Amazon Kindle DX gets torn apart, examined
By Laura June 
posted Jun 11th 2009 7:49PM
posted Jun 11th 2009 7:49PM
Just as soon as we finally get our hands on a new unit to test out, the boys over at Rapir Repair are racing to rip one apart. And that's just what they've done here with the Amazon Kindle DX. Inside it's got the requisite boards, wires, tape and cat hairs (just kidding), plus an E727NV WN2 wireless card, memory, CPU and Epson E-ink panel controller. It's actually pretty sparse and clean inside of there -- we'd expect nothing less! Hit the read link for the full, glorious disassembling (though there is one more shot after the break).
There's nothing there!
What's with the sky high price Amazon?
not much competition?
good point though, I wonder what the material costs of the kindles are
It is NOT a good point. The unlimited data service (save for the content limitations) is more than worth the price, not to mention the R&D and, of course, the actual materials.
Amazon's real profits are coming from the purchases made with this (books, newspapers, ect), not from the actual sales, that's why they offer a free app for the iPhone and iPod touch to download content too: that's where they're making their real money.
Sorry MMmmm wireless is NOT worth the additional cost. Yes its cool. Its not...guess here....$100+ cool. If I could save $100 and just plug my Kindle in and download books on the fly that way I wouldn't have spent 2-3 months bouncing back and forth do I want it..can I wait...well they have this book...but they are missing that.
EVERYONE and I do mean everyone I talk to and shown this thing to thinks the Kindle is cool as hell but at least $100 overpriced. I've talked to no one who thinks $360 is reasonable. As soon as I asked if they would bite if it was $60 cheaper @ $299 about 30% more said yes. @ $250 about 70% said yes. As such the minute real competition comes along watch Amazon drop a new device in the market without wireless. The ONLY reason Amazon did this was marketing. Spontaneous purchases will always win out over needing to take the device home or to a WIFI hotspot to download a book giving you time to think it over.
it IS a good point because it doesnt matter how much money it costs - if its too much for what youre getting then its overpriced. which is why, for example, sony sold the ps3 for a loss. and seeing as amazon sell ebooks why cant they make some money back there?
The PCB spans the entire device and has stuff all over it. What exactly did you expect?
@Jon Doe.
You are obviously not the brightest (nor the most truthful) person I have come across, and I can tell that you have trouble reading through an entire comment and understanding it, so I'll try and break this down for you:
1. I said it was worth the data service, R&D, and materials together.
2. Unlimited data service IS worth $360 over time. Data at minimum would run you $20/mo, so after 16 months you got your money back right there.
3. Everyone with half a brain can tell that your comment was fraught with lies and invalid, insanely invented statistics.
The Kindle is just a way for Amazon to drain people's money over time by getting them to pay for over-the-air downloads, which has thus far proven a very lucrative system for them. If you actually had a Kindle you'd know that, you absolute phony.
E-ink is far and away the largest cost of the Kindle, make the screen much bigger - you get the idea.
This is not a mass-consumer device, there's no way anybody can price it at that yet. And if you can't get the mass consumer with any profit, you price it highly to the market that you can. Also this is very much about getting the biggest foothold in digital distribution for Amazon - they don't need millions sold.
Mmmm Doughnuts: Grab another doughnut and shut up man, are you that challanged? Amazon makes their money on each download you make (example: let's say you bought a book for $9.99, do you think Amazon will pay $9.99 to the publisher? They most likely make double profit and there you have it). You can only use the 3G network within their store, therefore no you are NOT getting your money back.
@Thiago A.
WTF that's what I said! Tell that to Jon Doe!! I made it quite clear that I believe all of Amazon's profits are coming from the books and newspaper sales (aka- over-the-air downloads) and that they are making little to nothing off of the actual Kindle hardware/service sales.
alien technology
I still have the original Kindle, and I love it. I see the reasons for upgrading, but I'm not sure whether or not to get the Kindle DX or the Kindle 2. I'm going to look at what textbooks are available.
Opinions on upgrading?
I see no compelling reason to upgrade yet. A bit better graphics on the Kindle 2. Larger screen on the DX, but it's heavier. I would wait for Kindle 3.
I wish the Kindle 3 would jump over the border to Canada! :(
Spelling error: Not Rapir Repair, but Rapid Repair ;)
DX can suck it.
These articles are turning away a lot of readers I would guess, how many people really want to see articles like this? very few I'll guess.
o.O WTF? Its a gadget site. This is a gadget being torn apart. What the heck are you looking for? Mac rumors? Well you came to the right site then. Give it a few days and Engadge will be posting about Kext file in 10.6 hinting about new iMacs or some such crap.
THIS is what engadget should be focusing on. Heck I don't even mind Mac tare downs.
What the hell? I'm in NO WAY defending his asinine post - I couldn't disagree more with it - but why would you immediately bring up Apple?? Maybe I'm missing something but where did he even hint at ANYTHING Apple in his comment?
Both of you need to chill out.
Umm... where are the books?
It's very i-phone like. Why does everyone have to copy Apple!!!
Apple did not invent good, clean design, they're just rather alone in using it.
I applaud Amazon for not making the Kindle butt ugly like so many other companies would be sure to do.
http://www.rapidrepair.com/guides/kindle-dx/kindle-dx-images/kindle-dx-system-board-out-1.jpg
That picture reminded me of this:
http://pbfcomics.com/?cid=PBF130-Book_World.gif
Heh. Furry. Heh.
I had originally pre-ordered a DX and their propriatery case for it and recently canceled the ordered (after the WWDC). After apple announced the new 3G S i decided its time i upgrade from my unlocked/jailbroken 1st gen and switch to AT&T.
Granted the price is more expensive, and the network is iffy but i figured its a better investement overall since it looks like the Iceberg Reader will have over 1,000,000 books and a better cut for those with the books rights, therefore making it easier for companies to allow apple to sell their books.
This brings me to the most definite near future release of some type of ebook reader/notepad device from Apple (natural evolution of the beast) if you all cant see that then what can i say?
Why couldnt apple have an iphone tether to a new future device that will allow this device to have the same thing Kindle's Whispernet service has?
I see it clearly my friends.
Not only that, but by allowing wireless controll of devices there is so many possibilities. I think ill just wait for it before i waste my money on an overpriced soon to be KO'd kindle DX (the store has very few textbooks so my attention is towards the future, and not the present)
Keep in mind the ridiculously undersized screen of a phone when you are trying to read a book on it, Ive tried it, its not ideal.
Also, I imagine the battery drainage of having a backlight on for that long on a phone would kill the battery.
Shariq,
Not ideal is being kind. My iPaq 4700 that has a higher res and bigger screen that the iPhone still didn't work all that well for a good read. People who claim that iGod is good for reading isn't looking at doing a few hours worth of sitting and enjoying a book. And if they are they have never touched a solid e-book reader like the Kindle. Amazon's marketing has it right: the tech should fade into the background as you read. On PDA sized devices this does not happen.
The e-ink technology is why the device costs so much. There doesn't have to be much hardware to display the text files .
Wrong.
http://www.gearlog.com/2009/04/amazon_kindle_2_gets_teardown_1.php
Now granted that is the Kindle 2 not the DX. However you can do a basic price guess on how much the screen costs. I have no qualms about Amazon making money on the Kindle. Its a good device. I do have issues with them force feeding...as a guess...a $100 data contract down our throats.
I want competition. I hope Google and a hardware manufacturer can provide it to make V.3 of the Kindle start out at $280 with no Whispernet.
spell check needed..although they did end up raping the thing so i guess you could say rap'ir repair would fit good here
Just tell me when they FINALLY get those text books going and i'll buy one.
What an overpriced PIECE OF SH!T.
I read books on my netbook and don't have to pay $$$ for reading it on that piece of crap.
Actually, I've heard from a lot of people that they are pretty good, although they are overpriced.
It takes incredibly brave people to disassemble something that expensive. I wouldn't dare.
I wouldn't call it brave... if the company is supposed to repair devices, they'd have to take one apart to see what's inside, why not take pictures?
I have to laugh at how naive people can be when they argue about what something is worth. A product's price has NOTHING to do with what is costs. If they can build it for $10 and sell it for $400, they will. If it sells for the price they charge then, by definition, it's "worth" it. Competition may lower the price in the future, but today, since people are buying all the Kindle's they make (and seem very happy with BTW), the price must be right (or maybe too low, if anything). All companies' wet dream is to find a market where the sales price far exceeds the cost.
The cost to build most electronic products is typically very low. But this is not all that you pay for. There is also IP for software. And if there is no competition, there is less downward pressure on the selling price. If the selling price is too high, it will attract competition to build similar products.
Amazon knows a thing or two about pricing. My best guess is that they are examining the selling price and how people use the Kindle. If they see that they make more than expected on the books, they will lower the price of the hardware. I love to read but right now few books offered in eBook format are attractive to me. I am considering it more for PDF and other docs. Amazon may not make much from me. And then add that I already have many unread books in hard-copy format
"Notice how there is clearly text still displayed on the front LCD? With no power might I add!".
LCD?
Price isn't always just based on product cost, in fact prices usually are based on things like competition, target market's price sensitivity and profit estimates. Personally I think Amazon's doing a great job with Kindle. I'm convinced that thanks to Kindle & Iliad and others, I got my Sony Reader for at least $100 cheaper than what it would've been.
The blank spot (U63) in the upper right of the PCB is clearly the footprint for an embedded WiFi module that has not been added. Several manufacturers make modules that are about that size and shape (ex: Murata). It has all the right types of external capacitors and power components, and a trace that leads to an unpopulated antenna, A1.
Interesting that Amazon chose not to include this feature.
More interesting that they put traces on the PCB for it in the first place, perhaps for an out-of-the-US kindle?
The sparseness on the PCB makes me wonder why the bezel needs to be so GD big. At the very least they could make the screen 1" bigger.
I guess they intelligently figured that people need to like you know.. hold it.
well the same board is being produced to power the other 9.7 inch e-ink display readers like the hanlin http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/16/hanlins-v9-e-book-reader-with-9-7-inch-e-ink-display-previewed/ and netronix http://www.engadget.com/2009/06/05/netronix-eb-600-and-eb-500-e-readers-spotted-at-computex/ and probably iRex 1000 http://www.irextechnologies.com/products so thats why the wifi is traced on the PCB.
Leland they cant just "make the screen bigger" as that is currently the largest size e-ink display in production at PVI.
I read elsewhere on engadget speculation that Amazon was shorting the stock on hand just to have a "sell out" for marketing. Its not the case. PVI has only so much capacity to produce the displays for everyone.