Two new Kindle models on the horizon?

Take this one with plenty of salt, but CrunchGear has it that not one, not three, but exactly two new Kindle models are destined to go on sale to the adoring indifferent public within the next 6 to 12 months. Reportedly, the first model is simply a revamped version of the existing Kindle with a smaller form factor, the same sized screen and an "improved interface." The second new version will purportedly be shaped like a 8.5- x 11-inch sheet of paper and should land early next year. Both Kindles will be available in a variety of hues, though pricing information remains a mystery. Hang tight bookworms, we've still got awhile yet before figuring out just how legitimate this is.

[Via The Boy Genius Report]

[johnpombrio Posted Jul 16th 2008 3:49PM]

The REAL news is the 8 1/2 by 11 size. That means I can finally read PDF's of textbooks and magazines! I have the SONY Reader, and have read dozens of books and find it better than a paperback but not quite as good as hardcover (except that it is a lot easier to hold!).
I would love to take a book and create a PDF of it with scanning then read it on my E-ink reader.
8 1/2 by 11. Killer app for textbooks and magazines.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2008 3:53PM]

I actually have a Kindle and have been using it every day for at least the last three months and I love it. I understand that if you do not like reading you probably do not care about the kindle because you can not watch video on it or make phone calls or whatever random reason people give for not liking kindle. Kindle is for reading books and it is dame good at it. I have already got my money back by the amount I saved on the cheaper kindle books vs paper books.

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 16th 2008 9:30PM]

Everyone keeps talking about how the iPhone is going to be the new ereader. However, everyone I have heard making those comments hasn't taken one thing into consideration....battery life. What kind of battery life will the iPhone get if you use it as a reader? I for one dont want my phone dying because I have been using it for a few hours to read on.

[strommsarnac Posted Jul 16th 2008 9:30PM]

CV Wrote "...A couple of clarifications from someone who HAS seen a Kindle, and researched the other options out there before buying:

~ ...How, exactly, is Kindle's $359 price tag too high? It's quite competitive with the Sony, which doesn't offer the Whispernet connectivity.

~ an iPhone is NOT an eReader. Not a good one, anyway. One of the things that makes the Kindle and other similar models special is the E-Ink "looks like ink on paper" screen. PDAs, phones, and computers are all hard on the eyes"

Wow, obviously someone who has a chip on their shoulder.

I've been a reader of "ebooks" since the early 90's. I've seen all sorts of screens come and go. From dedicated devices, PDAs, phones, PMP, etc.

There is NO practical reason to have to pay even $300.00 for an eInk reader. The only reason is that the manfs refuse to lower the price. They would sell many times more of them if they took out all the extra features and simply made them a reading device (with usb/storage card).

The majority of people wanting an ebook reader want the following.
1. BACK LIGHT!!!! It is totally unacceptable that ANY hand-held display device not have some type of built-in lighting.

2. Sized to fit the hand comfortably. Anything larger than the size of a paperback is too big. Large screens are NOT needed as since the display is digital, the text can scroll. One doesn't need to think in terms of page count anymore, nor worry about only X-number of words fitting on the screen. It doesn't matter. More pages are only an issue when they make the thing in your hand bigger and heavier. This is not so with any digital reader.

3. Multi-format. PDF is not great for an ebook format. It is for mags, tech books and things like that. Not for just book reading which is the vast majority of the market. Simple formats like txt, rtf, lit and palmdoc are really all that's wanted by the masses.


Things NOT needed.
1. LARGE screen. (see above)
2. Keyboard.
3. Internet browser.
4. Cell service. Understand, I'm a Sprint cell phone users. Since Sprint does not guarantee residential coverage (I know this because I get crappy service within 20' of my house and after many calls and emails, Sprint said tough luck, you'll have to stand out in your yard, we don't guarantee residential coverage). So, why would I buy something where there's no guarantee of service for me to use the download feature. What happens when I'm outside of Sprint's area and I want something new to read?
5. COST. The current cost is too high.


I do all my reading on my 5 year old Tapwave Zodiac. I bought a spare for less than $100us. I can put books on there in whatever format I choose. I have lit and pdf readers. It fits in the PALM of my hand and has an hourglass shape instead of a rectangular brick shape. It fits in my pants and shirt pockets. I get 15 hours of BACKLIT, autoscroll reading. It weighs about what my cell phone does (I use that for internet access when needed).

Oh, and the 480x320 color screen is just as clean as every eInk reader I've seen. Better than most. It even handles 30 smooth frames per second of video.

The tech for less expensive readers is already available.

So, you tell me. Why should I buy a Kindle?

[(Unverified) Posted Jul 18th 2008 8:45PM]

I'm waiting to see if this is true. Don't give me the 'oh, the iPhone is just as good', because I DON'T WANT an iPhone. They charge too much for that stupid service.

I read...a lot. A lot of fiction. I like to keep books, but have a storage space issue. Kindle is a perfect solution. I do read ebooks on my computer, love the mobi format, but would like portability. I wish it was cheaper, but that's because my budget is very small. Amazon has a lot of the books I want to buy in Kindle format, and Fictionwise/Mobipocket/every other ebook store sells more. Unsecured Mobi can be uploaded directly to the device, so no issues there.

And if they do keep the price high, they need to lower the price of the books. Or lower the price of the reader and make all their money on the books (which is much smarter - more people will buy more books if they could afford a reader).

I was looking at the Astak reader, which is supposed to have a mobi-only version, but they keep on pushing back the release date.

Someday I'll have an e-ink reader!