subscription service?
I imagine the $0.99 cost for blogs is more to cover the bandwidth than to compensate bloggers. Since there are no service fees, the bandwidth charge is already built in to the price of books and magazines. Since blogs are free though, they have to add a charge to cover the bandwidth.
Probably nothing, they should STRIKE!!
So it costs $399 to buy the reader and $9.99 per book? And a $1 per blog per month? How is that a bargain?
Depends on how much you read. Newer books usually cost somewhere between $15 and $20 on Amazon, $20 and $30 if you buy them in a brick and mortar store. If you read a couple of books a month, you'd probably break even on the device in a little under two years. That's not including the added value of portability though.
As I mentioned earlier about the blogs, the $0.99 charge is likely for the bandwidth not the content, since there are no service fees with the Kindle.
Gen 2 when they get rid of the keyboard & buttons and make this touchscreen only will make this interesting.
And one difference to me with digitising books versus digitising music. If I have an LP or a CD I can stick it into my computer and load it onto my mp3 player. I don't have to pay again for something (I feel) I already own. I can't do that with a book/comic/magazine I've already purchased. If there was a way of getting content you already had purchased onto this device it'd be amazing, but I don't see how it'd be possible.
http://www.engadget.com/2007/11/13/atiz-rolls-out-first-consumer-book-ripper-the-booksnap/
or just a regular scanner...
Can you read in the dark with this thing? I'm about to buy one but i need to know
The display is not backlit so you need a reflective light just like a book. Any of the small LED book lights should do the job. Sony sells an external light for their eBook Reader which uses the same display.
Here's what will happen. Someone will open it up, find a serial port and hack it to provide free internet ;))) (more or less, you get the idea...)
I think their book prices are way over priced for them being in a digital format. I can see paying between $5-7 for a newly released book, but if it's older book they should be cheaper even.
Simple question - can it read pdf files (like the Sony)? That's a must for those who want to put their own (free) content in the box.
Regarding the $10 for many of the books, that's a whole bunch less than the Sony prices.
It comes with free EVDO with 399...thats not bad
Missing books:
Anything by JRR Tolkien
Anything by JK Rowling
Thats because JK Rowling is a money grubbing bitch that hates e-books
Actually, it's likely because both those authors are represented by small publishers.
$399...I'll pass.
CAn't wait till someone hackz-rs it to get free Wireless nets anyhoo...
That seems EXTRMELY unlikely, we are talking about a completely different tranceiver technology.
Unless you are talking about a hack that adds a whole seperate device to it, perhaps hack an interface on it to be a display for your phone/ipod/etcetera, but that's just too complex and costly and it's better to just buy/make your own device from scratch or wait for someone like sony to add wifi to their ebook readers.
I can think of a pretty decent book with red words...
The AMD yearly report ;)
Swish!
I think the concept isn't bad, and I think they will get ebooks/epaper more popular.
BUT, there goes your privacy, to have a constant knowledge of everything you read, and no doubt when you read it (it's that kind of world currently), is too much for me.
And they say you can also read word documents and such on it, by emailing it to amazon and them converting it to a compatible format for a 'small fee' and then sending it to your kindle, again that means they can even see your personal documents (and when and how often you read it?).
Perhaps amazon should have asked for a grant from the NSA and sold the thing for $200 :x
For me it's all theoretical though since they don't even have EVDO here I don't think, nor is it likely to be introduced.
I like the idea of an ebook reader. Saves a lot of paper and space if packing for a long trip. But I have a few gripes:
1. The price
2. What are all those buttons for? A simple direciton keypad to flip pages and navigate a menu system is all I'd want. I don't want to have to worry about accidentally pressing buttons when I'm reading a book.
3. The cost of the books.
The keyboard is for searching amazon for books and searching wikipedia and making notes, and searching in the online dictionary.
The idea is that you are always connected to amazon and can get service at any time.
And the books are 9.99 for recent bestsellers OR LOWER, and they go pretty low for some books.
Still you might consider it high for a virtual book.
At least it's good that they store your access to books so that if your kindle gets totaled or stolen you can later still re-download them, like valvesoftware's 'steam' system has with games.
Here is where it makes a lot of sense.
Washington Post subscription, per month
print - $54.60
Kindle - $9.99
This isn't geared to tech heads; this is geared to business commuters in DC and NY.
It does seem easier to browse in a paper though, more global overview, plus it gives you something to hide behind, especially if your wife is ugly :)
The only way they'd sell me this is if it had iPod touch color and functionality. Can't imagine who's going to pay $399 for a grayscale device with limited use and functionality. Seems overpriced. I might be interested if it was $50, but not $399.
I heard of another great technology out there that provides high contrast display of characters and graphics, the capacity to store hundreds of pages of text, highly durable, very low cost and no battery life limitations - it's CALLED A PRINTED BOOK.
$400 bucks is just insane. I can buy a lot of paperbacks for $400 and I won't scream in agony if I accidentally leave it on the plane.
Any bets on how long before someone cracks the restriction to using this on Whispernet service?
One Kindle Per Child, anyone??
the wikipedia feature alone might motivate me to get it
I'm not so sure that this new reader will be all that great. It may have a better library, but if you look at the features list:
http://comparati.com/1125
Then it's pretty clear that it's best to stay with my Sony Reader. (No, I'm not paid to defend Sony. I just think it's a better product.)
now all we have to do is find out how to hack the free evdo and use it on our laptops, that would be the best part of the amazon service
Erick Schonfeld at TechCrunch sez:
You can also enter any URL, including Bloglines (but not Google Reader, which requires Javascript and which the Kindle browser does not support). So here is a Kindle hack: you can check out your RSS feeds for the New York Times or the full feed of blogs like TechCrunch for free using the browser, rather than choose to pay a subscription to get them downloaded to the Kindle. I don’t have high hopes for the Kindle’s ability to bring back subscription revenues for publishers of any kind.
The fact that it has a functioning Web browser, though, means that you can follow links in the feeds you subscribe to. More importantly, it opens up the world of linking to book authors. Now books can have links, and not just for citations. Authors who take advantage of the electronic book format will start to include hyperlinks for curious readers to follow, and books could become more tightly interwoven with the culture of the Web in general. Reading a book will no longer need to end with the final chapter. Rather, it could literally open up a whole world of information on the Web, just as blog posts or online news article do today.
http://www.techcrunch.com/2007/11/19/kindle-first-impressions/
Put a decent word processor on it, and I'd buy it.
I do think it will be a success... but I also think the price is to high for JUST an e-book reader.
If you are considering Amazon's new "Kindle", you have to take a look at BooksOnBoard.com
BooksOnBoard is an online bookstore with great prices, a huge selection of books (154,000 titles - almost twice as many as Amazon, and 8 times as many as Sony)...and the personal service and attention of a small, community bookstore (7 days a week).
BooksOnBoard.com has four different, major, non-proprietary formats, plus audiobooks. Their prices are at, or below, "Kindles". And...you don't have to buy hardware to access those low prices. No membership fees or hidden games.
Not to mention, it looks like the "Kindle" is NOT mobipocket, but a new proprietary format from Amazon. So, they are playing the Sony game, trying to cut everyone else out, and limit the consumer's options. BooksOnBoard is a great eBook work around.
Did I mention that they don't lock you into monthly service fees?
What the heck? White/Beige? Amazon, get a life! It can't even take my own content without me having to pay Amazon for the privilege.
But seriously - Why doesn't Amazon.ca even acknowledge the existence of this thing? Any word on this being available in Canada? Even without EVDO could I still load up books from the site?
I haven't notice anyone doing a breakeven analysis on the Kindle. After review a number of titles available at the Kindle Bookstore, it appears that they are selling at about 40% of price in a regular bookstore. I know I read about 30 books per year. Between hardcovers and paperback, I expect I average about $15 per book I
purchase. This would make my average Kindle price $6 or save me $9 per book I loaded to a Kindle and read. With an average saving of $9 per book, I would pay the $399 price of the Kindle in 17.78 months.
Not a bad breakeven period. If I take into account the time-value of money at a 5% rate of interest, the breakeven period only increases to just under 18.5 months. Obviously, the breakeven period is going to
vary person to person, but for a heavy reader the Kindle may prove to be a bargain.
I am all for the Kindle..infact where do I sign up. My only addendum would be to ,ake it so that the bestsellers lists and new oprah's book club additions are automatically available in the Kindle!
Why do I keep thinking the only good thing for this new device it to use it as kindling?
I look up Kindle in the dictionary and find the first definition as . . .
"verb (used with object) 1. to start (a fire); cause (a flame, blaze, etc.) to begin burning."
It is overpriced, overpriced, overpriced.
I go to Goodwill, get a few books for $1.00 each, read them in my car, home, work . . . . if I need a new book I buy it and generally put it on a shelf to show what I have collected.
I think it is stupid to make an overpriced item to promote a company and not promote ease of personal consumer use. Why not make it plug in USB, access a drive in ‘My Computer’ (or on the desktop for Mac folks), copy a few PDFs or Word Docs with drag and drop, and have it as a cool gadget to read online stuff?
I don’t know . . . . I think they should give it away if they exspect you to pay for all the stuff you use on it.
Why do I keep thinking the only good thing for this new device it to use it as kindling?
I look up Kindle in the dictionary and find the first definition as . . .
"verb (used with object) 1. to start (a fire); cause (a flame, blaze, etc.) to begin burning."
It is overpriced, overpriced, overpriced.
I go to Goodwill, get a few books for $1.00 each, read them in my car, home, work . . . . if I need a new book I buy it and generally put it on a shelf to show what I have collected.
I think it is stupid to make an overpriced item to promote a company and not promote ease of personal consumer use. Why not make it plug in USB, access a drive in ‘My Computer’ (or on the desktop for Mac folks), copy a few PDFs or Word Docs with drag and drop, and have it as a cool gadget to read online stuff?
I don’t know . . . . I think they should give it away if they exspect you to pay for all the stuff you use on it.
The problem with the Kindle, like the Sony Reader, is that it is very much limited to marketing a specific line of e-books. What we really need is such a device that will also freely accommodate other material: books not subject to copyright, authors' new publications, etc. The iRex iLiad, a superior product, does all this; but it is far too expensive.
I don't get why they have to make such a limited and locked down device. Makes Apple look like GPL lovers.
To beat this device all any other company has to do is build a Windows Mobile PDA with the same e-ink sized screen: that will give you wifi, gigs of removable storage, internet, email, music, bluetooth, notepad, touchscreen, etc, etc