Amazon started selling this ugly little device a while back called the Kindle. It's an e-reader, basically an electronic book. This isn't a new concept, it's just a concept that's largely failed. People don't like reading books on computers or computer like devices. They hurt the eyes.
Well, I've done some obsessive research on the Kindle and it turns out that it doesn't use a traditional computer screen where pixels turn different colors to create an image. Instead, it uses electrified pigments that are basically ink, which can be arranged to create an image that looks just like a page in a book. There's no backlight, so it's easier on your eyes, and you can read in the sun, or with the light in your room because there's no glare.
Okay, so what's the big deal? Why not just buy the book? Here's a few reasons:
- With the available memory the Kindle will hold 200 books. With an added memory card, you can hold much, much more.
- You can browse the Amazon library and download any book within a minute. Every purchase is backed up online so if you delete the book, you can redownload it later for free.
- You download the book directly from Amazon to the Kindle without the need for a computer, using Sprint's high speed data network. And you don't have to pay for the download service, just the book (of course, any data charges are probably hidden in the price of the book, but that's better than having to pay just to browse the store).
- Most book prices are cheaper than the hard copy book. Hardcovers are mostly $9.99, books that have been out a while can be $7 or cheaper.
- You can have up to six Kindles registered to an account. That means that me and Emily could both have one, and any purchase we make gets shared between the Kindles. So if I buy the next Stephanie Plum book, she has it for no extra charge on her device and we can read them at the same time.
- If you're on vacation, at an airport, or at home and have just finished a book and want it's sequel, you can buy it right then. No waiting, no trip to the store, no shipping and handling charge.
- Even after the recent price drop, the Kindle costs $359, or about a hundred more than I paid for my iPod (or $40 less than the iPhone).
- Most the books on my wish list aren't yet available on the Kindle. I'm sure Amazon, just like Apple, is having to negotiate with publishers to get books available on the device. The nice thing is they have a little "I want this on Kindle" button under each title so you can request the publisher make the book available.
- Rumors are that the next version of the Kindle will come out some time next year at a price of $249-$299. That seems a much better price for the device.
With the iTunes store, you could buy almost any song for 99 cents, or, an entire album for $9.99. That's much cheaper than going to the mall or even Wal-Mart for the CD. But the price drop wasn't what made the iPod fly, either. Even if you're saving $5 per CD, figuring you just spent $250 or so you wouldn't pay for the device until you'd bought about fifty albums.
But you could fit those fifty albums on one device that you could take anywhere. Apple bought loyalty to both the iPod, the store (iTunes), and more people than ever are buying Mac computers.
What will make or break the Kindle is the store. If Amazon can convince publishers to make books available in the electronic format for less than the paper version, they'll be able to lock in a certain demographic of customers.
Critics have said that the book market is not a growing market and Kindle won't create more readers. Well, duh. I doubt the iPod created more people willing to buy music rather than listen to the radio. What Kindle has the chance to do is get the people who read to read more, because it'll be more convenient to access the material.
I love reading, and I even like going to Barnes and Noble to browse books. I'm irritated, though, having to search for titles they may have in stock or try to determine whether or not I'll like the book. The business model that works for Amazon is that I can read the description of a book, read customer reviews, and even get suggestions on other books I might like based on what I own and what I look at on the site. The downside is shipping, which even on a used book is $3.99, and having to wait. Kindle takes out the shipping cost and the delay in getting your book.
So, ask me next year when the next version comes out, and I might let you take a look at mine.
5 comments:
Hmmm...interesting. I wonder how it's going to pan out. However, anticipating a book is half (okay maybe 1/4) the fun of reading it. And it's not as easy to turn to the last page. I just like to flip through the book sometimes too. And Apple is trying to take over the world. The end.
I, for one, bow to our fruity new overlords :)
I want one because I love new electronic gadgets. Plus, it will be much easier to slip into my bag and lighter than a book. However, I do love the feel of a book in my hands. I told Matt that if I read a book and LOVED it I would have to buy it to put on our shelves. The crazy thing is, this Kindle is just going to make me buy books more than once. Genius!
I like the feel of an actual book. Ink and paper. But I'm an English teacher, so I sort of should prefer it that way. It's just not as easy to curl up with a computer screen that looks like a book, but I see why it might have pluses.
There's nothing like the touch and smell of a real book, but I really like the conveniences of the Kindle, if it actually takes off. Like Em said, we'd probably pick up the hardcopy later, but we can go to Half Price Books for that. At least if I buy from Kindle I'm supporting the author because they don't get anything off used book sales.
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