The Kindle 3G Wireless Reading Device sales numbers and customer reviews seem to be indicating that e-reader technology is becoming the wave of the future, and a hit for the holidays. The Kindle 3G Wireless Device, which is produced by Amazon, is considered smaller, lighter and faster than its predecessors, making one wonder if it is the top holiday gift to give for 2010. Maybe the Apple iPad and Nintendo Wii need to make room for Kindle under the Christmas tree!
According to Amazon's Kindle 3G page, their Kindle device has been the #1 bestselling item for two years running at the internet retail site. They also credit it as being "the most-wished-for, most-gifted, and has the most 5-star reviews of any product on Amazon." The Kindle 3G reading device comes with a new E Ink Pearl Technology and improved contrast display for better reading on the go. Even in bright sunlight the item is easy to read.
The advantages to owning the Kindle are quite clear. It's a great alternative to buying paper books and saves trees in a way. The Kindle can hold up to 3,500 documents and allows the reader to read to up for a month without re-charging. Free 3G Wireless is a definite advantage to owning this device just for browing the internet or downloading content to read. The Amazon Kindle store offers hundreds of thousands of books, and New York Bestseller titles starting at $9.99. Not only can you read books, but also magazine, news print, PDF's and your own personal content.
Kindle has its competition, but Jeff Bezos and Amazon seem to have carved out a niche in the e-reader market. A recent article from Fool.com notes that Amazon is claiming to have sold millions of its third-generation e-reader since the latest quarter began. They also note that three years ago it seemed as if traditional book readers were less likely to embrace the technology and the price tag ot $399. Now with Kindles priced under $200 and also selling in real world Target stores, it seems their is plenty of momentum in sales of the device. It's likely many book fans will find these under the Christmas tree in under two weeks time, meaning a nice boost to the business of Amazon.com. As of this article, Amazon's stock price sits at $175.57. Will Jeff Bezos' company soon be moving towards Apple territory in terms of its price?
What do you think of the e-reader technology, good or bad? Do you own a Kindle, or still prefer reading good old fashioned books?
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Comments: 13
I'd be inclined to buy a Nook over a Kindle, they can be had refurbished from Barnes and Noble off Ebay for about 110.00.
My own publisher is releasing an e-copy of my novel at the same time as the printed book. From a publisher's perspective, e-books are very attractive because there are no printing costs. Nostalgia aside, it's attractive to authors too because the percentage we get is higher on ebooks than physical books -- so even though the ebook costs less, we get more for it. Even though I and many writers still prefer to pitch the printed book, it's financially to our advantage to be pushing the electronic book!
Yet I still long to slide a book off a shelf and open it. An e-reader just isn't quite the same ...
I do use the Kindle app to read Kindle books on my iPad though. The one thing it lacks is the text-to-speech of the actual Kindle, which I liked a lot. The Kindle programs for the PC/Mac/Ipad/etc ... are good, but they are incomplete.
The older Kindle I tried were slow, small memory and useless for anything else other than reading books. My iPad can do everything, it is like a computer ... and that is why I prefer it to the Kindle.
I can sympathize with those who love physical books, because the Kindle is irritating in some ways ... like you cannot refer to a page number. They need to develop a page number reference database or something to help people be able to refer to passages or pictures in a book.
Also ... trying to flip through a Kindle book is more difficult and not as fun as just flipping through a real book. I really feel disoriented in the inside of book when I am reading a Kindle book, but you can carry a whole library with you, and have your book read itself to you with a real Kindle.
One thing though is that while Amazon has reviews of about anything they sell, I don't think there is any real place to review the Kindle ... so, some of the claims about Kindles may be exaggerated in my opinion.
With that being said, I don't want to be tied down to Amazon if I can find the product I want elsewhere cheaper.
I'd love to have text-to-speech function perfected and in all the various Kindle clients. I think the Kindle has served its purpose and if I HAD to guess, I don't think it will be around or that special very much longer.
Of, if Amazon was technical enough to expand the Kindle "philosophy" of making an appliance for a specific purpose, such as EMail. What might be good is if everyone that bought a Kindle got a free Email account, like GMail or HotMail, then it expands the use of the Kindle to basic web and email. That might be worth something ... ie. carrying around another device???