Amazon's Kindle 2 gets a $60 price cut, now at $299

Nearly five months to the day after Amazon introduced its Kindle 2 e-reader, the company has decided to hack a full $60 off of the price tag in order to offer it to US consumers for $299. Sneaking under that magical $300 mark could allow the outfit to move an awful lot more of these buggers, and with the competition finally heating up, we'd say it's probably a solid defensive move as well. So, are you interested in pulling the trigger now that the Kindle 2 is under three bills? Or is that e-book app on your smartphone doing just fine?

[Thanks, Michael]

[ralph @ Jul 8th 2009 1:49PM]

First DX, now this- I am definitely going to rush to buy Kindle 3. Thanks a lot Amazon.

[blah @ Jul 8th 2009 3:19PM]

Electronics get cheaper as time goes by... if you haven't noticed or are surprised by this price cut.

[Anthony @ Jul 8th 2009 1:50PM]

I think its a great deal because the thing has free 3G connectivity all the time, and I believe that there is also a wap browser on it? free internetz anywhere? hmmm, maybe, depends if it does have the browser.

But it should, since on the website it says you can read blogs.

[Ryan Rife @ Jul 8th 2009 1:53PM]

It does have a "browser", but it's not very functional because of the 2+ second screen refresh.

[Chris @ Jul 8th 2009 2:39PM]

Don't get ultra hyped about the browser. It really does suck. That's coming from someone who'd much rather use my iPhone to browse than the Kindle.

[Eminemdrdre00 @ Jul 8th 2009 1:50PM]

Still $200 too high!

[sweet greggo @ Jul 8th 2009 1:59PM]

+1

[Chris @ Jul 8th 2009 2:40PM]

For what reason?

[egress63 @ Jul 8th 2009 4:34PM]

Another $100 reduction please!

aka: I need to wait for atleast an year before I can get my hands on one of these. :(

[Jollybee @ Jul 8th 2009 5:01PM]

$150 will be insta buy

[Duke @ Jul 8th 2009 5:55PM]

Though a few of the other posters seem defensive when we say it, I agree that the price point is still way too high.

Hey people, its great that some of you think whatever the price of an item is must be perfect because the manufacturer says so, but other people buy what they can afford and avoid being raked over the coals sometimes. That would be the larger part of the market share they are missing out on.

[GBeatzRecrds @ Jul 8th 2009 1:52PM]

do want.

[Mako @ Jul 8th 2009 1:52PM]

I really would like a little more screen realestate with the same overall size. (smaller boarders ardound the screen). Give me that and $199 price point and I would be all over it.

[awh4hoh2 @ Jul 8th 2009 1:58PM]

I purchased a Kindle 2 less than six months ago. Where's my refund?

[Zune Claus @ Jul 8th 2009 2:02PM]

Hey don't complain, it's not as bad as what happened to the iP(hail)one early adopters.

[pete @ Jul 8th 2009 2:10PM]

Same here. Any chance of a price-adjustment?

[kjb434 @ Jul 8th 2009 2:30PM]

Why do you dumbasses think you need a price adjustment?

If you buy early you will always get a higher price. If you get over having the latest then when if first comes out, you can get a better deal.

That's life.

[Chris @ Jul 8th 2009 2:41PM]

I bought one when it first came out also. I'm not asking for a refund because that's how it works. Go ahead and wait until the price of everything drops and then you won't buy anything. Did you really think the price would NEVER drop?

[pete @ Jul 8th 2009 2:50PM]

kjb434 - I in fact got it a week ago. That's why I ask.

[Canis_Minor @ Jul 8th 2009 3:42PM]

@Pete:

Amazon has a 30 day return policy. Send them an email asking for a price adjustment. If they refuse, return the Kindle, and then buy a new one at the adjusted price. You'll just pay shipping back on the old one.

[Stormbarrier @ Jul 8th 2009 4:23PM]

I just contacted Amazon about a refund for $60 on the Kindle that I purchase 27 days ago and they've already responded saying I should get the refund in 2-3 days.

[pdwolfe @ Jul 8th 2009 5:06PM]

I got mine two weeks ago. @Stormbarrier did you call or just email customerservice with the order number?

I just sent an email to Amazon about my order but wondering if it will be more productive to call.

[ku @ Jul 8th 2009 1:58PM]

My library card is still holding up, so no Kindle for me (yet).

[duane.schaub @ Jul 8th 2009 1:59PM]

I would bet the price cut has more to do with the patent they received last week to put ads into books on electronic readers.


Weee ! - you gotta love the money machine.... NOT.


I would love to have a Kindle, but I really don't want advertising in my books.

[strider_mt2k @ Jul 8th 2009 2:02PM]

-ensuring a healthy mix of the rich and the ignorant.

[ncalsurfer @ Jul 8th 2009 2:35PM]

I still don't get it - unless you are constantly on the road traveling, this is a complete waste of money. As previous poster stated, library cards are free and you can check out and read all the books you want - for free! Why the heck would anyone pay $299 for this device, then pay another $6 - $10 per book for something they are going to read only once. Kudos to Amazon for suckering so many people into this overpriced, overvalued gadgetry.

[coloneldebugger @ Jul 8th 2009 2:11PM]

ZOMG!!!! THEY CUT THE PRICE!!!111!!!12!2!3!862351735!!!!!

Where are all the Kindle users with their panties twisted in a massive knot over this like the iPhone idiots last year?

[pete @ Jul 8th 2009 2:16PM]

Here.

[Grant McAllister @ Jul 8th 2009 2:22PM]

I love my Kindle 2. I got it in March and my panties are still smooth and comfortable.

[Matt @ Jul 8th 2009 4:11PM]

Got mine in March for $360 and have been perfectly happy with it. If I had to do it all over again, I still would have bought it in March. Prices on just about all personal electronics fall every 6 months. They have been doing that for the last 3 decades and will continue to long into the future. If you have a hard time seeing something you bought a few months ago on sale for less, then you've picked the wrong hobby.

[Indyaner @ Jul 8th 2009 2:11PM]

Whats with the Speech-Thing? Is this free again or still under ristrictions?

[L @ Jul 8th 2009 3:39PM]

Unless the publishers have come to their senses in the meantime, it's restricted. But in the end: It's a speech synthesizer - does it really matter? It sounds horrible anyway...

[sascha.bates @ Jul 8th 2009 2:13PM]

I will happily never buy a kindle and continue to read e-books on my iphone.

[Zorat @ Jul 8th 2009 2:26PM]

Happily go blind and enjoy the tension headaches

[jabsdad @ Jul 8th 2009 2:14PM]

Now maybe some more people will buy a Kindle to join the 14 that already have one.

[Preston @ Jul 8th 2009 2:15PM]

Let me know when the Kindle drops to around $200 and I'll seriously start considering one. You can buy gaming consoles for what they want for this thing ffs.

[irony @ Jul 8th 2009 2:33PM]

Funny, I dont remember Bezos seeking Xbox's market share.

[Preston @ Jul 8th 2009 2:42PM]

I hear most netbooks fall into the price-range Amazon's asking for the Kindle too.

[Plothole @ Jul 8th 2009 7:13PM]

But there is still no netbook that can match the Kindle's battery life or daylight viewability.

[Jason @ Jul 8th 2009 2:17PM]

Still too expensive. $200 is the most I'd consider paying. If it were $100 I'd be buying it now.

[irony @ Jul 8th 2009 2:33PM]

I'd buy one if it were free too.

[coffee @ Jul 8th 2009 2:18PM]

now the Kindle DX looks even more expensive. Hopefully its price will come down soon also.

[Muu @ Jul 8th 2009 2:18PM]

I'm still waiting for the version of Kindle supported by Amazon.co.jp. Once that comes out I'll be more than happy to pay a couple benjamins instead of paying $100 for shipping every time I want some books shipped from overseas.

[gordon.parton @ Jul 8th 2009 2:19PM]

Still no kindle 2 for the UK :(

[caseyallen @ Jul 8th 2009 3:23PM]

eReader on iPhone/Palm/Blackberry FTW!

[Plothole @ Jul 8th 2009 7:15PM]

I sometimes read books on my WM phone. However the small size of the screen and poor contrast in daylight means its no substitute for a modern dedicated ebook reader like the Kindle.

[merritt @ Jul 8th 2009 2:29PM]

still $100 too expensive for what you get.

[Shane @ Jul 8th 2009 2:29PM]

If you actually owned the books you buy from Amazon I might actually consider this device, but as it is you are really just renting them and at $9.99 that is way too high of a price.

[Ilya @ Jul 8th 2009 2:33PM]

Got a sony reader 6 months ago, still cheaper.

[Cargojack @ Jul 8th 2009 10:41PM]

Who buys Kindle books from Amazon? Not me anymore. I get them from Gutenberg.org and read them on my Kindle.