Author Topic: Amazon's Kindle wasn't selling that well, so... (Read 10886 times)

Manedwolf · « **on:** February 09, 2009, 12:45:09 PM »

...the newly released Kindle 2 has been raised in price from $300 to $360 for a pretty much disposable device.

http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00154JDAI/ref=amb_link_83626371_2?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=0GWBQ8025VEGMAP2VYR3&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=469548931&pf_rd_i=507846

I thought Amazon used to be good at marketing?

How many people are going to spend $360 on a device when the last, now obsolete version wasn't even out long, and when bestsellers are $10 to sort of "rent", because you can't hold them or print them, you just have the virtual copy that works on the device?

I have to wonder.

K Frame · « **Reply #1 on:** February 09, 2009, 12:46:52 PM »

The original Kindle, I thought, sold out months before Christmas. Far more successful than was expected.

Manedwolf · « **Reply #2 on:** February 09, 2009, 12:49:03 PM »

Quote from: Mike Irwin on February 09, 2009, 12:46:52 PM

The original Kindle, I thought, sold out months before Christmas. Far more successful than was expected.

Bezos kept refusing to say how many they sold, which is never a good sign. They also didn't say how many they made, so "selling out" can be extremely misleading. I still haven't seen an official figure on sales.

K Frame · « **Reply #3 on:** February 09, 2009, 12:54:08 PM »

Techcrunch.com says that Amazon sold 240,000 Kindles.

If true, I'd say that that makes it a successful product launch.

http://www.techcrunch.com/2008/08/01/we-know-how-many-kindles-amazon-has-sold-240000/

Nitrogen · « **Reply #4 on:** February 09, 2009, 12:56:12 PM »

It's an awesome, yet overpriced device. Many folks in my office have them, but I just have a hard time shelling out that kind of money for a "book reader" no matter how cool it is.

Get the price down to 199 or so, and I'd consider it.

Headless Thompson Gunner · « **Reply #5 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:07:22 PM »

Yup, it's a cool device, just too darned expensive right now. They need to push the price lower, both for the reader and the electronic books, if they want to sell more.

jackdanson · « **Reply #6 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:07:33 PM »

Yeah, I'd pick one up for 100-200, but I ain't gonna shell out 300 for it. The price will come down eventually.

K Frame · « **Reply #7 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:12:51 PM »

I wouldn't even consider paying $50 for one.

Manedwolf · « **Reply #8 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:20:22 PM »

The issue I personally have with it, why I'm not interested (and I have heard this from others) is that the books are in a very tight form of DRM on a device with planned obsolescence, on a closed, proprietary EV-DO data network.

Even DRM songs can be moved around and eventually unlocked, or something. This, to me, is planned obsolescence for books that you're ostensibly buying.

I can pick up an 1870 version of one of the books sold for several dollars for this device, and it still works. It never expired.

Iain · « **Reply #9 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:21:33 PM »

The concepts using flexible e-ink displays I've seen are very interesting.

AJ Dual · « **Reply #10 on:** February 09, 2009, 01:29:51 PM »

Quote from: Iain on February 09, 2009, 01:21:33 PM

The concepts using flexible e-ink displays I've seen are very interesting.

Being one of the first major products getting e-ink off the ground is probably the only good that will come of the Kindle.

When you can get a full color multi-function netbook for $50 less, something's wrong with your business model...

T.O.M. · « **Reply #11 on:** February 09, 2009, 02:14:55 PM »

For me, part of the pleasure of reading a book is holding the book, turning the pages, etc. I haven't taken to spending long periods of time reading off of a screen, and doubt that I ever will.

Besides, I still enjoy libraries, and browsing the stacks. Cost is only my time and the gas to get me there.

roo_ster · « **Reply #12 on:** February 09, 2009, 02:31:52 PM »

Quote from: AJ Dual on February 09, 2009, 01:29:51 PM

When you can get a full color multi-function netbook for $50 less, something's wrong with your business model...

AJ FTW.

Heck, I saw the solid-state drive version of the Dell Mini-9 on sale for as low as $200.

Manedwolf · « **Reply #13 on:** February 09, 2009, 02:33:35 PM »

Quote from: jfruser on February 09, 2009, 02:31:52 PM

AJ FTW.

Heck, I saw the solid-state drive version of the Dell Mini-9 on sale for as low as $200.

I think that's only with a "sign over your firstborn" 3G data contract.

roo_ster · « **Reply #14 on:** February 09, 2009, 02:43:10 PM »

Quote from: Manedwolf on February 09, 2009, 02:33:35 PM

I think that's only with a "sign over your firstborn" 3G data contract.

Yep, I forgot about that. If the terms were, "Sign over your firstborn nephew," I think I could have gotten my sister to go along with that.

Heck, the Acer jobbies go for $350 'round here, $10 less than the Kindle.

What the heck is so great about the Kindle that I'd prefer it to a truly useful device?

zahc · « **Reply #15 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:07:21 PM »

Quote

Even DRM songs can be moved around and eventually unlocked, or something.

Heck, it's pretty straightforward to re-record music with a loopback cable and minimal loss of quality. I'm not sure how you would go about freeing a Kindle book. It would be sensible if it was just PDFs or something, but no.

Werewolf · « **Reply #16 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:10:29 PM »

I own an extensive library of hardbound books I've been adding to for almost 40 years.

Can I do that with a Kindle? :rolleyes:

'Nuff Said...

Manedwolf · « **Reply #17 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:11:57 PM »

Quote from: zahc on February 09, 2009, 03:07:21 PM

Heck, it's pretty straightforward to re-record music with a loopback cable and minimal loss of quality. I'm not sure how you would go about freeing a Kindle book. It would be sensible if it was just PDFs or something, but no

That's very lossy, though. If you've got a good system, you'd definitely notice loss of quality. That's D-A-D. Burning to a Redbook CD and re-ripping is D-D-D and incurs no loss, I'd recommend doing that instead.

buzz_knox · « **Reply #18 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:13:42 PM »

My wife got me a Kindle for Christmas '07. I thought it was an overpriced gadget of no real value, and was intended solely to cut down on the storage requirements of my massive book hobby. The last was partially correct, but the rest was not.

After using the Kindle for a few weeks, I found it to be invaluable. Is it expensive? Probably. Then again, the free books I've downloaded from various sources (including a massive portion of the Baen library) have helped pay for it, as have the reduced storage issues. Would I have bought it for myself? No, and I would have regretted it. When this one wears out, I'll get an upgrade.

buzz_knox · « **Reply #19 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:14:51 PM »

Quote from: Werewolf on February 09, 2009, 03:10:29 PM

I own an extensive library of hardbound books I've been adding to for almost 40 years.

Can I do that with a Kindle? :rolleyes:

'Nuff Said...

How does owning Kindle preclude you from doing so? It hasn't stopped me in the least. Just ask my wife.

K Frame · « **Reply #20 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:17:38 PM »

I have thouands of books in my home. It's a pain in the butt sometimes. But, I'll never be without them.

When I read something for pleasure, I want the tactile feel of paper between my fingers, and the smell of paper, from cheap pulp acid stock books to fine linen-based archival quality, books in my nose...

I've tried reading books on my computer, and within 10 minutes I'm going out of my mind, hating what I'm doing. It's not pleasure at that point, it's work.

Nick1911 · « **Reply #21 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:18:38 PM »

I'd be tempted to buy the Sony version (as it accepts PDF, RTF, TXT, etc.) IF books were sold in DRM-free formats.

Let me buy a txt file. The device can deal with formatting, and thus compensate for the text size and page layout I choose.

Till I can buy txt files - no way I'm getting an e-book reader.

Balog · « **Reply #22 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:22:52 PM »

Quote from: Nick1911 on February 09, 2009, 03:18:38 PM

I'd be tempted to buy the Sony version (as it accepts PDF, RTF, TXT, etc.) IF books were sold in DRM-free formats.

Let me buy a txt file. The device can deal with formatting, and thus compensate for the text size and page layout I choose.

Till I can buy txt files - no way I'm getting an e-book reader.

This^^

I can see the utility of this. It's a lot easier to carry one lil device than 5 books. And yes, I'm the sort of person who takes 5 books every time I fly out of town. Being able to take along a few thousand books, so I can pick and choose based on my mood..... that'd be awesome.

I've considered getting a small netbook kinda lappie: I see them from Tiger Direct and the other wholesalers for a couple hundred bucks all the time. But it's a pain in the ass trying to read long pdf's or text files on a lappie.

Gungnir · « **Reply #23 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:26:03 PM »

Not sure it's the business model on the reader.

Why should I pay the same price for an E-Book as I'd pay for a paperback? Or in worse cases a hardback?

I mean there's paper, printing, and transportation costs in a PB/HB format (and I don't mean shipping to me) so why are the Kindle books the same price mostly as the print editions?

If they knocked off the cost of production of the physical media, then they might have more takers.

Werewolf · « **Reply #24 on:** February 09, 2009, 03:33:14 PM »

Quote from: buzz_knox on February 09, 2009, 03:14:51 PM

How does owning Kindle preclude you from doing so? It hasn't stopped me in the least. Just ask my wife.

Of course - it doesn't...

Except that I'm a cheap SOB and can't imagine myself buying the same book twice.

News:

Author Topic: Amazon's Kindle wasn't selling that well, so... (Read 10886 times)