Reading is DEAD! Amazon Kindles the book burning

meatflower

"It doesn't matter how good or bad the product is, the fact is that people don't read anymore... The whole conception is flawed at the top because people don't read anymore."

-The one and only, Steve Jobs

"The man who does not read good books has no advantage over the man who can't read them. "

-Mark Twain (Currently spinning in his grave)

So...the Amazon Kindle. It's not new, this thread isn't new, but the original thread is from over 6 months ago and some things have changed since then.

For those late to the party, here is what the Kindle offers in a nutshell.
-Electronic ink display. (No backlight, looks and reads like paper, as easy on your eyes as paper)
-4 days reading time per charge.
-Stores hundreds of titles (With more space available via MicroSD card slot)
-Built in EVDO cellular radio with NO MONTHLY FEE.
-Buy books, magazines, newspapers, and browse the web all from your Kindle anywhere in the United States with Sprint coverage (Anywhere populated).

Those last two are the dealmakers, what separates the Kindle from every eBook reader before it and all those currently on the market.

Common assumptions about the Kindle:

Spoiler:

But I thought the Kindle was going to force feed me DRM'd books!?!

First up, the Kindle is no longer holds you in some kind of DRM vicegrip. Pretty much any type of file you want to put on this thing, including those pesky PDF files, can now be freely transfered to the Kindle.

Does Amazon still have to convert PDF's for you? Yes. Do they charge you to email them *directly* to the Kindle? Yep. But there's a pretty simple alternative solution. Instead of having them emailed to your Kindle, you can have them emailed to your computer and then transfer them to the Kindle via USB. Yeah it's still slightly ass-backwards but it is free at least.

The Kindle is like $400 dude!

Amazon.com has recently reduced the price to $359. Also, and I don't know how they're doing this and making a profit, they are available on eBay for around $320 with free shipping. Brand new, unregistered, at about $80 off the original price. Still fairly pricey, but considering the next best eReader on the market, the Sony Reader retails for $300, it's not all that bad a deal.

Also, you can buy all new books for $10. The same books that retail for $25. If you bought two $25 books a month previously, that's a savings of $30 a month.

$30 x 12 = $360

What what now? That's the newly reduced price of the Kindle! See? Just like those late night infomercialed products, the Kindle pays for itself!

Even if you don't buy new books all the time, you'll still get reamed at most retail bookstores for classics. Old books are in the $3-$6 range, those whose paperbacks at a place like B&N or Borders retail for $12.95 most of the time.

Initial entry price is high, but if you don't live in that Steve Jobsian reality where reading is dead it amounts to quite a savings in the long run.

But they're just gonna come out with a new one right after I buy the first version!

In an interview last week, Steve Bezos said:

"On Kindle 2: ‘There will be a second version, a third version, a tenth version. … but a second version is not that near.’

While this isn't definite, it's pretty safe to say that it's at least 6 months to a year away.

So what say you Stupid Technology Tavern? Is reading really dead? Would you ever read off of one of these contraptions?

Also, and I'll get this out of the way now, it's pretty ugly by most peoples accounts. Just like a book though, once you start reading the actual medium...the paper and binding, all dissapear, and what is left is the story. The reason you're actually reading in the first place, not to hold a shiny gadget.

Veegeezee

Ehhhhh

Paper still gets you more chicks.

Moe Fwacky

I would read off of one of these considering I came up with the idea fucking 13 years ago!

(and mine had a back light)

Echo

But it would get so expensive to replace all my books in the shelf with Kindles!

Lucky Cynic

Mark Twain is so much cooler than Steve Jobs and Steve knows this.

Darmak

Echo wrote: »

But it would get so expensive to replace all my books in the shelf with Kindles!

Ahahaha. I'll bet some people actually think that whenever they see one of these.
This is pretty awesome. The thing is that the price of entry really is pretty high, and I'm not sure how much I'd use it.

Pheezer

Moe Fwacky wrote: »

I would read off of one of these considering I came up with the idea fucking 13 years ago!

(and mine had a back light)

Backlights are bad. Hard on the eyes.

I have an on again off again thing with reading books. I mean, I read the news religiously. I read editorials, and I research things I'm curious about every day on the Internet and you can't tell me that's not reading. But it's different reading good fiction.

The other week I was stuck in a 4 hour long wait, and I spent it starting The Brothers Karamazov over again. There's something special about reading good fiction. It's still better than TV, or movies or radio. Audiobooks also fail. Studying the text of a great novel is just a unique experience and it's actually really sad that a lot of people can't be bothered, or read terrible, stupid shit just 'cuz it's easier.

Dragon6860

I've got my Kindle waiting for me at home, so I'll be able to get it in a week. I'll give it the once over and post my opinions. I've heard good things, but we'll see...I must say though, free EVDO internet...pretty nice

meatflower

That's why they invented those little clip-on book lights, which work fine on the Kindle. For all you people who need to read in the dark. In a cave. Underground.

I don't know, me? I'd be more concerned about the quickly diminishing oxygen supply. And the crab people.

KalTorak

meatflower wrote: »

That's why they invented those little clip-on book lights, which work fine on the Kindle. For all you people who need to read in the dark. In a cave. Underground.

I don't know, me? I'd be more concerned about the quickly diminishing oxygen supply. And the crab people.

I'm concerned about the crab people even when I'm not in the cave.

powersurge

IMO they are a bit too expensive. If they were in the $130 range like the DS for example I'd probably buy one not to mention give one as a gift but currently no thanks. I don't read near enough books to make it worth it at the current price.

squirly

It's a rather hideous device.

meatflower

Is that why you pick up a book though? "Oh this one has an awesome cover, I'm gonna look super cool holding this in front of my face!"

It's for reading, and when you're reading, that's the part that matters. I will say this though, it seems like it photographs bad...if that makes sense. If you watch some videos of people walking around with it, reading it on a bench somewhere, etc. it looks pretty innocuous.

I'd rather have it be a little fugly than flashy, that's just begging for someone to steal it and they ain't cheap.

blanknogo

I want one of these but their biggest selling point isn't any good in Canada.

This is a good article and review about the Kindle.

LaCabra

What the fuck book is that person reading?

meatflower

Read that whole article, really good stuff.

I mean I knew it was basically free portable internet anywhere (In the US), but that guy put it in perspective.

Mine can't get here any sooner.

Dragon6860

Indeed, it is really the Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. As soon as I get it, the first thing I'm going to try to do is figure out how to emboss on the cover, in large friendly letters, "Don't Panic".

I was thinking paint, but that'll chip and peel off with the faux-leatherish covering. Any ideas?

squirly

meatflower wrote: »

Is that why you pick up a book though? "Oh this one has an awesome cover, I'm gonna look super cool holding this in front of my face!"

It's for reading, and when you're reading, that's the part that matters. I will say this though, it seems like it photographs bad...if that makes sense. If you watch some videos of people walking around with it, reading it on a bench somewhere, etc. it looks pretty innocuous.

I'd rather have it be a little fugly than flashy, that's just begging for someone to steal it and they ain't cheap.

You're really getting worked up way too much of a simple comment. I think it's an ugly device, that's all.

And it doesn't need to be flashy or ugly, why can't it just look okay and simple?

Dragon6860

Well, it is ugly, I won't lie. But apparently, after reading it for a few minutes, it goes away, just like you're not looking "at" a book you're reading. I'm waiting to hold in my hand before I say exactly HOW ugly it is, but apparently it's extremely un-photogenic.

Oh, and Lacabra, apparently they're reading "Star Trek: Titan Book Two: The Red King" At least that's what it says, or as near as i can make out.

LaCabra

Oh yeah, didn't notice that.

It's not that ugly.

Variable

I want one very badly. this thread has me thinking about actually getting one, and it seems possible within a few weeks. it would make me spend more money, or feel like I was spending more money, but the truth is I'd be spending it on books rather than other shit of at best equal value to a delicious story.

Might get one of these in the next few weeks if they're still available (not sold out).

Dragon6860

I think Meatflower has one, and I'm going to be getting mine in about a week, so if you can wait that long, I'll give my opinions on it.

meatflower

I'll be getting mine in the next couple days if the shipping gods allow. Ordered it on Friday off the eBays. If you're buying one any time soon there's really no reason not to save $40.

Veegeezee

So as far as anybody knows, there aren't any plans to start charging for the wireless in the distant future, right? Cause that's super tempting. Although I might not have coverage where I'm at I guess.

Bionic Monkey

I bought one about two months ago for my wife in anticipation of our anniversary, two months from now. So of course the price has since dropped.

That said, it seems like a pretty keen device, and I look forward to trying it out when my wife opens it July 26.

Bionic Monkey

LaCabra wrote: »

What the fuck book is that person reading?

Looks like... Star Trek. :lol:

Lucky Cynic

I'll probably get a second generation Kindle or if/when they make a Kindle Lite or something that is cheaper, but equally as nifty.

meatflower

Veegeezee wrote: »

So as far as anybody knows, there aren't any plans to start charging for the wireless in the distant future, right? Cause that's super tempting. Although I might not have coverage where I'm at I guess.

Not that I've heard. If Amazon ever did change it, I'm almost sure it would only affect new owners. Yeah that's speculation, but it would be a huge customer service blunder on Amazon's part when one of the main selling points on their website says "You'll never see a monthly bill, because Amazon pays for Kindle's wireless access".

JohnDoe

If it was cheaper, I'd buy one to just give it a shot. They could have made it less fugly though - why does it need all those buttons?

As it is though, I just use my phone with Mobipocket for ebook reading.

meatflower

That's the uh..keyboard. So you can use the web browser and type in book titles to buy from the Kindle store.

Pretty safe to say those fall under necessary. The whole awesome thing about the Kindle isn't really just that's its a pretty good e-reader, but that it's a mobile internet appliance. It's truly mobile, you don't have to find a hotspot or pay a ridiculous cellular wireless fee. I don't want to use the internet without a keyboard, and onscreen keyboards are still pretty much teh suck.

JohnDoe

Thats the awesome thing about the Kindle? Internet access on a grayscale e-ink display? Ugh, no thanks.

Veegeezee

Free internet access on a grayscale e-ink display. So, like a ten ounce device with a 2-7 day battery life and a one-time price tag.

I dunno why I'm playing the Devil's advocate here though. Turns out I'd have to go 1700 miles to actually take advantage of it.

Dragon6860

True, I think a lot of people think that the kindle needs a hotspot or something similar for the internet to work. That's probaly because of the use of "Wireless internet" which people take to mean WLAN or something. But that's not true, It uses EVDO. And the internet usage is free, which is ALWAYS a good price-point.

Dírhael

The only books I might consider using such a device for would be technical books or something similar. My problem with it is that is doesn't look like a book, it doesn't feel like a book and it most certainly doesn't smell like a book. For me, those are all essential parts of the experience of reading a great book even if they don't have any effect on the quality of the content.

EggyToast

Veegeezee wrote: »

So as far as anybody knows, there aren't any plans to start charging for the wireless in the distant future, right? Cause that's super tempting. Although I might not have coverage where I'm at I guess.

It's free, but I did research into this when they first came out -- it's not "Access to the Internet," it's "Free Internet," as in the sites are on the internet and they do not charge you for data. There are only a few sites that you can go to (newspapers, Amazon's site, a handful of others). You cannot "surf." What's worse is that those sites are not free -- you must subscribe to newspapers & magazines, and the list of over 300 blogs start at a subscription price of 99¢. So even reading blogs on the thing costs you money.

That's why it will probably be free for a long time -- the access is free but the content isn't.

I think the only thing that's free is Wikipedia. But while I like the idea behind the Kindle, I simply don't read books. I still read, almost constantly, but not books.

fightinfilipino

what's the DRM scheme on this?


i assume they use some sort of DRM to manage the book files, otherwise piracy would really suck...

meatflower

EggyToast wrote: »

Veegeezee wrote: »

So as far as anybody knows, there aren't any plans to start charging for the wireless in the distant future, right? Cause that's super tempting. Although I might not have coverage where I'm at I guess.

It's free, but I did research into this when they first came out -- it's not "Access to the Internet," it's "Free Internet," as in the sites are on the internet and they do not charge you for data. There are only a few sites that you can go to (newspapers, Amazon's site, a handful of others). You cannot "surf." What's worse is that those sites are not free -- you must subscribe to newspapers & magazines, and the list of over 300 blogs start at a subscription price of 99¢. So even reading blogs on the thing costs you money.

That's why it will probably be free for a long time -- the access is free but the content isn't.

I think the only thing that's free is Wikipedia. But while I like the idea behind the Kindle, I simply don't read books. I still read, almost constantly, but not books.

No you can surf, there's a web browser under the Experimental menu and you can go to any website you want. You can read blogs for free, making their blog subscription thing kind of dumb if you can stand a little legwork. Same with online newspapers.

Also, someone asked Amazon if Experimental meant they might take it away some day and the response was that it just means it may not work as expected. I guess it's a little buggy?

fightinfilipino wrote: »

what's the DRM scheme on this?


i assume they use some sort of DRM to manage the book files, otherwise piracy would really suck...

The books you buy from the Amazon store are .AZW. That's Amazon's proprietary format and they will only work on the Kindle they were purchased from. As far as I know, there's nothing out there that will convert them to a text file or break the DRM. The rest of the stuff you put on there; TXT, HTML, PDF, Mobipocket, etc. are free to transfer on or off since those files don't have any DRM built into them.

Dark Shroud

Sony has better e-readers right now, they've been making them for a few years now. Sony also has some cheaper models that while not as good will do the job for people on a budget.

meatflower

Dark Shroud wrote: »

Sony has better e-readers right now, they've been making them for a few years now. Sony also has some cheaper models that while not as good will do the job for people on a budget.

What do you mean right now? Kindle has been out for 6+ months.

Anyway, they offer two models. One is $300 and one is $279. They don't have the cheaper one anymore, it's permanently out of stock as it's been superseded by the newer one.

$60 is a pretty awesome deal for free internet for life and not having to install Sony Connect. I'd do a lot of terrible, unspeakable things before I ever let someone install that piece of shit on my computer. Sony's all well and good for stuff like the PS3 and PSP but stay the fuck off my computer. Also, Sony has a pretty paltry selection of eBooks compared to Amazon and they charge more for them.

JohnDoe

Sonys reader looks much nicer, and at $100 cheaper its something I'd be more interested in. Still too much to replace my PDA with though.

JohnDoe

The Iliad looks pretty good too. Runs Linux, has a touchscreen, and reads Mobipocket books. Very expensive though.