Kindle 2!

Rico · February 09, 2009, 08:23:33 AM

Well, it's officially announced now - the Kindle 2, Amazon's book reader. Price to me is still too high at $359. On sale now for preorder. Lots of info here:

http://www.engadget.com/2009/02/09/live-from-amazons-kindle-2-press-conference/

Jen · February 09, 2009, 10:15:09 AM

I'd love to have one, but man is that expensive... It should do a lot more for that price. :D

Rico · February 09, 2009, 10:35:27 AM

Quote from: Jen on February 09, 2009, 10:15:09 AM
I'd love to have one, but man is that expensive... It should do a lot more for that price. :D

Lynn's been kind of wanting one, since she is a big reader. It's neat, but I also think the electronic books should in general cost less too. Many are still about the cost of a paperback book - for an electronic copy! They need to price the Kindle at about $100 - 150 to really get it to catch on big time. Heck, I can buy a Netbook for $350!

Jen · February 09, 2009, 10:40:59 AM

Quote from: Rico on February 09, 2009, 10:35:27 AM
Quote from: Jen on February 09, 2009, 10:15:09 AM
I'd love to have one, but man is that expensive... It should do a lot more for that price. :D

Lynn's been kind of wanting one, since she is a big reader. It's neat, but I also think the electronic books should in general cost less too. Many are still about the cost of a paperback book - for an electronic copy! They need to price the Kindle at about $100 - 150 to really get it to catch on big time. Heck, I can buy a Netbook for $350!

I know! There is no printing involved, which is where the cost comes in with paperback and hardback novels. Why are they so high?

I think this device is priced like this because Amazon thinks us geeks are going to buy it simply because it's a new gadget. There will be those who do... but really? Come on... iphones cost less and you can read books on them too, provided you get the right widget. Not that I would want too, the screen is too small, but it can do more than one thing which makes the value higher in my book...pun intended.

moyer777 · February 09, 2009, 10:59:21 AM

I am disappointed with the price too. I was searching for a book last night and thought I had found it... then I noticed it was the kindle version. eeek. Oh well. It is kind of like TNG though, isn't it?

Dangelus · February 09, 2009, 11:55:04 AM

I begrudge paying that much for a device that has only one function....

I use my iPod Touch as a book reader. It's not bad either. It has access to thousands of copyright free books for free, there are several book reading programs for it (some are free) and it is compatible with several of the main text formats both commercial and freeware.

Java The Hut · February 09, 2009, 08:25:08 PM

So... not a color screen yet ? :confused I so want a color kindle as a comic book reader, and "normal" book reader as well

Oh well maybe the kindle 3

~Java

X · February 09, 2009, 08:29:13 PM

I'm not sold on it. You can read books on any decent PDA and they run less than 300 for great models with Wi-Fi and Blutooth.

Ktrek · February 09, 2009, 10:10:25 PM

If this device had been at or near the $200 price range I would have preordered one immediately. New technology is often expensive and I have seen some people spend as much for other devices that IMO were a waste of money. Using a PAD to read books is unacceptable to me for long duration reading. Also the screen and print quality on any PDA I have seen cannot even compare with the Kindle or Sony Reader screen. I cannot see why I would choose a Netbook for reading books as the Netbook weighs 4 times as much and is three times as bulky too!

Yes...it would have been nice to see Amazon pack some more features in there but when you consider it's size and functionality for what it is..."a book reader" then maybe it doesn't really need more features. I mean it will connect wirelessly and I believe even to the Internet if your provider is setup for it. You have access to over 250,000 titles and more being added every day. It does support mp3 stereo playback for those persons who have to have music while they read. It will store 1500 books in that 10 oz. device which is approximate to my entire library in a device that weighs less than an average size paperback novel.

Anyway, I think you all are being too hard on it because for what it's purpose is the only other thing that can even compete is the Sony Reader and it doesn't have as much functionality. My only complaint is the price point and if Amazon would get the price down near $200 they would find their ebook sales would probably double within a year and maybe even triple to 30% of their total business sales.

Kevin

Feathers · February 10, 2009, 02:08:35 AM

I've long been using eReader on various PalmOS and Windows Mobile devices and now on iPhone. It may not be ideal (although I don't have a problem with it) but it's a compromise I'm prepared to make because I have the device anyway so don't need to dedicate the funds required to another device with a single purpose.

Having said that, I take the point about price ans agree that if it were priced at a sensible point I may be more tempted to go down the 'bespoke device' route.

I'm not sure we can get them over here anyway.

Rico · February 10, 2009, 04:55:53 AM

Quote from: Ktrek on February 09, 2009, 10:10:25 PM
If this device had been at or near the $200 price range I would have preordered one immediately. New technology is often expensive and I have seen some people spend as much for other devices that IMO were a waste of money. Using a PAD to read books is unacceptable to me for long duration reading. Also the screen and print quality on any PDA I have seen cannot even compare with the Kindle or Sony Reader screen. I cannot see why I would choose a Netbook for reading books as the Netbook weighs 4 times as much and is three times as bulky too!

Yes...it would have been nice to see Amazon pack some more features in there but when you consider it's size and functionality for what it is..."a book reader" then maybe it doesn't really need more features. I mean it will connect wirelessly and I believe even to the Internet if your provider is setup for it. You have access to over 250,000 titles and more being added every day. It does support mp3 stereo playback for those persons who have to have music while they read. It will store 1500 books in that 10 oz. device which is approximate to my entire library in a device that weighs less than an average size paperback novel.

Anyway, I think you all are being too hard on it because for what it's purpose is the only other thing that can even compete is the Sony Reader and it doesn't have as much functionality. My only complaint is the price point and if Amazon would get the price down near $200 they would find their ebook sales would probably double within a year and maybe even triple to 30% of their total business sales.

Kevin

It's not really new technology anymore. eBook type readers have been around for years. And this is the second gen. Kindle. As I said above, my main gripe is the price. But $200 is still too much in my opinion given the current economic times. Hey, here's an idea. Even though the Kindle book prices are more than they should be, just add $1 to every title and drop the hardware price. You can't buy Kindle books anywhere but Amazon so they will get their money eventually.

I'm a pretty early adopter of tech and when I don't jump and buy something I know something is wrong.

Jen · February 10, 2009, 10:24:26 AM

Quote from: Ktrek on February 09, 2009, 10:10:25 PM
If this device had been at or near the $200 price range I would have preordered one immediately. New technology is often expensive and I have seen some people spend as much for other devices that IMO were a waste of money. Using a PAD to read books is unacceptable to me for long duration reading. Also the screen and print quality on any PDA I have seen cannot even compare with the Kindle or Sony Reader screen. I cannot see why I would choose a Netbook for reading books as the Netbook weighs 4 times as much and is three times as bulky too!

Yes...it would have been nice to see Amazon pack some more features in there but when you consider it's size and functionality for what it is..."a book reader" then maybe it doesn't really need more features. I mean it will connect wirelessly and I believe even to the Internet if your provider is setup for it. You have access to over 250,000 titles and more being added every day. It does support mp3 stereo playback for those persons who have to have music while they read. It will store 1500 books in that 10 oz. device which is approximate to my entire library in a device that weighs less than an average size paperback novel.

Anyway, I think you all are being too hard on it because for what it's purpose is the only other thing that can even compete is the Sony Reader and it doesn't have as much functionality. My only complaint is the price point and if Amazon would get the price down near $200 they would find their ebook sales would probably double within a year and maybe even triple to 30% of their total business sales.

Kevin

As I mentioned it's the price for me. It's too expensive.

billybob476 · February 10, 2009, 11:01:20 AM

Too expensive, and even if it wasn't (here it comes!) not available in Canada, nor are any of Amazon's digital download services.

Boo to you Amazon, boo to you.

Rico · February 13, 2009, 07:56:26 AM

Well, a little controversy over one of the features of the Kindle 2...

It was hardly the most interesting or earth-shaking part of Jeff Bezos's introduction of the Kindle 2 on Monday, but one small, experimental feature in the device is already causing a minor uproar. Specifically: The Kindle 2's text-to-speech function, which will use a computerized voice to read aloud anything displayed on the device's screen. The problem? The Authors Guild says that that's against the law.

The challenge revolves around audiobooks, which are treated separately from printed material from a copyright standpoint. A retailer can't record a copy of a book on a CD and sell it or bundle it along with a novel without paying a separate fee, just as buying a copy of an audiobook doesn't entitle you to a free copy of the printed version.

Amazon -- and many legal observers -- vehemently question this stance, noting that an automated text-to-speech system isn't the same as a pre-recorded audio book. Some have even compared computerized speech systems like these to reading a children's storybook aloud at bedtime. Since the Kindle doesn't store a copy of the book on the device in an audio format, but rather converts from text on the fly, it seems likely that Amazon is on the right side of the law on this one.

Still, we're in a legal gray area that hasn't really been tested in court, and if our legal history has taught us anything, it's that judges can sway either way on these issues. If the Kindle 2's audio quality is good enough, it could eat substantially into the sales of audiobooks, and that alone tends to be a persuasive argument in the courtroom.

The Authors Guild doesn't seem ready to go to court yet, however. In a memo the organization sent to its membership this morning it said publishers and authors should "consider asking Amazon to disable the audio function on e-books it licenses." Get ready for a long road ahead on this one.

source:
http://tech.yahoo.com/blogs/null/121556

I think text-to-speech isn't a big deal. I mean you bought the book. Computers have been able to do this with the right software. But I can see the people like Audible and so forth would be bothered.

Dangelus · February 13, 2009, 10:51:51 PM

That's just silly for them to be worried about this! Surely can't they see that if somebody needs this function they are more likely to buy more books because of it? It's on the fly also so they have considered the copyright issue. It won't replace an audio book, it won't have the emotion and voice acting available in quality audio books so I don't think it will dent their market either.