Amazon Kindle is back in stock
By Paul Miller 
posted Apr 20th 2008 3:40AM
posted Apr 20th 2008 3:40AM
[Via GizmoScene]
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Drunk? On drugs?
i dont like the idea of the kindles proprietary format
http://thepiratebay.org/tor/3541990/Economics_-_Freakonomics_-_A_Rogue_Economist_Explores_the_Hidden
Yes, but does it play Crysis?
And there's our "but does it play...?"/"will it run...?" douchebag comment of the day! Thank you Mook.
That's a badge I wear with pride smh.
oh no...the crysis troll
can YOU play crysis m8?
will it blend?
That's pretty much how the skit played out. It was partially funny the first time they spoke, but got exponentially less so as it went on ..
.. fierce...
If this was only $150-$200 I would totally get this. Having all my Terry Pratchett and Wikipedia on the go would be great for college, but I don't have the spare change to drop the money on this and THEN spend even more on books for it.
Cool gadget nevertheless.
You know what else can accomplish this and more - a $99 Palm Centro - I don't see the point of this product, what can it do that any Smartphone hasn't been able to do in the past 5 years?
"what can it do that any Smartphone hasn't been able to do in the past 5 years?"
It can be viewed on a much larger screen.
E-ink, which is much more comfortable to read than a backlit lcd.
One touch book, magazine and newspaper purchases on the free EVDO connection.
Way better battery life.
While the Kindle does have some physical flaws, most e-ink readers like the Kindle, the Sony PRS 500/505, Cybook, Iliad, etc make a far superior reading experience than that of a tiny PDA screen.
Honestly, I own a sony PRS-500, and I adore it. Being able to carry around a significant majority of my library, the books are cheaper, and the readability of the screen compared to a backlit LCD are incredible traits.
I honestly that many of the people in this thread who are attacking this product are not heavy readers. And that is a shame, because studies have shown that heavy readers are better people (fabrication, joke, but I agree with the sentiment).
I will say that, while the ev-do connectivity of the kindle, and the associated ability to buy books on the fly is an innovative and potentially useful attribute, the way the device is crippled to using amazon proprietary formats is rather annoying, and frankly counterproductive.
Not sure why you guys are all getting up in arms about proprietary formats. I have about 100 books that I downloaded from Gutenberg. org on mine. I also have a bunch from manybooks. net as well. The kindle reads mobi format as long as they are not DRMed and it reads .txt as well. I plug in with the usb cord and move it directly over into the documents folder on the kindle drive (which shows up in my computer under XP). Sure the books I have bought from Amazon are in the kindle format, and they are DRMed, but the ease of getting them wirelessly and the fact that the books cost me about 10 bucks less for a newly released book make it pretty nice. I am sure at some point the publishers will get over the DRM fears that they have and make them non DRMed. Its not like I am going to share a book that I paid for to a bunch of freeloaders.
Anyone figure out how to tether it's unlimited wireless broadband account to a pc yet? That's when I'll consider selling my Sony Reader for this bulky thing..
That will be my breaking point too.
I have many e-books, and e-paper makes me wet, but unless i can abuse the hell out of the free cellular data on in, i'm not in (unless it dropped $300 ;))
Nope! That did work! It made the two 9's look like three 9's. I must be too tired to try that trick.
Freakonomics FTW.
i prefer an e－pc
Have fun using it outside in direct sunlight.
Looks like I am going to need to get a stronger pair of glasses
Pete
http://www.theprintedbagshop.co.uk/cotton_bags.html
I really wish it had a color screen... the Mac SE30 screen is old skool and all, but not as fun given that it's 2008 :-|
Yeah. How many books have color pages?
Granted it would be nice for comics and such, but the technology to do that in e-ink simply isnt there. It would probably end up being light-sensing OLED for color in the future, seeing as how e-ink is limited.
420 much?
Wonder if it'll still stay in stock now.... I doubt it.
Crap I meant. Probably.
I don't think this will sell out anymore.
OK, here comes some calcualtions. According to Taiwanese technology papers: http://www.digitimes.com/displays/a20080418PD204.html, PVI provided 60% of its e-ink modules for Amazon Kindle, and PVI produced 60,000 to 80,000 monthly, that means from November, which was Kindle's release month, there're around 21,000 pieces shipped for Kindle. Maybe this is the maximum sale amount for Amazon Kindle in this five months. By the way, one e-ink module is about $70 to $80. Usually in OEM/ODM industry, the total BOM cost is half of the sale price, display costs $70~80 plus other components, like PCB, EVDO chip...etc. and the most important it's free to browse via Sprint. So I think for now it has limited space to cut the price down to $200.
You need to get out more!
Ooops, correct one thing, add one digit, it's 210,000 units for Kindle.
thanks
While we're in the habit of explaining why we're on here at this godforsaken time of night, "Hello everyone, my name is austin and the reason I'm up at this hour involves a regular dosage of Immodium AD." Seriously, This is a professional website and it's much more funny for all of us for you to drunk dial your ex-girlfriend instead. Or impulse-buy a kindle.
Overpriced,under-featured.
just like the iPod was.
Wait...
What I do not need are more formats,more proprietary closed systems.
Not for me,or any self-respecting gadget guy,
until it is hacked.
Simple USB Mass Storage access,
and no proprietary file limitations.
note /doc capability are no brainers.
Unlimited web access to read Time magazine?
Such a deal.
full sentences.
They help.
trying to comprehend what you said
Kindle would be a good idea if it was MUCH cheaper to reflect that it is horribly proprietary and tied to Amazon, or if $399 got you a device capable of reading .doc, .pdf, .html, .rtf and a raft of other common formats without using some stupid converter.
At the current price, I wonder what on earth is going through people's minds to buy this junk.
what is it? what is its purpose? and what is with that loser who wont shut up about tranny's?
I'm guessing he was watching SNL. Either that, or he was watching Project Runway - which the skit was based on.
Yes, when you only stock 20 units initially, it'll run out immediately. Try to create a buzz, stock a few more, blah blah blah. Yawn.
BTW, is that picture in color? Holy crap, it looks like something from the 1800's. Poor Amazon. Gotta give 'em credit for trying.
Considering that Amazon is selling the Kindle as a means to sell books, it wouldn't make much business sense to only sell 20 devices and make a false shortage to create a buzz.
E-ink readers are a tiny market. The last thing they would want to do is not sell these things, considering part of the cost of the device and the books is paying for the Whispernet they provide.
Back in stock and it will sell out immediately. Overwhelming demand? No. They only produced about 200 units this time. So when this stock of Kindles runs out, Jeff Bezos can say the demand is so high, we can't keep them in stock. Sounds good to me.
I think I'd rather go with an EeePC, too. Those computers are looking pretty good to me lately.
dont think eeepc is an alternative here umless you are at a pwer outlet for an hour every 3 hours.
This isn't the Wii or PS3. The general public isn't demanding this or any ebook reader in high demands. Creating a false shortage would only push people towards Sony's e-reader. It would make no business sense for Amazon to eat the cost on the free EVDO and the e-books it has if it is deliberately not selling them.
If any of these companies could stock enough to meet demand, they would.
Then they should've made 201.
Answering the critics who say this cant do anything a smartphone cant. You can use a kindle outdoors in bright conditions. Try doing that with a palm or any phone with a normal LCD screen.
http://pixblix.com
hahaha this is news?!?
no, seriously though... I am almost as surprised as anyone else is, that Kindle is FINALLY back in stock after like.... 4 or 5 weeks? O_O;
This is gonna sell like HOT CAKES!
Will it BLEND!
Freakonomics was a good read,
I'm not buying this thing yet.
does anyone have it and love it
even at this price?
Are you guys crazy? Look at the sales at Amazon it is the best selling electronics product at Amazon better than the iPod, Nintendo Wii, and any single digital camera and gps unit. So there cranking out alot of these units, just look at the customer reviews. It is price right when you consider that you have a wireless connection that you don't have to pay a monthly fee as of yet.
If it's so popular why haven't I seen it? Anywhere. Ever. In real life.
I do believe I have seen more iPods, more Wiis, and other devices.
but,
its so "80's / Battlestar Galactica"
its so "Luke skywalker pocket device"
its so, old fashioned already.
It is still in stock after 6 hours. If it was such a bestselling it would be gone by now. Wii sells out on amazon within 5-10 min. Most people who wanted Kindle already get it shipped beacuase they pre-order it on amazon. Don't get me wrong, the product is great but way overpriced.
Does anyone know if you can change the font face with Kindle? My girlfriend has the Sony reader, unfortunately it has an ugly serif - times font.
I hate times font - the menu's are a nice clean arial but the actual book text is times...I can not go back to times new roman ever again.
Who cares. It's shit...
I don't see any responses above that describe an actual user experience with this product.
I suppose they **did** make only 200.
Thats because ppl who read enough books to warrant purchasing one don't post on meaningless forums/comment sections. They are busy reading all them books
"I don't see any responses above that describe an actual user experience with this product."
That may have something to do with the fact that this blog entry has nothing to do with reviews of the unit, but instead the fact that it is back in stock. How many times do you want a user to repost a review of their Kindle?
Engadget has had a ton of entries related to the Kindle since its release. Go back and search and you can find the reviews.
uuuuuggggglllllyyyyy
I own one. Its fantastic. Its NOT a pda or an "eepc" or whatever. If you were into reading you would want one. The screen is so paper-like its a amazing.
Would I want it cheaper? Sure, but its by far my favorite gadget. I travel a lot so it gets heavy use.
Does it look bad? No its actually quite nice once you get ahold of one, but I tend to be looking at the book Im reading, not the border... so that complaint always puzzled me.
Is it the best reader out there? Oh absolutely. Best book selection, keyboard for full book-searches and notes, connection to the store at all times, built-in dictionary and wikipedia lookup.
So stop "slashdotting" the thing to death and actually do some reading about the device.
Oh well, it's still made obsolete by my library card.
Gotta love building artificial demand my making an extremely limited number of devices. Amazon is taking the Nintendo Wii marketing route.
Remember when people complained that $600 was too muck to pay for a PS3 (that among other things, includes a high-definition video player)?
Funny that so many people are willing to pay $400 for something that reads books...just a thought
Will it blend?
It's 420! I'm shocked that no one has made the obvious "Kindle" reference.
This things back, come on nobody reads anymore, wait, why did I read this article, damn you Amazon!
How conveninant. just in time for everyone to start getting their tax rebates back...
i actually was just given one. i was not too sure on whether i'd like it or find use for it and accepted it with a well-meaning smile..
well, in the two days i've had it, it's barely left my side.
*The display is absolutely amazing. I spend all day on the computer and this is 1000x better. After about 30 minutes of reading, you almost forget you are reading off an electronic device.
*There is only two fonts on it now that are not user selectable (although there are 6 text sizes that are pretty useful)
*It does have unlimited internet access with a not horrible web browser that is pretty useful for the less graphic-intensive websites.
*Whoever said it should be in color should think about how e-ink works.
I*t's actually *not* relegated to the proprietary formats. it can read txt and mobi (non-drm'd) out of the box and pdfs and ms docs can be converted to a usable format either through amazon or through some freeware programs...
*The size is amazingly correct... if anything, my complaint is that the thick side is too thin for my ape-like hands... oh, also i can complain about the page buttons being too easy to hit (i fell asleep reading and found myself a few dozen pages ahead of where i left off)
*it has a simple miniUSB-USB connector that mounts it as an drive on any system (even my linux box..)
*you can copy mp3s to it and play them in the background while reading (really nice feature actually)
*it can trickle charge off of the USB (eat it, proprietary connector)
the price *is* high.. but i bet through frequent use of its free internet connection (i was reading /. while in the car on I87 this afternoon) and the fact i am saving 50%+ for the books i've been buying (ex: Follet's "World Without End" normally $35, Amazon new for $21, Kindle $9.99) i'll make it worth it within a year or two
soooo... as a device, even with its flaws it's great. i'm surprised to admit that i expect i'll use it 50x more than my PSP... god knows how much i've spent on that.
As an actual Kindle owner, I can say that the
- The screen is the most important feature and is quite unlike an LCD screen. It looks so smooth and stable and feels so restful as you read it, unlike the screens of laptops, ipods, and phones. Yes, you could read ebooks on those devices, but it is much better on a device designed for reading. You also get 3 to 6 days of use between charges depending on you have the wireless turned on or not. Try that with an EE-PC.
- You are NOT locked into Amazon's bookstore for books. It is true that they have a lot of books and combining their bookstore with wireless delivery is the most significant advance they have made over other ebook readers. Still, you can get even more books from sites like fictionwise, Baen bookes, project gutenberg and others. The kindle directly reads txt, pdb, prc, mobi, and the amazon format (which is just prc with a drm wrapper). Amazon provides a free email-based service to convert the more complex formats such as doc, rtf, html, and pdf. You can then use the usb connection (yes, it is a mass storage device) or the SD card to transfer files to the kindle. You can also option for the convenience of wireless delivery for a small 10 cent charge.
- Of course, value is relative and personal. for the thousands of owner (see the estimates in an earlier post of up to 200K sold) it is definately worth the price and more for those who opted to buy from eBay in order to get them sooner when the production delays made for a long wait. Still, at $400 it is well worth it to a reader like me. Just as a gamer may be willing to pay $400 for an X-box or PS3. Not every gizmo is aimed at every tech head.
- I would not expect a price drop soon. The e-ink screen alone is estimated to cost Amazon between $80-$100. It has been production delays on that screen that have caused the kindle and most other ebook readers to be backordered in recent months. Supposedly they have doubled production of the screen which may help that.
- True, it is not the prettiest box on the shelf and the buttons can be too easy to press until you get used to it, but the whole thing works amazingly well. Remember that the ebook market is in its infancy. I would expect Amazon and the other vendors to bring out improved devices. In the mean time, my kindle with with me constantly.
As interesting as it is, the future of handheld gadgetry isn't in single-use items. I can already get a device that's a PDA, ebook reader, music player, phone, camera, internet device, and various other things, for the same price. Who the hell is wasting their money on a Kindle?
Buy a Blackberry, or a Treo, or an iPhone. I'm sure you can get ebook readers for all of them.
For casual, occasional use, any of those devices can be used to read ebooks, but they are nowhere near as good as reading on a dedicated ebook reader.
It is much like playing video games on your phone... you can do it and some games are suitable, but for playing a full featured game, you want a game console or at least a pc.
You can also use your phone camera to take impromptu shots, but if you need really good photos, you will bring out your dedicated camera.
Eventually that may not be as true, but we are nowhere near the point where convergence devices really rival dedicated devices. There are times when you want the real deal.
I ordered mine on the 25th, it'll be here on the 29th - damn UPS and no weekend deliveries. I read reviews on the kindle for months, happy it wasn't available. MOST negative reviews are from turds who've never actually set fingers on one. STFU!! Man... you're pathetic.
Now, the single use device is a real quandary. I bought my cell phone in great part because I wanted one with good mp3 support. Eh, it's got ok support, but will play my music if I want. It has an ok camera on it and takes not too crappy video. Frankly though, those features drain the battery too quickly. I'm not some entitled twit who happily throws electronics away after a year, so making my stuff last makes sense. I'v realized that single use items just tend to do the job better. My lappy doesn't have a powerful enough video adapter for heavier games, so I sought out some upgrades to a desktop so make a mostly gaming only machine with my spare parts. Now I turn it on for gaming.
I'll use the kindle for reading email and a little surfing, but I'm most excited about having a TON of books with me when I have spare time to just read a little bit and not worry about loosing my place or putting the multiple books I'd like to be reading in a safe place.
I'm already converting PDFs and other documents to the PRC format to load on when I get it. I may not like it, but from everything I've read so far, I can't imagine not loving this thing. A firmware upgrade eventually would rock, but as is, it just seems awesome.
Now, if only Amazon would cut a break on kindle versions of paper books we already bought through them.
Funny how REAL USERS of the Kindle all tend to love it, and the negative comments come from people that have seen a little picture of one on their f*ckin PC.
I got one in November, and love it. I use it everyday, even in direct sunlight (whoever that loser was who complained about that).
I love my Kindle. Unlike previous ebook readers, the Kindle's ability to let me buy new books when I want, where I want, at substantial discount over their physical counterparts is the real selling point. What other ebook reader gives you free internet and the ability to buy books right off the device without so much as the need for a wifi hotspot? Add to that, you can put any other ebook in your collection on there for free (or a $0.10 pittance if you want it to be automatically converted first).
Now if only the damn thing wasn't manufactured by genocidal Chinese bastards, we'd be golden.
Does anyone know if there are plans to sell the kindle in the UK?