Amazon Kindle E-Book Reader gets official

[Kaido]

Atiz has a consumer book ripper for $1500, which would be nice if you have a serious book collection:

http://www.engadget.com/2007/1...k-ripper-the-booksnap/

I really like the idea of digitally-stored multimedia. Right now I have all of my CDs in MP3 format on my computer, which I can download to my iPod and play with headphones, in my car, or hooked up to my stereo. My movies are all stored digitally on a NAS and played back using modded Xboxes. With an E-book reader, theoritically all of my books could be digitized for instant searching and perusal. My living room is nice and clean...all I have is the TV and Xbox for music/movie playback. No CDs or DVDs lying around, no searching to find the one I want to listen to, no losing them or scratching them, no mess. Going even further, plasmas/LCDs and digital picture frames can provide a useful outlet for rotating artwork and pictures that you'd never otherwise see.

So what do I do with all my bookshelves now?

 

[ed21x]

for $99, i can get this:

http://www.palm.com/us/product...ndhelds/z22/index.html

which is better in every possible way except for maybe battery life.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: Kaido
So what do I do with all my bookshelves now?

Knick-knacks?

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: ed21x
for $99, i can get this:

http://www.palm.com/us/product...ndhelds/z22/index.html

which is better in every possible way except for maybe battery life.

Except that the screen is tiny and you'll get eyestrain from staring at a screen with a backlight for hours on end

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Kaido
So what do I do with all my bookshelves now?

Knick-knacks?

The only downside is my life disappears when the power goes out :laugh:

 

[AgaBoogaBoo]

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
$10 per book?!?!?
That's outrageous.

Have you been to a retail book store lately?

So? It should be less for an electronic equivalent. No transportation costs, manufacturing costs, etc...
It's twice what it should be.

Look at the benefit to the consumer though, you don't have to drive to a store anymore, wait for the product to ship (once you have this item), and it's convenient to use.

You're paying for the internet connection and the content as well, and the internet connection is coming at no monthly cost, so there will be a premium attached to that alone.

Why should this be priced based on costs? It should be priced based on what consumers will pay.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
$10 per book?!?!?
That's outrageous.

Have you been to a retail book store lately?

So? It should be less for an electronic equivalent. No transportation costs, manufacturing costs, etc...
It's twice what it should be.

Look at the benefit to the consumer though, you don't have to drive to a store anymore, wait for the product to ship (once you have this item), and it's convenient to use.

You're paying for the internet connection and the content as well, and the internet connection is coming at no monthly cost, so there will be a premium attached to that alone.

Why should this be priced based on costs? It should be priced based on what consumers will pay.

I think that people will have a harder time understanding the convenience of digitally storing a book than say a game, dvd, or audio track. If you read a lot though it would be a super-nice convenience. If I need a book right away, I look for it on Amazon and then drive 15 minutes to the nearest Barnes and Noble and ask a rep to help me find it. So being able to buy a book anywhere, anytime is pretty nice.

 

[nakedfrog]

Originally posted by: AgaBoogaBoo

Originally posted by: nakedfrog

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
$10 per book?!?!?
That's outrageous.

Have you been to a retail book store lately?

So? It should be less for an electronic equivalent. No transportation costs, manufacturing costs, etc...
It's twice what it should be.

Look at the benefit to the consumer though, you don't have to drive to a store anymore, wait for the product to ship (once you have this item), and it's convenient to use.

You're paying for the internet connection and the content as well, and the internet connection is coming at no monthly cost, so there will be a premium attached to that alone.

Why should this be priced based on costs? It should be priced based on what consumers will pay.

And I'm saying that as a consumer, I'm not willing to pay more than $5

 

[dougp]

Originally posted by: George P Burdell
For $400 I would rather buy a Nokia N810 Tablet

And BINGO was his name-o. I'd rather have an internet tablet than this - may not have as long of battery life, but it'd do a lot more and look better doing it.

 

[George P Burdell]

Originally posted by: Kaido
So far I've heard a lot of complaints...what would be YOUR perfect e-book reader? I think mine would have:

-EV-DO/3G, Wifi, Bluetooth, and USB connectivity
-SDHC support (not sure if the Kindle does those)
-Full-color, sunlight-readable screen with adjustable backlight for reading in the dark
-Multi-touch for easy navigation
-Pressure-sensitive pen (Wacom-style)
-Full web support

Add GPS to that list and you get the Nokia N810. With MUCH better battery life. And Mozilla. And instant messaging. And open source software.

 

[jmgonzalez]

I went ahead and bought one

My wife orders 5-8 books a week from amazon and barnes&noble and I have been asking her to go towards ebooks

I have enough books in storage (and in my walk in closet) that this is exactly what I need her to use

I'm an early supporter of new gadgets and she'll get a lot of use from this

I almost bought the Sony Book Reader last night, but decided not to at the last minute

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: jmgonzalez
I went ahead and bought one

My wife orders 5-8 books a week from amazon and barnes&noble and I have been asking her to go towards ebooks

I have enough books in storage (and in my walk in closet) that this is exactly what I need her to use

I'm an early supporter of new gadgets and she'll get a lot of use from this

I almost bought the Sony Book Reader last night, but decided not to at the last minute

Snag a 2GB SD card from Amazon for $20 shipped: (5-star rating, approx. 2300 books)

http://www.newegg.com/Product/...x?Item=N82E16820134029

I ordered one as well. I hate being an early adopter since I don't like first-gen products, but I read a lot and this looks pretty decent. Plus it seems pretty hard to screw up since all it does is display black-and-white print on an E-ink screen. I'll review it when it arrives later this week

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: SarcasticDwarf

Originally posted by: Pabster

Originally posted by: nakedfrog
$10 per book?!?!?
That's outrageous.

Have you been to a retail book store lately?

Hardcover is over $10, but paperback are generally $6.99-$8.99. If you read mostly paperback (fiction) you are paying far more.

Mass market paperbacks are $6.99 - $8.99. Trade paperbacks are $15+. If this thing approximates the experience of reading a trade paperback or hardcover book (larger text), $9.99 isn't too bad.

 

[DaveSimmons]

Post some follow up impressions when you have yours, I'm interested in this.

From the manual PDF it looks like you can transfer text and unprotected mobipocket files directly from a PC without paying Amazon, which means all of Project Gutenberg and other non-DRM ebooks like from Baen.com

It also seems handy for reference text since you can use the keyboard to type search strings. I'd probably use that feature for gamefaqs.com content more than anything else

I might just get an Asus eeee or Nokia 810 instead though, since both are also tiny but also work as general-purpose computers.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Post some follow up impressions when you have yours, I'm interested in this.

From the manual PDF it looks like you can transfer text and unprotected mobipocket files directly from a PC without paying Amazon, which means all of Project Gutenberg and other non-DRM ebooks like from Baen.com

It also seems handy for reference text since you can use the keyboard to type search strings. I'd probably use this more for gamefaqs.com content than anything else

I might just get an Asus eeee or Nokia 810 instead though, since both are also tiny but also work as general-purpose computers.

I wonder if it has a mobipocket PID, so it could be added to a library account. If you can add it to one, that ups its value in my book. I still hate that the Kindle books are locked to the Kindle devices.

EDIT: Oh wait, unprotected mobi only...fucking lame.

 

[mugs]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
It also seems handy for reference text since you can use the keyboard to type search strings. I'd probably use that feature for gamefaqs.com content more than anything else

Ooooh, good idea. I assume this thing can handle PDFs too?

 

[DaveSimmons]

I wonder if it has a mobipocket PID, so it could be added to a library account. If you can add it to one, that ups its value in my book. I still hate that the Kindle books are locked to the Kindle devices.

The manual says specifically only non-DRM mobipocket, I'm guessing what you're talking about is DRM content.

Ooooh, good idea. I assume this thing can handle PDFs too?

No PDF without using a converter or paying Amazon to convert to Kindle native format

"You can add Kindle compatible files to these directories, and you can copy, move, or delete the files that are already there. The computer file formats that you can read or listen to on your Kindle are listed below: ? Kindle (.AZW) ? Text (.TXT) ? Unprotected Mobipocket (.MOBI, .PRC) ? Audible (.AA) ? MP3 (.MP3)

Tip: Mobipocket files must have no Digital Rights Management (DRM) protection applied to be readable on your Kindle. If you purchased a Mobipocket file from a Mobipocket retailer, you will not be able to open the file on your Kindle."

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons

I wonder if it has a mobipocket PID, so it could be added to a library account. If you can add it to one, that ups its value in my book. I still hate that the Kindle books are locked to the Kindle devices.

The manual says specifically only non-DRM mobipocket, I'm guessing what you're talking about is DRM content.

Yep...lame.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: DaveSimmons
Post some follow up impressions when you have yours, I'm interested in this.

From the manual PDF it looks like you can transfer text and unprotected mobipocket files directly from a PC without paying Amazon, which means all of Project Gutenberg and other non-DRM ebooks like from Baen.com

It also seems handy for reference text since you can use the keyboard to type search strings. I'd probably use that feature for gamefaqs.com content more than anything else

I might just get an Asus eeee or Nokia 810 instead though, since both are also tiny but also work as general-purpose computers.

Will do! I have an iPhone, which is why I wasn't interested in the Nokia 810 or EEE laptop - it handles calls, emails, RSS, maps, notes, calendar, etc., so I really wasn't looking for a multi-purpose device. The iPhone screen is the best I've ever seen on a portable, but it's just not meant for reading for long periods of time. For RSS and basic web lookups it's great, but I'm really anxious to try out this E-Ink stuff. Having a searchable library is a major feature for me as well.

I hope someone posts a disassembly tutorial, I've got some black vinyl dye with Kindle's name on it

 

[pmoa]

This thinkg should be called kindling....Should be thrown into the fire with the rest of the books. Could have a better design

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: pmoa
This thinkg should be called kindling....Should be thrown into the fire with the rest of the books. Could have a better design

What would you change about the design?

 

[UNCjigga]

Originally posted by: loup garou
$400 and then ebooks cost more than paperbacks? Retarded.

Most ebooks appear to be $9.99, which is cheaper than most paperbacks.

eink display and it only gets 30hrs battery life? Retarded.

30hrs with wireless on, 1 week with wireless off. Not too bad.

No backlight? Retarded.

eink...it doesn't need a backlight

Browsing the web on a B&W eink display? Retarded.

Agreed...unless its just wikipedia. It would be useful to be able to lookup certain naval words or terms in Wiki while reading "Master and Commander" series for example.

I think this is a great device, but it will never sell in numbers for $399. I would only buy a dedicated ebook reader if it were $99 or less. I think the highest you can charge for this device is $199.

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: UNCjigga

Originally posted by: loup garou
$400 and then ebooks cost more than paperbacks? Retarded.

Most ebooks appear to be $9.99, which is cheaper than most paperbacks.

eink display and it only gets 30hrs battery life? Retarded.

30hrs with wireless on, 1 week with wireless off. Not too bad.

No backlight? Retarded.

eink...it doesn't need a backlight

Browsing the web on a B&W eink display? Retarded.

Agreed...unless its just wikipedia. It would be useful to be able to lookup certain naval words or terms in Wiki while reading "Master and Commander" series for example.

I think this is a great device, but it will never sell in numbers for $399. I would only buy a dedicated ebook reader if it were $99 or less. I think the highest you can charge for this device is $199.

$10 cheaper than most paperbacks? Where are you buying your books?
Battery specs weren't fleshed out last night, all that was available was the 30 hour number.
Thank goodness you can turn off the wireless, that makes much more sense.
I know that e-ink is opaque and traditional backlight technology isn't usable with it, but some sort of built in lighting would be better than nothing, IMO.

As I've said repeatedly, my major beef isn't with the hardware, that'll change, improve and become cheaper. It's that we're seeing yet another start-to-finish lock-in of a medium.

 

[Kaido]

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: UNCjigga

Originally posted by: loup garou
$400 and then ebooks cost more than paperbacks? Retarded.

Most ebooks appear to be $9.99, which is cheaper than most paperbacks.

eink display and it only gets 30hrs battery life? Retarded.

30hrs with wireless on, 1 week with wireless off. Not too bad.

No backlight? Retarded.

eink...it doesn't need a backlight

Browsing the web on a B&W eink display? Retarded.

Agreed...unless its just wikipedia. It would be useful to be able to lookup certain naval words or terms in Wiki while reading "Master and Commander" series for example.

I think this is a great device, but it will never sell in numbers for $399. I would only buy a dedicated ebook reader if it were $99 or less. I think the highest you can charge for this device is $199.

$10 cheaper than most paperbacks? Where are you buying your books?
Battery specs weren't fleshed out last night, all that was available was the 30 hour number.
Thank goodness you can turn off the wireless, that makes much more sense.
I know that e-ink is opaque and traditional backlight technology isn't usable with it, but some sort of built in lighting would be better than nothing, IMO.

As I've said repeatedly, my major beef isn't with the hardware, that'll change, improve and become cheaper. It's that we're seeing yet another start-to-finish lock-in of a medium.

What other choice do they have? If you spent years and years writing a book, would you sell it to a company that would make the format freely available to anyone who wants it with no restrictions? If that was the case you could download it once and then share it with whoever you want. From a business standpoint that makes no sense. I don't understand how iTunes does it with their DRM-free iTunes Plus material (but I like it!). My only qualm is that they don't let you load DRM-free material onto it, like your own PDFs and DOCs. Why should I pay 10 cents for something I already own?

 

[loup garou]

Originally posted by: Kaido

Originally posted by: loup garou

Originally posted by: UNCjigga

Originally posted by: loup garou
$400 and then ebooks cost more than paperbacks? Retarded.

Most ebooks appear to be $9.99, which is cheaper than most paperbacks.

eink display and it only gets 30hrs battery life? Retarded.

30hrs with wireless on, 1 week with wireless off. Not too bad.

No backlight? Retarded.

eink...it doesn't need a backlight

Browsing the web on a B&W eink display? Retarded.

Agreed...unless its just wikipedia. It would be useful to be able to lookup certain naval words or terms in Wiki while reading "Master and Commander" series for example.

I think this is a great device, but it will never sell in numbers for $399. I would only buy a dedicated ebook reader if it were $99 or less. I think the highest you can charge for this device is $199.

$10 cheaper than most paperbacks? Where are you buying your books?
Battery specs weren't fleshed out last night, all that was available was the 30 hour number.
Thank goodness you can turn off the wireless, that makes much more sense.
I know that e-ink is opaque and traditional backlight technology isn't usable with it, but some sort of built in lighting would be better than nothing, IMO.

As I've said repeatedly, my major beef isn't with the hardware, that'll change, improve and become cheaper. It's that we're seeing yet another start-to-finish lock-in of a medium.

What other choice do they have? If you spent years and years writing a book, would you sell it to a company that would make the format freely available to anyone who wants it with no restrictions? If that was the case you could download it once and then share it with whoever you want. From a business standpoint that makes no sense. I don't understand how iTunes does it with their DRM-free iTunes Plus material (but I like it!). My only qualm is that they don't let you load DRM-free material onto it, like your own PDFs and DOCs. Why should I pay 10 cents for something I already own?

As I said, a common software platform that runs on many devices. Mobipocket is a common, popular format which offers DRM restrictions and has clients for PCs and most portable devices. You can use several devices with your account and libraries lend in the mobipocket format FOR FREE, books expire after a set lending period. There are a reasonable amount of publishing houses available, but nothing like what Amazon will wield.