Why is Amazon's Kindle so expensive? $259.00

[keep_it_real]

I am certainly priced out of that product market. Are they making their development cost back from the rich or more affluent who can afford such toys?

Kindle is a great idea that will save a lot of trees but why so expensive? Is the technology so complex?

[BlooInBloo]

1. Because they know they're not gonna get any return business...

when people learn to their dismay about Amazon's ability to edit or remove a kindle's content without the kindle owner's consent, or even awareness.

[denem]

2. That amazed me - and they "unbooked" 1984 of all things.

Orwell would have loved it.

[BlooInBloo]

131. Heh. I wasn't amazed. In fact, I had called that one months before it actually happened.

[Kutjara]

10. Well, they admitted they handled the "1984" fiasco badly...

...and have promised not to do it again. The problem with 1984 was that they sourced the book from a company that didn't have the copyright, so they tried to put things right by pulling the book. Of course, they botched things from a PR standpoint and ended up painting themselves in a (literally) Orwellian light. They even had to settle with a student whose class notes went poof when the book was recalled.

I don't think they'll be doing that again.

[denem]

12. They made 1984 an "unperson book" - the writing vanished off the page.

You couldn't make this stuff up!

[Kutjara]

14. Yep. Perfect irony. n/t

[timeforpeace]

121. Which is why we're seeing it come to fruition. A cautionary tale untold.

[BlooInBloo]

15. Oh. They promised...

BWAHAHAAHAAAAHAAAA!!!!

[Kutjara]

20. Given the PR fallout over 1984...

...I think they'll keep this particular promise. Now that other companies are getting up to speed in the eBook reader market, Amazon will have less scope for high-handed, unilateral action.

The real problem with eReaders, of course, is not silly newscycle fodder like this (after all, who would have noticed if the book hadn't been "1984"), but the DRM software that locks books to the device. With the Kindle, you're limited to reading your books on a maximum of 5 supported devices. You can't transfer them to another reading device or read them using unsupported software. In future, if you decide to switch from the Kindle to the Nook, all the books you bought on the Kindle will forever be trapped in Kindle-world. You'll have to either buy them all again or put up with having your collection spread across two (or more) devices.

[BlooInBloo]

52. Indeed. I always trust corporate behemoths to keep their promises....

I can't foresee any potential problems with *that*. :rofl:

It doesn't really matter whether the keep their promise, of course. The issue obviously is that THEY CAN, AND I CAN'T STOP THEM.

I've always said in every kindle thread I've seen that epic fail = not having control over one's own content.

PDF works just fine for me. Until Amazon can offer me something other than an expensive bulky stealth-ninja delete of my content, I'll still with pdf.

[virgogal]

3. I think it's "Kindle".

[denem]

6. It's Krock I think.

[keep_it_real]

16. spelling corrected; thanks.

[Kutjara]

4. They're certainly milking the early adopter market.

The new eBook readers hitting the market (like the Barnes & Noble Nook and the new Sony one) will drive prices down over time. Meanwhile, you can download the Kindle reader software to your PC and buy Kindle books to read there. There's also an iPhone app that lets you do the same thing. So you don't necessarily need a Kindle to read Kindle books.

[Codeine]

7. The Kindle screen is a lot more pleasant to read, however. nt

[Kutjara]

13. It is a nice reader, but I actually find I read most of my Kindle books on the iPhone.

To take the Kindle with me when I go out, I have to make a choice to carry it with me. The iPhone I always have in my pocket. In the end, the constant presence of the phone in my pocket trumps the greater reading comfort of the Kindle.

[Occulus]

92. True that, however, you can also watch movies with the ipod and iphone.

And get on web pages, and view photos, and manage your contacts, and listen to music (AND audiobooks and podcasts), and play games, and and and.

I didn't like the price of my new ipod touch at all, but damn, the thing is just full of WIN. I even put notes for work on it, because it was there and too convenient to pass up.

I don't think I'll be getting a Kindle though. I mean, they yanked 1984, of all things. It's dealbreaker irony.

[Codeine]

5. Electronic ink is still a developing technology.

You have to understand it's not just a screen, it's a rather ingenious creation that is more readable and uses far less power.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Electronic_paper

It also has a wireless connection onboard that allows the user to download books and magazines without paying for a wireless plan. It also has a rudimentary web browser, so there's a level of free internet access built in.

[wtmusic]

11. Your link is to a design consultancy nt

[Codeine]

17. I'm retarded.

Thanks, I fixed it! :hi:

[The Straight Story]

21. Bookmarking your reply so I can refer back to it later

:rofl: :hide: Just kidding!

[Codeine]

22. "It's right there in black and white, dude. Your own words. Busted."

:rofl: Well played!

[wtmusic]

26. Thanks, much better

I thought they were just using the standard liquid-crystal display.

It's going to have to have a hell of a lot of contrast to compete with ink/paper. And I'm going to want mine bound in leather.

[ginnyinWI]

55. the screen looks something like an Etch a Sketch

It is not lit up--you need a lamp or the sun to read by it. But you can increase the font if it's hard to see. And you can have the automatic voice read it to you if you like.

[wtmusic]

67. Yikes - the pages are TINY

If it was about twice as wide (the size of an opened paperback) I would consider it.

[ginnyinWI]

73. it is the size of one page

You read it and hit the "next page" button with your thumb and instantly it changes--just like turning a page. Not a problem at all. You can enlarge the font size--there are six sizes.

[FormerDittoHead]

86. Yes. The "paper" is NOT WHITE. The contrast ratio is like 7:1. I have the Sony.

I have DISCS AND DISKS of PDF files for the reading. The Sony is the way to go, but the screen is like black on week old newspaper.

Wait for newer ones with a whiter screen.

[wtmusic]

106. Thanks for info

I want at least 300dpi as well

[The Straight Story]

8. My first computer was $600. 16K of ram, cassette drive, B&W monitor

New tech usually costs more until the market increases demand and competition (imho).

[Poiuyt]

24. My first computer (Macintosh SE) was $4000 and the laser printer was another $4000

But in 1988, if you wanted to do desktop publishing, that was the way to go.

[parasim]

35. I was just about to post a very similar comment.

Although I got my first SE for 3,700. It's kinda funny (sad), though, that the first laser printers went for so much but when I bought my current Mac, I got a laser printer for free! So weird!

[OffWithTheirHeads]

9. L'd really like to have one but it's gonna have to get a lot closer to $100.00

before I'll buy one.

[Bonhomme Richard]

18. The one thing I will not give up to technology is a book in my hand.

I know that there are circumstances that one would find an electronic reader helpful but I don't get any enjoyment out of it personally.
There is just something about the smell and turning pages that relaxes me.

[WinkyDink]

70. Exactly.

[Libertas1776]

80. +100

[Solomon]

81. Yeah yeah. That's what I said before I got one.

That's what everybody says. Now I can't leave it alone. It exceeded every expectation I had about it.

Seriously, the damn thing feels as good as a book and even better to me. It's like curling up with a whole freaking library. Addictive as hell. Haven't looked at a tv since I got one.

I predict that one day everyone will be carrying these libraries around like cell phones. The price will come down in a year or so after they take off in the market.

[Libertas1776]

85. To each is own, I guess.

As for me, I will never touch the thing. I am a die hard "bibliophile" and that's the way I am gonna stay. Plus, the batteries, charger, or what have you, never run out on a book.

[comrade snarky]

93. I'm one too

When my wife and I moved in together, kind of a big thing.

When we mixed our books and gave away the duplicates, that was HUGE! We both knew there was no going back from that. We'll never be able to figure whose is whose. That was commitment!

Books are a big part of my life and there's nothing like the feel of a book in your hands, especially the old ones. That smell of the paper. The feel of the signatures. My books and photos are what I'd save in a fire.

That said... I love ebooks. For manuals and casual fiction they rock. On a trip I can bring 30 books without weighing my pack like it's full of rocks.

There's room for both.

[Touchdown]

98. Batteries and chargers are cheaper than buying a bigger house.

The evidence for more real estate is in your painting.;)

[Adelante]

120. It's what I said before I got one and now I wouldn't do without it

I find it far easier on my eyes than reading books, too.

I love my Kindle. :loveya:

[seaglass]

134. I felt the same way about paper books, but in reality I do A LOT of reading online

as I assume many DUers do. I don't get, anymore, what the big leap is to an ereader.

In any case I'm in the market, leaning towards the Nook and hoping to get a look at one in the stores the week after next.

[Touchdown]

95. Not to mention the autographed copies! Stephen King and his magic marker are going to owe me

a new Kindle or Nook!

:D

[tblue37]

132. I want an e-reader, but I will wait until the price goes down and the

technology improves even more. I am quite sure that will happen in the next two or three years, so I will wait.

[ginnyinWI]

19. I love my Kindle 2.

I don't have an iPod, an iPhone, or anything else like my husband has, so it was my turn to get a toy. Even my cell phone is going on five years old! It's only a phone without a camera or anything else on it.

I take the Kindle along when I travel and can bring a whole ton of books and magazines inside it. Like the complete works of Mark Twain which cost me only a few dollars, and the complete works of Wm. Shakespeare for 99 cents. I bought one Toni Morrison book for something like 7 dollars but mostly I get the cheaper public domain stuff. A lot of it is completely free, for example Jane Austen's Pride and Prejudice. (This stuff suits me: I was an English major.) If I'm interested in a best seller, I can try a sample: I got the first chapter of David Plouffe's new book as a free sample and read it.

And if I want to buy a newspaper, I can download one issue for 50 or 75 cents, or take a two-week free trial and cancel before the payment period begins. Magazines and blogs, same thing. You can get a subscription to Time or Newsweek for $1.49 a month. That's four issues a month.

We took a trip by car this summer and we were able to download a daily paper while tooling down the freeway. And we each had some nice books on it to read when it wasn't our turn to drive. Kind of nice when you are in the middle of Utah and there isn't any good radio or anything.

It will get cheaper--the price has already been cut. And I'm sure it will get better, with more photos and other options which are now often not included.

[ddeclue]

23. BREAKING: Scientists develop cellulose based reader technology to replace the electronic reader.

According to researchers involved, this new device never requires programming, software upgrades, or batteries. It will never interfere with navigation devices on aircraft. It is totally recyclable. It requires no additional hardware to operate. It comes in a convenient variety of sizes and there are many topics avaiable in this new format. It is impervious to dropping and electrostatic discharge.

[The Straight Story]

25. Doesn't it use trees, and gas to haul the trees and cut them down?

;)

[ddeclue]

31. Trees are a renewable resource and theoretically no it doesn't require gas.

You could use wood alchohol from the same trees.

:P

[The Straight Story]

37. You had me at alcohol

:)

[Lucian]

30. I can fit 1,500 books on my Kindle...

[ddeclue]

32. And you can't read any of them when the batteries go dead..

:rofl:

[Lucian]

42. That's what the charger is for.

;)

[ddeclue]

44. Why yes..there's an electrical socket right there on that tree!

:rofl:

[Touchdown]

100. There's this new thing they have called a... get this...a car charger!

Amazing what they think of these days!

Besides to get to your meadow with that tree, you have to use a few of these...



:rofl:

[wtmusic]

108. Seems like a lot of trouble to go through just to read a book. nt

[Political Heretic]

127. It's actually far more convenient than a book.

Lighter, more mobile, I can take 15 (often do for research) in my satchel without breaking my back.

Sadly, I don't have access to one anymore.... was my friends, I'm too poor to afford that sort of stuff for now.

[ddeclue]

122. sez you..

:P

[anigbrowl]

56. Oh no...where will we get electricity in this modern world?

You've heard of things like portable solar panels and hand-cranked charging devices, yes? They're quite the in thing.

I like my physical books...but they take up a lot of space, and paper takes up a lot of trees. Just think how much we would save if we simply moved to electronic textbooks.

[havocmom]

68. I LOVE my portable solar charger!

All the teens in my hood think it's so cool that an old lady is using solar for her portable devices! Now, if I just knew more about what the devices could do.... I SO need a 12 year old grand-kid for tech support!

[MadHound]

109. Just think of how many heavy metals we're putting into the environment

Along with other nasty chemicals that come from the production and disposal of those rechargeable batteries.

There are payoffs and drawbacks to every such decision, the thing to do is balance them out and find which is greater.

[anigbrowl]

125. I did, and so did the manufacturers

California has such stringent environmental regulations that to sell anything electronic here you now need to show how you're going to deal with it when the time comes for recycling. Most manufacturers priced that kind of thing in some time ago. I'm pretty confident that the economic impact of something like a kindle is a lot lower than that of printing all the books the thing can store.

[Touchdown]

99. Neither can you without a bigger house.

There's a reason "Libraries" only come in mansions.;)

[Retrograde]

119. I beg to differ

My previous 900 sq ft house had a kitchen, bathroom, bedroom, combo living room/dining room - and a library. The seller called it a second bedroom, but we knew better. The books still took over the house, though.

Both technologies have their places: I like the electronic format for trips and for reference, but it doesn't beat curling up with a good, well-made book on a gloomy day.

[ddeclue]

123. Actually libraries come in ...wait for it.. libraries...

Ask Ben Franklin...

:P

[whistler162]

110. Yup... after two weeks of reading without recharging

the battery will be dead.

[ddeclue]

124. And I'll still be reading my books with Wilson the beach ball while

you'll have a very expensive paperweight.

:P

[whistler162]

126. Okay makes zero sense!

Don't get this either or mentality of so many.

[Touchdown]

129. Reference to Castaway with Tom Hanks, except Wilson is a volleyball.

:P

[southernyankeebelle]

27. Are you kidding? That is the sale price and I just bought one for my hubby for christmas.

It was actually over $300.00 I think. Really if you can get it and you really like to read its worth it. When you pay less than $10.00 a book. Of course they forget to tell you about the program you have to get. I am not sure how much it is. But you can't download anything unless you get the whisper download. I think thats what it is.

[havocmom]

46. May have to get a Kindle 'cuz they are cheaper than adding rooms to the house

Out of book case space, I am.

[laundry_queen]

118. That's the main reason I want one.

I have no more shelves, no more space or $$ for shelves and have books in boxes with no place to go. I donated some but I HATE giving my books away. I love books. A Kindle would allow me to store everything in a tiny space. Can't afford one right now, but I'm waiting until the price comes down...wayyyyy down. Hopefully the download prices will come down too. Don't want to pay twice for a book I already have, ya know?

[tblue37]

133. I donated 700 books to the library in 2005, and I STILL have books piled in every nook and cranny of

my little apartment. Yes, indeed, I will get an e-reader as soon as they become a bit more affordable!

[MyNameGoesHere]

50. That is part of the service and it

does not cost extra.

[housewolf]

28. It was $359 until very recently

Only a few weeks ago they dropped the price from $359 TO $259. $359 is what they initially offered the Kindle at when they introduced the device a year and a half ago or so. They sold tons of them at $359.

[keep_it_real]

34. Seems like we are divided into 2 people:

Those who can afford Kindle & those who can not. A sign of the times.

[Roland99]

64. 3) Those who wouldn't use one no matter if it was free

[Lucian]

29. I love the Kindle 2.

But now I'm hitting myself in the head for not waiting for the Barnes & Noble nook (http://www.barnesandnoble.com/nook/index.asp?cds2Pid=30919). There's over a million books available for the nook, and it's not even out on the market yet! There's only ~380,000 books for the Kindle. x(

[Codeine]

39. That touchscreen makes me worry about battery life.

Do touchscreen have a longer life than buttons? Which wears out most quickly?

[Lucian]

41. Seems like the touch screen has a shorter battery life.

According to the nook's website, the battery lasts up to ten days (emphasis mine) and the Kindle's lasts up to two weeks, of course the wireless is off in both cases.

[Codeine]

43. That's far less difference than I'd have guessed.

The Nook looks better and better.

[Lucian]

48. It does look better.

I think when I get money, I'm going to ditch the Kindle and go with the Nook. But the crappy part is that the books I already bought on Amazon won't transfer over to the Nook. x(

[Democrat 4 Ever]

107. Amazon now offers a free "Kindle" software download so you

can download Kindle books straight to your computer. I have installed the software onto my laptop, downloaded a book to just get an idea if I liked reading books from a screen and found it very easy on the eyes and did not slow down my the reading of the book - in fact it seem faster - was wondering if I received a "Reader's Digest" version. I really like it. Was amazed at the speed of the download. Literally seconds on my wireless connect. And I saved the cost of a Kindle. So far a thumbs up.

That said, I'm a print junkie. I love the feel, the smell, the words on a page dancing at me. I love everything about holding a book and reading anytime, anywhere. I just accept that maybe this will be a better way to get books and the future waits for no one.

[DU GrovelBot]

33. ## PLEASE DONATE TO DEMOCRATIC UNDERGROUND! ##

This week is our fourth quarter 2009 fund drive. Democratic Underground is
a completely independent website. We depend on donations from our members
to cover our costs. Please take a moment to donate! Thank you!

[ddeclue]

38. Grovelbot wants a Kendal for Christmas! Please donate so he can afford one!

:D

[havocmom]

47. or a date with a Ken Doll?

[heppcatt]

36. mp3 player and audiobooks

Much better then focusing on that small print on a screen.

[havocmom]

40. cuz if you don't spend a lot on one, you might buy one of brand x too

and Amazon wouldn't be your sole book vendor.

[MyNameGoesHere]

51. You can load other books from other sources on it.

Gutenberg press for one.

[havocmom]

58. Ah, good to hear, cuz I was told otherwise

and figured why would I want one under that restraint

[Prometheus Bound]

45. I don't think these e-readers make sense.

At least from a textbook perspective.

- Some you can't make notes on or highlight.
- Some you pay only about 12% less than the printed book.
- Some you only own the book for 6 months
- You can't keep the book for future reference
- You can't resell it
- Battery waste is a huge problem
- Battery recharging everyday increases electricity usage
- Technology changes so fast, you won't be able to resell the one you buy today, so you'll probably end up throwing it in the trash with all of its toxic elements.

[havocmom]

49. ah, but you CAN make notations on the Kindle

That is the only advantage it has over Nook for me. Havocdad would probably do better with the Nook, as he just reads for recreation, and touch screen works better for him than itty bitty keyboards. ;)

[Codeine]

53. The description ofthe Nook says you can mark it up too.

"nook makes it easy to bookmark, highlight passages, or make notes – plus, look up words mid-sentence using the built-in dictionary. Use Reading Now, your virtual bookmark, to bring you back to the last book you've read, right where you left off. If you forget your nook at home and are stuck on a bus, keep on reading with your iPhone™ or BlackBerry®, using Barnes & Noble’s free eReader software."

Might not have any advantage now. :)

[Prometheus Bound]

62. OK, more problems then

Different readers may have different format, so if one textbook isn't readable on your reader you'd have a problem.

E-textbooks have different pagination from printed books, making classwork difficult if some are using paper books.

Students forget to charge their batteries at night and so have no book in class.

If you don't have an up-to-date e-reader or software, a textbook you buy in the future may not be readable.

[havocmom]

65. no textbooks for me. I just read stuff I like to make notes on

College kids will just have to suck it up and use some self discipline to remember to charge their readers. That is fine with me. Responsibility is part of the gig.

[Prometheus Bound]

72. Do you get to keep the books or is there a time limit?

[nadinbrzezinski]

88. I got to keep me books

and I have an IPOD. I use the Kindle reader, I can make notations and highlight.

I have the stanza reader, same deal... and all the gutemberg library is open to me.

If I were going back to college I'd invest in an e-reader in a new york second. Why? I carry a pretty hefty library already on my readers, raning from reference to the least books. and you know what? My back thanks me for it.

Oh and if need be I can read some of them on my laptop too, using PDF. which is now quite common across the enterprise.

[Touchdown]

101. Microsoft and Apple are going to answer all of your dashes.

dual 7' screen Microsoft Courier


Still un-named 10" Apple tablet device...

[Taverner]

54. If Amazon wanted to make serious long term cash with this thing - they'd GIVE them away

Or sell them so cheap that everyone had one

And they would make them capable of reading pdfs

[keep_it_real]

57. There you go. Now we're talking. That's the idea!

Why can't Amazon just give the Kindle away?

[Taverner]

61. They should! Set up a table at Barnes and Noble or Amazon and have them sell...

One Kindle with whatever eBook they buy, as an alternative to buying an actual book

[Solomon]

82. They just did by giving you the Kindle PC downlaod for

free.

[nadinbrzezinski]

90. You got an IPOD? It is free

[anigbrowl]

59. They probably will, too

oh, and they do read pdfs now. I don't have one, I'm waiting for the plastic logic thing next year. But they put pdf support int he kindle DX.

[Codeine]

60. They kinda read PDFs.

There's a format change that can lose some elements of the doc, however.

The newest Kindle (the DX) has native PDF support, but it's an expensive machine. Presumably all Kindles here on out will incorporate a PDF reader as part of their standard features.

[nadinbrzezinski]

89. They already can read PDFs

By the way, my "reader" is an Ipod touch with several readers.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

94. There's a serious problem with that business model.

What you're suggesting is something akin to the model used for mobile phones. In that business model, the hardware is sold at a loss (or given away) and the cost of the hardware is recouped in the monthly subscription charges. The difference with the Kindle is that there is no monthly charge. You only pay for the books that you buy. So let's imagine that the Kindle was given away for free. If you buy enough books for Amazon to recoup the cost of giving away the Kindle, then Amazon wins. If you don't, Amazon loses. And since the device is free, there's no reason *not* to own one.

Were they to simply give the device away for free, they would only ever make money on those devices that were used to download a lot of content. All of the infrequently used Kindles would basically amount to money down the drain for Amazon. So Amazon's game with the pricing of the Kindle is to price it high enough so that you'll only buy one if you intend to use it seriously, but low enough so that it's accessible to the majority of people who will want to use such a device seriously.

I also suspect that at the current price point they are likely losing money on the hardware anyway.

[Taverner]

135. How about a draw?

Say, charge a lesser fee for them. Say $40.

[Cessna Invesco Palin]

137. I suspect it will get to that point eventually.

Give it another one or two iterations of the technology. We're really still in the early adopter phase of e-ink based products.

[Roland99]

63. You couldn't PAY me to use one of those. Nothing can replace an actual BOOK!

[havocmom]

66. I feel that way too, but am practical enough to recognize my house is small

and we are already sinking the foundation due to the books ;)

[Roland99]

78. Just spread them around to ease the load

;)

[havocmom]

79. Already done. And crates of them in the basement

Problem is the soil here... it sucks. It sucks rocks, gravel, concrete footings, pickup trucks... The weight of the books is dragging the house down. Already had to jack part of it up and reinforce the footings....

It sucks, I tells ya! x(

[ginnyinWI]

74. what's nice is when you travel.

You can bring just the Kindle and have your choice of many things to read. And if you don't like anything, you can download something new. With its case, mine weighs about a pound.

[Roland99]

77. That's not the point. I could put stuff on a laptop if I wanted to.

The point is this is something that could lead to the death of traditional publishing (much like newspapers going away due to the internet).

I can't sit back in my living room and gaze upon my library if it's all sitting in one little electronic device.

I can't loan an e-reader to a friend and still read any of my other books.

I can't sit poolside or on the beach read without glare.

I can't have that book smell and the feel of the pages in my fingers.



I'm far from anti-gadget (I'm a software developer) but some things just don't need to be made more convenient or more accessible.

Have we seen news coverage or content improve along with the speed of reporting and ease of access? If anything, the opposite has occurred. The typical 48hr news window wherein after 48hrs we tend to know what really happened is now replaced by the 48-second spree of speculation.

[ginnyinWI]

91. we still need books.

Just because we have Kindle and other ebooks doesn't mean paper books become obsolete. Any book that relies on photographs isn't a good Kindle subject. Nor are children's books which usually have a lot of pictures. Anything with a chart or graph is hard to do on a Kindle. We have need for a certain amount of decorative books, coffee table books, and other types. We'll still get our local paper seven days a week, even though it has just come out on Kindle. Why? Because we want to see the ads from local stores, and there are no ads on the Kindle version.

Ebooks are just one additional way to read.

[Touchdown]

102. Photo books, glossy magazines & Comic books will be arriving on this soon

Conde 'Nast publishing is already working on a Apple Tablet version of Wired. Can National Geographic be far behind? Disney has already bought Marvel Comics and is gearing up for digital versions of their comics for this thing. Children's books? Maybe not for the rumored $700 price tag, but this thing is also a multi use computer as well.

[tonysam]

75. +1,000

I prefer the real thing, too.

[wtmusic]

76. Paper/leather in your hands

Picking it up and reading (without turning anything on)
Recharging unnecessary
Twice the resolution (300 dpi vs. 170)
Two pages in front of you at any given time, vs. 1

They're killing half the experience.

[ginnyinWI]

103. My Kindle has a red leather cover.

When I open it and fold back the cover, the inside has a suede lining that grips onto my knee and keeps it from sliding off. I use one thumb to turn the pages (it has both a right and a left-handed page turning button. I have a choice of six fonts. I can only read one page at a time, so why do I need to see two of them?

I would like everyone in this thread to reserve judgement until they actually have a chance to use one. Then they can speak from experience.

[wtmusic]

104. Fair enough

You make good points Ginny in WI

:thumbsup:

[Roland99]

136. Good luck collecting a first edition or an autographed copy....

or anything else that one can enjoy by virtue of owning a REAL book and not some impersonal, wired, energy-requiring device.



But, hey, who needs libraries anyway? They're just another tool of the socialists.

[Solomon]

83. You're really cracking me up. You just don't realize

that one day, everybody, including you will be using the damn things. LOL

To hear you talking like you're doing is like saying I'll never use a telephone cause I can just write a letter or yell across the street.

Believe me. It's the wave of the future, like it or not. When they get cheap it will be stupid not to have one.

[wtmusic]

105. Reading is not just a matter of convenience

and there's a pretty good argument that paper is often more convenient anyway.

I have a paper address book, and I used to race a client with a PDA to find someone's phone number. I kicked his ass every time.

[comrade snarky]

111. Damn Gutenberg and his moving type!

I tell ya it's the end of real books!

When I open a tome I want to feel the velum. Paper, bah! Real books are made of lamb. What about the manuscript illuminators? It's just not the same if the first letter ain't fancy!

[ginnyinWI]

112. LOL! n/t

:rofl:

[DevinKline]

97. +1 n/t

[Touchdown]

130. BAH! Reading hasn't been the same since the abandonment of parchment!

Keep your newfangled 18th century fad! I'm old school!:P

[kixat2550]

69. what a ripoff

[LeftyMom]

71. I could see getting one for textbooks.

The first back problem I didn't have as the result of lugging the damned things around would make it worthwhile for me.

Plus, I'm going to be honest here, once most of them are electronic bright people will get down to business breaking any included DRM and I'll be able to find most/all of them for free, thus saving a metric fuckton of money.

[aikoaiko]

84. Its already paid for itself by my wife NOT buying books after reading free chapters.

If you read new books, especially hardbacks, enough it pays for itself pretty quickly.

[X_Digger]

87. We love ours so much, we bought a second one

After my wife got her hands on it, I never saw the first one again.

Kindle DRM has been cracked, you can download files to your PC and always have them available.

Since it has a web browser, I set up a website on our local network for downloading books. I collect them from gutenberg and other free e-book sites in various formats that the kindle reads. I have over 8,000 e-books on my own server that we download from.

[DevinKline]

96. The real money is in selling the "books" I'm sure...

I'm pretty sure that's how it works with Playstations/etc anyway (i.e. sell the box at relatively slim profit margin and make a killing on the games), and I wouldn't be surprised in the slightest if that's Amazon's model with the Kindle.

That said, it would be interesting to get one and take it apart. A lot of the board level components I would suspect are in a Kindle are not that costly...

[DemBones DemBones]

113. But $9.99 is cheap for a book and

you don't end up with piles of books all over the house, yet can store 1500 books on a Kindle. I think the Nook may store more.

E-readers are also a godsend for people who have trouble holding books and turning pages because of arthritis in their hands, CP, etc.

I haven't decided whether to get one or not, will go look at the Nook when Barnes & Noble gets them back in stock, the first run having sold out already. But I can see the plusses and people who have them love them.

[Hannah Bell]

114. the books = 9.99 & no printing cost. bingo.

[DemBones DemBones]

116. Yes, it's more profit for them but on the other hand

BOMC2 (formerly Zooba) sells books for $9.99, shipping included, and many sellers, like Amazon, discount pretty dramatically so that many books are between $10-11, so there are other inexpensive options for those who don't want to go to e-readers and/or who prefer "real" books.

I haven't decided whether to get an e-reader or not but another advantage I've thought of is that the 1500 e-books you can store would never get musty as old books made of paper do. I used to love the smell of old books but now it makes my eyes water, which makes it hard to read!

[Hannah Bell]

117. what margin do they make on the gutenberg library, public domain books

digitized with volunteer labor?

[pink-o]

115. I've been reading Ebooks since 2001, and I don't miss the dead-tree editions.

First, I got a "PDA", and HP Jornada--which quickly went the way of the dinosaur, when dear Carly fucked up the company. Then I got a Palm TX, which allowed me to travel with plenty of reading material, as well as the external keyboard, so I could travel and write my own stuff.

Now, I have the Iphone, and I can download new books from anywhere in the world with the Kindle APP, as well as EReader and a few others. The wireless download is awesome!

Most of my friends still love the feel of books, I hear it ad nauseum from them all the time. But when you're a traveler and you have to pack stuff into a carry-on to avoid those stupid bag charges, ebooks are the way to go!

[Shagbark Hickory]

128. I got a better question. Who can afford a $1million 3br house in S.Central LA.

Or $3+ a gallon gas?

We got bigger problems.