eBooks redux
Posted on November 19, 2007
Filed Under All, Photos, Technology |
The Kindle eBook reader from Amazon is very similar to Sony’s e-ink reader, but it has a full time wireless connection via Amazon Whispernet which rides on Sprint’s EVDO network.
The 600×800 display is housed in a 10.3 ounce device. The UI is apparent, simple and easy to use. You can choose from some 80,000 books for $9.99, as well as newspapers, magazines, blogs and other content.
The only drawback I can see is price: like the Sony, Kindle is $400, kind of a tough price point. I think $199 (or less) is where these things may begin to take off. Kindle handles audio - for audiobooks, says the online blurb, but you can imagine Amazon selling music and other digital goods to Kindle users in the future. I wonder what OS is running Mr. Kindle…
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2 Responses to “eBooks redux”
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Jeff is doing a much better job marketing it than Sony did. “Is there a way to get the motions and experiences I love from books” Americans love copy like that. Still remarkable that after Apple showed the PDA wannabes what people wanted, and that they should make what they know people want, someone offered this plastic monstrosity.
Marketing - Kindle is certainly more visible now than Sony’s device ever was. Be interesting to see what they do going forward.
Design - I think they got the physical factors right - size and weight - but this isn’t an Apple-like Wow! device… better design would have made the $400 price more palatable - and I think there is a market of book - not PDA - users that might be tempted by this device.