Kindle sells out in 5.5 hours

Amazon isn't disclosing how many Kindles it actually had ready to go, but apparently the idea of a tiny e-book reader with free EV-DO and the visual flair of an Apple IIc hit home for quite a few people, because they sold out in just five and a half hours. Amazon's site says they'll be back in stock on the 29th, but availability is first-come, first-served, so it looks like you'll have to act fast if you want to get one before gift-giving time sets in.

[Via Blankbaby]

[Alex @ Nov 21st 2007 1:07PM]

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.

[Leonard Nimrod @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:03AM]

So you want it to do more for less. What a concept!

[Pete @ Nov 21st 2007 1:37PM]

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...

[Temple @ Nov 21st 2007 4:02PM]

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

[Sky @ Nov 22nd 2007 3:35AM]

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.

[WooWoo @ Nov 22nd 2007 12:40PM]

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.

[melvz @ Nov 21st 2007 1:08PM]

i bet those people who bought them are pretty disappointed less than an hour after they bought one...

[Pete @ Nov 21st 2007 1:39PM]

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...

[cyuzna @ Nov 21st 2007 8:32PM]

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.

[melvz @ Nov 22nd 2007 10:17AM]

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...

[Muu @ Nov 21st 2007 1:10PM]

As soon as they start supporting Amazon.co.jp I'll buy one.

[Xavier Gill @ Nov 21st 2007 1:20PM]

"and the visual flair of an Apple IIc"

Engadget inexplicable Apple reference No.2983245

[Flashpoint @ Nov 21st 2007 1:34PM]

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 !

[Justin @ Nov 21st 2007 1:41PM]

But that one's way retro, and it was my first home computer, so it's okay with me. :)

[Nilay Patel @ Nov 21st 2007 2:29PM]

How is it inexplicable? That's exactly what I think it looks like. It wasn't necessarily a compliment.

[Slavior @ Nov 21st 2007 3:38PM]

Sarcasm Xavier, do you speak it?

[John @ Nov 21st 2007 1:25PM]

Selling out doesn't mean much without any numbers...

[Flashpoint @ Nov 21st 2007 1:29PM]

Well... it is certainly priced like your typical apple product.

$400 to read my books from now on ;-l

[John @ Nov 21st 2007 3:31PM]

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.

[thegeek @ Nov 21st 2007 1:36PM]

Give it some credit. It looks more like an Apple IIgs than a IIc.

[elguevon @ Nov 21st 2007 1:42PM]

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.

[Karl @ Nov 21st 2007 1:44PM]

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 :)

[Todd @ Nov 22nd 2007 2:12PM]

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.

[Dave @ Nov 21st 2007 1:58PM]

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.

[Sclath @ Nov 21st 2007 2:05PM]

Sold out my achy left foot. This is probably artificial 'sold out' situation to create news/buzz around the product.

[Daniel betancourt @ Nov 21st 2007 2:05PM]

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 :)

[TonyB @ Nov 21st 2007 2:06PM]

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...

[Eyuras @ Nov 21st 2007 2:07PM]

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!

[riggs @ Nov 21st 2007 2:09PM]

Two things to laugh at: the low review stars & the quote at the top from the author of LIARS poker....rofl

[Cupajo @ Nov 21st 2007 2:48PM]

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.

[ashwinmudigonda @ Nov 21st 2007 2:16PM]

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.

[Le Master @ Nov 21st 2007 2:20PM]

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.

[Balthazar @ Nov 21st 2007 2:49PM]

"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.

[Le Master @ Nov 21st 2007 2:57PM]

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?

[JamesR @ Nov 21st 2007 3:05PM]

An 80G Zune, a Kindle...and "other things"...

Can I be adopted?? :D

[sam @ Dec 18th 2007 9:36AM]

"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.

[DeathFromAbove @ Nov 21st 2007 2:47PM]

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.

[Tired_ @ Nov 21st 2007 2:47PM]

Hey! Don't dis my //c! It was downloading e-books like 20 years ago (at a blistering 300bps, but still...)!

[TT @ Nov 21st 2007 3:36PM]

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....

[coffee @ Nov 21st 2007 3:53PM]

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.

[syke @ Nov 21st 2007 3:58PM]

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.

[Rylan @ Nov 21st 2007 4:12PM]

I wish more college textbooks were available in ebook form.

[Coolwave @ Nov 21st 2007 4:38PM]

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?

[Adam Stanhope @ Nov 21st 2007 4:53PM]

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.

[Gerald Anderson @ Nov 21st 2007 4:53PM]

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...

[Jazz1 @ Nov 21st 2007 6:54PM]

They should bind it in leather ;)

[look @ Nov 21st 2007 7:00PM]

sure it did;)

[Jay @ Nov 21st 2007 9:48PM]

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

[Anthony @ Nov 22nd 2007 11:43PM]

It took you 4 years to work up this idea??? And you didn't bother to file for a patent?

[captain underpants and the bringdown gang @ Nov 21st 2007 11:07PM]

whats the difference between this and a grayscale e-book reader?