Comments on: Two Great Ideas For The Kindle

By: Kassia Krozser

Kassia Krozser — Sat, 26 Jul 2008 04:19:39 +0000

G. Elizabeth, the price will drop as demand increases. Early adopters know they’re going to spend more only to be able to purchase an item for far less in the future. That’s good — those who can afford it now are funding innovation and development.

As the price drops, I think more schools will see the benefits of buying a Kindle/other e-reader rather than paying for hard copy books. Over the long run, ebooks are far more cost effective.

By: G. Elizabeth

G. Elizabeth — Fri, 25 Jul 2008 20:11:03 +0000

Kindle sounds amazing, but what if people don’t want to have to spend $4oo dollars. I mean, if you are a kid and you want one but can’t because you don’t have enough money.

By: Living By Learning

Living By Learning — Wed, 12 Dec 2007 20:04:26 +0000

Already, I’m hearing from parents who are hoping the Kindle will inspire reluctant readers. I predict that, within two years, this will be the “hot” holiday gift.

I love the potential of the Kindle, but I wonder how do you underline and tag interesting passages?

By: Kristen O

Kristen O — Wed, 05 Dec 2007 18:05:58 +0000

You’re so right about the textbooks – making them available on Kindle would be the best way to get young people to adopt them. It justifies the cost, and once people have the basic device, it’s easy to adjust to using it for everyday book purchases.

By: Kirk

Kirk — Fri, 30 Nov 2007 03:09:11 +0000

Joe:

You’re absolutely right. The difference is that consumers were demanding a portable solution for playing mp3 files prior to the iPod release. Apple capitalized on that demand.

Amazon has a harder sell with the Kindle. Most consumers aren’t aware of ebooks. To the average book buyer, Kindle looks like a solution in search of a problem.

Lower the price of the device and the titles, and consumers will start to see the value. In the meantime, Kindle is clearly for early adopters who can afford to $400 on an experimental ebook reader.

By: Joe Wikert

Joe Wikert — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 21:37:22 +0000

The one thing we all need to keep in mind when talking about the Kindle is that it’s truly a version 1.0 product. IOW, there will be future versions of this that will make this one look silly. Consider the iPod. Compare the iPhone technology of today to the original iPod from 2001. There’s almost no comparison.

Yes, I agree that the original iPod approached design perfection and the Kindle is far from that standard. My point is that Amazon will learn plenty from this first offering and you can bet they’ll improve on it down the road. I just hope they figure out a way to lower the price while also adding in much-needed functionality…

By: Susan

Susan — Wed, 28 Nov 2007 15:55:41 +0000

Of all the things I am LEAST concerned about, it’s saving trees. Trees are a renewable resource. They are purposely GROWN to be used for pulp, wood, Christmas trees, etc. So, let’s stop weeping for the trees, huh?

On the other hand, saving space and backs — that’s something I can get behind. (Behind your back. snicker.)

Saving money, too. But as of yet, I have not seen much evidence of saving money by purchasing ebooks, since I can find most paperbacks for the same price or cheaper than an ebook, and that’s just WRONG. (Especially as publishers have long been weeping/wailing/gnashing their teeth over the costs of paper and ink as they raise the prices of mmpbs.)

By: Darla

Darla — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 23:55:53 +0000

I’m not a reviewer, but you’d think I was with all the books I have. I’d love to have all my books in e-book or audio book format. I like the idea of it. I tend to keep my books forever and this would be the best way to have them and not worry about them falling apart with age…not to mention it would save so many trees!

I’ve been watching the reader wars so to speak and will break down and get one when they finally come out with something that fits everything and dosen’t cost so much.

By: David Thayer

David Thayer — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 19:34:50 +0000

Everyone in Wellington Leg rushed out to buy a “Kendle” a cheap knockoff of the Kindle. Kendles
come stuffed with a little Mailer, a little Burgess
and the opening lines to Valley of the Dolls.

By: Shannon

Shannon — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 13:32:40 +0000

Great post. Amazon should hire you–it’s clear you’ve thought this through more than they have. I will always want my book books for my treasures, but for throwaway reads, travel, having something with me for those unexpected waits and research, a good e-book reader would be a godsend. Of course, it will need to be able to bookmark, annotate, clip, create references, all that great stuff, for it to be really viable.