Kindle sells out in 5.5 hours
By Nilay Patel 
posted Nov 21st 2007 1:01PM
posted Nov 21st 2007 1:01PM
[Via Blankbaby]
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Looks pretty sweet, hopefully it can do .pdfs in the future with a firmware update. Also, remove DRM, upgrade sound quality, and lower price in future iterations.
So you want it to do more for less. What a concept!
I thought it could already do PDFs? Although I believe the only way to transfer them is by email, I may have my facts wrong...
Unfortunately it can't do pdfs, html, jpg, doc files like the Sony Reader. You have to pay Amazon 10 cents to have it converted for the Kindle.
Basically you sent the files you want converted to Amazon via email attachment, then pay, then they send it back to you in the Kindle format. While 10 cents isn't expensive, it would be better if they just supported open formats like the competition.
More here.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200140600
Garnered from the amazon forums...
You have to pay if you want it transfered to your kindle wirelessly, not if you do it yourself via usb. PDFs have to be converted to mobi format using freeware before then passing to amazon for conversion to kindle format. Conversion not great due to most pdf documents being too large a page size to fit on the paperback size kindle, especially if there are a lot of images.
Like any ebook reader, you're not going to be looking at a normal sized page - strip 'em down to plaintext with pdftohtml on an OS with a name ending in X or Windows with Cygwin installed and convert THAT to the format for your reader. The page formatting just gets in the way. Day one stuff, that.
i bet those people who bought them are pretty disappointed less than an hour after they bought one...
Why? The initial impressions were bad, but watching Amazon's video introduction greatly improved my view of the device.
The only negative points currently appear to be the DRM (not by itself, but the proprietary nature of it and the possibility of amazon abandoning this down the line), and the price. People that have already bought it are clearly okay with the price...
Yeah, the Amazon video made it look really incredible, actually.
My initial impression was that (1) it was extremely ugly, especially in comparison to the Sony, and (2) that it was plagued by feature-itis and really needed to ditch all of the peripheral functionality like the keyboard input and be as svelte and simple as possible.
Then I actually saw it in a usage context and realized that (1) it's diminutive size goes a long way towards compensating for it's appearance, and (2) the keyboard and selector wheel and other features that I had been turned off by initially were actually vital in enabling the device to be used without a computer, which is the real killer app here.
Frankly, I'm blown away by the idea that the newspaper would be waiting for me on the device when I woke up each morning, and that I can check the latest posts on Engadget without powering up my laptop and draining it's battery. The fact that the costs of the universal connectivity are completely embedded in the hardware purchase is incredibly smart and attractive.
And people complaining about the $0.10 fee for converting other media types need to understand that this fee only applies if you want it delivered wirelessly. They will convert any unprotected document and send it to you via email for free.
And as for the DRM, whatevs. You're paying >$10 for a book produced and delivered in a way that has a minimal environmental impact, and can be replaced for free if the file or hardware is broken. If your DRM-free physical book gets lost, stolen, or damaged, does the publisher send you a new one? No. So you've got to take the good with the bad here.
In my view, Amazon really knocked it out of the park here.
that thing is bulky.. the price is ridiculous! you can buy a laptop for that prize! no synching?!? what about those documents/books you have in your current pc... plus no pdf support...
As soon as they start supporting Amazon.co.jp I'll buy one.
"and the visual flair of an Apple IIc"
Engadget inexplicable Apple reference No.2983245
I hate those STUPID apple vs. PC ads [like the one Engadget is hosting right now]
OK Fine, Apple computers have nice case designs and are what some consider high reliability/security BUT, as a person who maintains a MAC LAB (Power PCG5 with a bunch of Emacs) I can personnaly attest to the annoying proprietarism and slipshod user interfaces I have to deal with with a Mac - even the top of the line ones.
Tell me this...
When are the top PC games coming out on Macs?
NEVER
So why is it that the business suit guy represents PC's and the younger, "trendier" sexless virgin boy with acne is representing Mac?
At least the guy in the business suit can go out and buy CRISIS right now !
But that one's way retro, and it was my first home computer, so it's okay with me. :)
How is it inexplicable? That's exactly what I think it looks like. It wasn't necessarily a compliment.
Sarcasm Xavier, do you speak it?
much prefer sonys new prs505 in the asthetic department. Can't yet compare screens though. Edvo is a nice deal though but doesn't it defeat the einks battery saving advantage? My Sony one gives me at least 3 weeks between charged with much daily use. I'll keep my eye out though :)
Selling out doesn't mean much without any numbers...
Well... it is certainly priced like your typical apple product.
$400 to read my books from now on ;-l
I'll tell you when the top games come out for Mac, it's when they come out on XBOX, Wii or PS3. Macs aren't for games and we know that going in. Or are you referring to Warcraft or online poker? - the top 2 online games that are available on mac.
Give it some credit. It looks more like an Apple IIgs than a IIc.
Whatever...its the same BS hype as with any new electronic product. I'm sure Amazon had a low number in stock just to gage reaction. Then claimed they SOLD OUT of their inventory of 10 just to say "Due to extremely heavy demand, we sold out. Its just so popular...don't worry...order yours now otherwise who knows". Then some elf refreshes their inventory computer on Nov.29th to say "10 in-stock"...as the associate elf goes to the shelf and takes down 10 from their 500,000 stacked to the ceiling. Welcome to the hype......suckers.
And they continue to sell out. If you look at the page now (1:30pm EST, 21 Nov) it has a new estimated date of 3 December. I strongly agree with Aaron Pressman's blog posting on BusinessWeek where he predicts this to be the next iPod (http://www.businessweek.com/investing/insights/blog/archives/2007/11/buy_amazon_-_ki.html)
And yes, I was one of the ones that bought it in the first 5.5 hours apparently because according to UPS, my Kindle is currently on the truck and out for delivery :)
I predict it'll be the next CDTV or Divx (the Circuit City kind). There's one neat tehnology in there, but the rest of the device screams bad product decisions.
This is only slightly off topic - but I wish all those idiots on Amazon wouldn't review things that they've never used. I doubt that even 10% of the 475 reviews on Amazon have even touched a Kindle. They need to add a length of ownership field to all reviews so you can filter out the butt-clowns that don't even have one.
Sold out my achy left foot. This is probably artificial 'sold out' situation to create news/buzz around the product.
Hey engadget, where is the whining about the $400 price tag? Oh yeah, it's not made by SONY so it's OK I guess. I'll stay with my LESS EXPENSIVE SONY READER thanks!! You guys are a bunch of tools...
As a student, after a single semester Ive paid that much for two books before, and as to its uglyness? Id call it theft proofing!
Two things to laugh at: the low review stars & the quote at the top from the author of LIARS poker....rofl
I'm curious how many of the reviewers have actually used the product and aren't just bitching about it for the sake of bitching about it.
Come on. If you were Cnet and released an HDTV, what would you do? Rate it 11 out of 10, right. Same here. I think Amazon made a wrong move. Even a TI calculator these days looks snazzy compared to the....kindle. And the name has a pseudo-lame feel to it - kindle. I'm only glad they didn't go all out and call it - iKindle or something. With flexible OLED displays around the corner, Amazon screwed up big time in the design department. Even the first gen Zune looked better. I hope this dies a silent death.
I'm sold on the free dictionary and Wikipedia access ANYWHERE.
I can't tell you how many times I'm reading a book and I need to look up a quick word or I want to Wikipedia something in the book but I'm somewhere away from a computer. Now you can do it on the spot.
What they need to do is let you highlight a word and give you the option to Wikipedia it or see the definition.
"What they need to do is let you highlight a word and give you the option to Wikipedia it or see the definition."
Watch the video on their product page, you can do precisely that.
My knees just buckled. I'm going right now to tell mom to get me this for Christmas.
So far my big presents are going to be an 80gb Zune and the Kindle. Can anyone think of some other things I could ask for?
An 80G Zune, a Kindle...and "other things"...
Can I be adopted?? :D
"So far my big presents are going to be an 80gb Zune and the Kindle. Can anyone think of some other things I could ask for?"
Maybe a big bag to hold all your ugly crap?
I predict this device will have a great future as a doorstop.
After watching the introductory video, I'm not sure why many people are surprised that this reader is going to be so successful. Amazon has taken on the business model of the iPod in which they give the consumer a device, a marketpace and a painless form of content delivery.
It's an eyesore aesthetically, but for hardcore readers it's an upgrade from the load of a backbreaking hardcover. Book lovers will save thousands on shipping cost, trips to the store, on the book itself. It's pretty smart. The only thing i have an aversion to is paying for blog posts. But 99 cents a month isn't a massive tariff.
Personally, i'm not interested because when I compare getting a Kindle and getting a PS3...i'm going to get a PS3. But who's to say in the future what weight Kindle may hold.
I think it would be great in schools barring any theft of course.
Hey! Don't dis my //c! It was downloading e-books like 20 years ago (at a blistering 300bps, but still...)!
All I can say is that I have a Kindle, for 1 day now, have bought and downloaded 1000 page books in a minute or less at one third the "paper" price. It works perfectly - who cares how it looks, it does what it claims to do...
I came out with this exact design and functionality idea and submitted it to a company and now Amazon is selling my exact proposed apparatus! This is BULL! I am not so egotistical to believe that someone couldn't come up with the same idea for the concept, but the design? That what publicly-traded companies have to do: rob idea makers like me in order to make the shareholders happy. Stealing ideas, how low can you go. Four years down the drain!
Jay
It took you 4 years to work up this idea??? And you didn't bother to file for a patent?
So far the best part is being able to surf the web (albeit on it's basic web browser which support limited graphics and only javascript) without having to pay any more than the cost of the device itself - at EVDO 3G speeds....
I'm a pretty avid bookreader, but I only read 1 book at a time. I guess this would be good for storage, as opposed to having 200 books on your shelf, but then, I don't mind that at all.
While I appreciate the ability to instantly download books at a lower price, and I'd make up the cost of the Kindle after about 57 books (which, eventually, I'll buy anyway), I just don't see me needing this device.
I see the value, but it's not for me.
If I drop the Kindle in the bathwater while I'm taking a bath, it costs $400 to replace it. If I drop a book in the bathwater, it only costs $5 to replace said book. :) When readers come down to $100-$150, I'll be interested. Right now, that's just a paperweight and another unnecessary device when I could go purchase a nice PDA or put it toward a UMPC.
I wish more college textbooks were available in ebook form.
Sony's newest ebook reader actually looks nice, while the Kindle... doesn't. I still don't think either of these are worth the money. Plus don't you want a full bookshelf so you look smarter to your guests?
I really don't see the Kindle being successful. Maybe it sold out to hackers try to get free EV-DO?
The Apple IIc comment is unfair.
Yes - the prototype from 2006 was UGLY, but it's been completely redesigned since then and is actually quite nice, imo.
They should bind it in leather ;)
OMG APPLE //c styling!! I'm dying with laughter because it's SO true.
sure it did;)
I came up with the design and idea years ago, but my programmers had been working on the prototype interface. One should somewhat finish the product before you get a patent, so you don't have to amend every little thing that you change. They are a large ocmpany, and they can bring products to market a lot faster than I can. I know they stole my design, it's exactly like my drawing from years ago. Button placement, every thing, the concept, I can give on that. It's not fair, but what can you do? Thanks for the comment.
whats the difference between this and a grayscale e-book reader?
It looks like Amazon may make a go of it. The cheap books pay for the Kindle and there are enough other nice features, like the wireless, to make people patient enough to wait for the discounts to absorb the price of the Kindle. If it were only $200!
Does this thing have a Qualcomm chipset?
If this was priced at $199 I would so buy it. At $399, it's just to much for me. It doesn't look the best, but it's functional and easy to use. When you watch the video it makes a whole lot more since.
For me content is king. If amazon can use its muscle to bring ebooks down to a price in line with what customers think they should sell for they are on the right track. Most ebooks give what a dollar or three off. Big deal! They don't have to print or ship a heavy item and yet they charge nearly the store price.
Part two is my wish list: it be nice if the kindle's body could be available in colors.
Web surfing might be nice.
And if they could get Marvel comics to share content...we'd be on to something.
Too big. Who's going to haul this goofy thing around? Gotta be pocketable or it won't get used regularly enough to be worth it.
I prefer ebooks to paper and read them on my Treo all the time, having formerly read them on non-phone palms and handsprings. People ask me how I can stand to read on such a small screen and I tell them that once I'm reading, the medium becomes transparent. Only the words are important. But the reason I love them so much is that I always have my Treo with me all the time anyway, so I always have all my reading material with me, a mini library in my pocket. I read at lunch, in waiting rooms, on planes, at home, wherever. I wouldn't do that if my device was something I had to carry around in a bag or backpack all the time. This thing is smallish and light, but you won't carry it around everywhere.
Okay the e-ink screen is nice. I'll give it that. Battery life sounds good too.
More like the Kin'tdle!
I ordered mine at 11AM on the day it came out and it arrived on Wednesday about the same time. I said it would be delayed until next week, but came anyway. I have been playing with it for the past 24 hours. All I can say is that I am blown away. I read a science fiction series that is distributed by webscriptions.net in a DRM-less Mobi format. I just loaded it onto the Kindle with a 1GB SD card and have been reading ever since. I purchased a NY Times paper just to try out the store. The web function is also great. It is not a laptop though and should not be compared as such. It is a really awesome e-reader. Probably the best tech purchase I have made in several years.
The school textbook thing is kind of a problem waiting to happen. What happens when you've bought the semester's texts (all in crappy b&w), then you lose/break/have stolen the reader? Up the creek until you pay another $400. Good for the backpack scoliosis, if you can afford it.
Can one read purchased texts on a home computer that they own/register with amazon, or when logged into amazon website?
early adopters make me laugh...lol...then they whine when the price goes down.
Two big mistakes to the Kindle: It should be color, not black & white. Color won't consume too much power than black & white. Secondly, it should accept PDF & MS WORD format. That way people can download technical paper (most technical paper are in PDF format) and read on the Kindle.
There seem to be few comments about what is to me the most compelling reason to buy this device: economics. As a serious business traveler (150+ work nights a year in hotels), I read a lot of books. Perusing Amazon shows you that the Kindle price for books is nearly always less than the paper price. As one person comments, you can make up the purchase price pretty quickly. Add that to the idea of immediately getting nearly any title, plus newspapers and magazines, plus search/wikipedia/dictionary, and you have a highly attractive device. And the size is about perfect for an airplane ride.