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Burn your books! [eReaders] are here!

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    AngelHedgieAngelHedgie Registered User regular
    orionminus wrote:
    Oh FUCK.

    The Amazon Fire looks like in-fucking-credible.

    SHUT UP AND TAKE MY MONEY.

    Apple is shitting themselves.

    The king is dead, long live the king.

    I love all the little "Dear Apple, please go self-fornicate " digs on the Kindle pages, like the system requirements, or how the letter on the front page opens.

    XBL: Nox Aeternum / PSN: NoxAeternum / NN:NoxAeternum / Steam: noxaeternum
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    Burden of ProofBurden of Proof You three boys picked a beautiful hill to die on. Registered User regular
    80 dollars? wow

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    JHunzJHunz Registered User regular
    Man, Kindles are really getting into the impulse-buy price range now. Sub-$100 pricing is really, really nice. I already own one, of course, but that's really cool that they're still working on cheaper models.

    bunny.gif Gamertag: JHunz. R.I.P. Mygamercard.net bunny.gif
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    dresdenphiledresdenphile Watch out for snakes!Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    I've got $75 in B&N gift cards saved up for a Nook color, but now...I guess I will wait to see how/if B&N responds before I pull the trigger on an e-reader.

    dresdenphile on
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    adytumadytum The Inevitable Rise And FallRegistered User regular
    edited September 2011
    $80 kindle is a want if they ever decide to support open standards.

    7" color backlit screen for consuming magazines and other print media is laughable.

    adytum on
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    EggyToastEggyToast Jersey CityRegistered User regular
    Septus wrote:
    I think an important point, is that the $200 price point can make it far better as a toy, which is how I still view the iPad for my purposes. So in that case, who cares if it's not an ideal ereader.

    The description of the silk browser actually sounds fantastic, and probably the most unique feature. Seems like it could be the king of casual web browsing, with the potential weakness being a smaller keyboard, which I think would irk me.

    Yeah, I think the Fire wins as a "gateway into Amazon's services" more than any other device. The iPad is great for what it is, but, as people were saying years ago, the "only reason people don't have an iPad is economic." I've read quite a bit that says that the marketing behind tablets ("People will buy music and video and books! It's a great way to sell content!") hasn't been very true, and most people are primarily surfing the web and using a few apps. However, Amazon has a great amount of content built-in already, and, more importantly, it's not all tied into in-device browsing or iTunes.

    So if you have a Fire and are already an Amazon customer, everything meshes together. That's a nice experience for someone. Some people want the "all-in-one" experience you get with an iPad, but I think there's definitely lots of people who like Amazon, will feel happy to drop $200 on a cool tablet, and use it to actually use Amazon's more recent digital media offerings.



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    Mr_RoseMr_Rose 83 Blue Ridge Protects the Holy Registered User regular
    Meh. The Fire would be amazing if it was colour e-ink, or Mirasol maybe, but another tiny droid IPS panel? Pass.

    ...because dragons are AWESOME! That's why.
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    Just_Bri_ThanksJust_Bri_Thanks Seething with rage from a handbasket.Registered User, ClubPA regular
    So I was thinking about a Nook, since I will be getting a reader. IS there anyone who has a better idea? (reading up on the thread now)

    ...and when you are done with that; take a folding
    chair to Creation and then suplex the Void.
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    CyvrosCyvros Registered User regular
    Whelp, Amazon managed to get their Kindle Fire down to $199, and there's now a $79 ad-supported Kindle without a keyboard. God damn.
    It's quite tempting, but WHERE IS MY BIG KINDLE THAT IS NOT ALMOST $400?!?!?!?

    Sigh. I think I'll just give up and either buy one of these new cheap Kindles or a Kobo touch, depending on who does PDFs better.

    I can only compare the Kindle 3 and the KT, but the KT does PDFs better than any other e-reader I've played with or seen. I expect that one of the touch Kindles will do PDFs pretty well. PDFs on e-readers with buttons are a pain in the arse.

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    syndalissyndalis Getting Classy On the WallRegistered User, Loves Apple Products regular
    This will not cannibalize iPad sales in any significant way. It has a ton of mindshare, and is a vastly superior product at the end of the day... for a higher price point.

    Wht this is going to is fucking WRECK the low end Android tablet market though. Why the hell would you ever buy a 200 dollar chinese android tablet any more? Or a 299 or 399 one at that? They are done. Amazon just killed like 7-8 pricepoints in the market today.

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    CantidoCantido Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    So this is what I held out for.

    My opinion starts with UNF and ends with UNF. :winky:

    Cantido on
    3DS Friendcode 5413-1311-3767
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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Cyvros wrote:
    Whelp, Amazon managed to get their Kindle Fire down to $199, and there's now a $79 ad-supported Kindle without a keyboard. God damn.
    It's quite tempting, but WHERE IS MY BIG KINDLE THAT IS NOT ALMOST $400?!?!?!?

    Sigh. I think I'll just give up and either buy one of these new cheap Kindles or a Kobo touch, depending on who does PDFs better.

    I can only compare the Kindle 3 and the KT, but the KT does PDFs better than any other e-reader I've played with or seen. I expect that one of the touch Kindles will do PDFs pretty well. PDFs on e-readers with buttons are a pain in the arse.
    Yeah, waiting to see on what kind of processor they've loaded up the new Kindles with. Unless it's approaching or exceeding Kobo levels of beastly power, I believe I shall go with Lord Kobo.

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    CyvrosCyvros Registered User regular
    Lord Kobo's new firmware is most pleasing, I have found. Finally, text search. Still no shelves, though.

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    marty_0001marty_0001 I am a file and you put documents in meRegistered User regular
    They sure make it tricky to find the kindle without special offers on their site; if I hadn't known they exist I wouldn't have thought they did at all.

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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Yeah that dropdown menu that they use for every product on their website with multiple versions is a real trick to figure out, especially with its placement at the very top of the page right under the price, accompanied by a big orange button and all.

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    Two Headed BoyTwo Headed Boy Registered User regular
    Cyvros wrote:
    Lord Kobo's new firmware is most pleasing, I have found. Finally, text search. Still no shelves, though.

    It's custom firmware? I managed to jailbreak my 3.2.1 firmware, what more could I do with custom firmware?

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    CyvrosCyvros Registered User regular
    Cyvros wrote:
    Lord Kobo's new firmware is most pleasing, I have found. Finally, text search. Still no shelves, though.

    It's custom firmware? I managed to jailbreak my 3.2.1 firmware, what more could I do with custom firmware?

    3.2.1? I think we may be talking about different devices. I'm talking about the Kobo Touch.

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    Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    marty_0001 wrote:
    They sure make it tricky to find the kindle without special offers on their site; if I hadn't known they exist I wouldn't have thought they did at all.

    ? Click on kindle you like. Look below the price there are two buttons there. One says with special offers the other without. Add to cart.

    Also the Fire will cannibalize iPad sales as well as other Tablet sales. A person who buys a Fire is very unlikely to buy another tablet. Unless that person doesn't like the experience. Let's back away from the screen size, library of apps etc nonsense and look at this objectively. No matter how much it might hurt fanboi pride all tablets are media consumption devices. Yes the precious iPad too. All the people I know that have a tablet use it 90+% of the time for media consumption purposes. The sample size is small I know but I am not naive enough to not see this sample size directly relates to the vast majority of the consumer population. Most people are like my friends not a super nerd like me. The one friend that I have that could be considered a nerd like me has a jail broken nook color. Which I was ready to do prior to this announcement I know what I will use a tablet for. Media consumption. I grew out of the "look whaty toy can do" long ago because it was costly and I didn't use those extra features often or at all.

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    SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    I thought the use of "media consumption" in terms of tablets, meant buying music, apps, videos, and books? So if owners just use it for web browsing mostly, that sucks for the company that is relying on a larger return from content sales, as opposed to device sales.

    I feel like the price and size difference is significant enough to relegate the Fire to people who may just want a travel toy, or a combo e-reader/web browser, and leave iPads for those that either have a lot more money, or want a more full service second laptop-style device.

    PSN: Kurahoshi1
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    Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    I would place web browsing under media consumption. And that is exactly the use I was speaking about. IMHO that is what the majority of users use tablets for. I am interested to see how this tablet uses the cloud and amazon services. I may well swap from Netflix if it shows to be as seamless as they say. The main thing stopping me now would be transferring my music and being able to listen to my current library from the cloud and how that works in my rural area.

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    Two Headed BoyTwo Headed Boy Registered User regular
    Cyvros wrote:
    Cyvros wrote:
    Lord Kobo's new firmware is most pleasing, I have found. Finally, text search. Still no shelves, though.

    It's custom firmware? I managed to jailbreak my 3.2.1 firmware, what more could I do with custom firmware?

    3.2.1? I think we may be talking about different devices. I'm talking about the Kobo Touch.

    Oh. Yes, yes we are.

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    SeptusSeptus Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Jubal77 wrote:
    I would place web browsing under media consumption. And that is exactly the use I was speaking about. IMHO that is what the majority of users use tablets for. I am interested to see how this tablet uses the cloud and amazon services. I may well swap from Netflix if it shows to be as seamless as they say. The main thing stopping me now would be transferring my music and being able to listen to my current library from the cloud and how that works in my rural area.

    I have 0 data, but I thought someone, potentially in one of the articles about the Fire, indicated that content consumption on the iPad is way under what was projected.

    And I still think large price discrepancies go a long way to prevent direct competition. I think even people who get a Fire, will still wish they had an iPad.

    Septus on
    PSN: Kurahoshi1
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    Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    I havent seen concrete numbers either I am just speaking from what I have seen. I can't speak for others but I am not sure about the wishing they had an iPad business. I would speculate that just as long as it did what the individual wanted they would be happy. What I do know is that a couple of the people I know despise using iTunes with the iPad they had and it is not a stretch to state that with what we know of the Fire service it has the capability to be superior. Just have to see how attached it is to the Internet. It did state that you could delete content and redownload to the device I just want to see how quick it is to use with sets of info. For instance I'm going for a drive so I want to just download a book and a defined playlist of music.

    I am interested to see more on this device. It looks to fill my needs for a tablet.

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    initiatefailureinitiatefailure Registered User regular
    So how big a difference is a kindle with ads and a kindle without ads?

    And if I was hoping for a reader that can handle .epubs and other open formats should I wait to see if nook/kobo respond to this?

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    Jubal77Jubal77 Registered User regular
    So how big a difference is a kindle with ads and a kindle without ads?

    And if I was hoping for a reader that can handle .epubs and other open formats should I wait to see if nook/kobo respond to this?

    I don't think it handles ePub but I believe calibre can convert it to mobi or some other supported format.

    As for the ads from what I have seen they are banner type at the bottom of the page.

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    Cameron_TalleyCameron_Talley Registered User regular
    Jubal77 wrote:
    So how big a difference is a kindle with ads and a kindle without ads?

    And if I was hoping for a reader that can handle .epubs and other open formats should I wait to see if nook/kobo respond to this?

    I don't think it handles ePub but I believe calibre can convert it to mobi or some other supported format.

    As for the ads from what I have seen they are banner type at the bottom of the page.

    There are no ads in the books themselves. they ads are only a small thing on the homepage, and ads replace the screensaver. (i.E. the woodcuts of old dead authors). Again, NO ads in books.

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    jammujammu 2020 is now. Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Funny thing: Kindle DX didn't get price cut with other models and is still $380!

    edit: replied to pretty old post.

    jammu on
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    Two Headed BoyTwo Headed Boy Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    Nothing got a price cut.

    [EDIT]Oh, except the Keyboard Kindle with offers, right?

    Two Headed Boy on
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    JHunzJHunz Registered User regular
    I kind of wish I had a special offers Kindle, some of the deals are pretty sweet. I bought mine before those came out, though.

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    CyvrosCyvros Registered User regular
    So how big a difference is a kindle with ads and a kindle without ads?

    And if I was hoping for a reader that can handle .epubs and other open formats should I wait to see if nook/kobo respond to this?

    They've already responded, in a way. B&N preempted Amazon with the Nook Simple Touch (and a new version of the Colour coming out soon, IIRC). Kobo preempted both with the Touch, and they have a 7" LCD tablet, the Kobo Vox, out mid-October at CAD 249.

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    XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    I may have to con someone into getting me a Kindle for Christmas now...hmm...I hope they jailbreak it by time I do get one.

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    Burden of ProofBurden of Proof You three boys picked a beautiful hill to die on. Registered User regular
    edited September 2011
    So how big a difference is a kindle with ads and a kindle without ads?

    And if I was hoping for a reader that can handle .epubs and other open formats should I wait to see if nook/kobo respond to this?

    you could just convert them with something like Calibre, very simple and quick

    Burden of Proof on
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    Evil MultifariousEvil Multifarious Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    i picked up one of the cheap new Kindles without ads ("special offers," psshh)

    really pleased with the form factor, although the absence of a keyboard is a pain in the ass when you're creating new categories. i would have waited for the touch version but i'm an impatient man, and it's a lot more money for the no-ads version of the touch anyways. i could have gone with a kobo, i suppose, but again - more money.

    i've never owned an ereader and the e-ink blows me away.

    Evil Multifarious on
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    XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    How are the page turning speeds? Bust out a stop watch if you have to! Or something general like "Fine" is ok too.

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    joshgotrojoshgotro Deviled Egg The Land of REAL CHILIRegistered User regular
    Half a second.

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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    At this point the only thing stopping me from buying a Kobo or a Kindle is not knowing what kind of processor is in the new Kindles, and therefore not knowing how they handle PDFs compared to the Kobo. Some tech blog or something needs to examine both and make a comparison video.

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    XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    edited October 2011
    At this point the only thing stopping me from buying a Kobo or a Kindle is not knowing what kind of processor is in the new Kindles, and therefore not knowing how they handle PDFs compared to the Kobo. Some tech blog or something needs to examine both and make a comparison video.

    I was looking for that info on the new Kindle and only came across 800MHZ for it. You'd think someone would tear it apart first day.

    Xeddicus on
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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    Xeddicus wrote:
    At this point the only thing stopping me from buying a Kobo or a Kindle is not knowing what kind of processor is in the new Kindles, and therefore not knowing how they handle PDFs compared to the Kobo. Some tech blog or something needs to examine both and make a comparison video.

    I was looking for that info on the new Kindle and only came across 800MHZ for it. You'd think someone would tear it apart first day.
    Well, 800 MHZ is the same as the nook/Kobo Touch so that's at least believable. I too am sort of unclear as to why people haven't vivisected it, though.

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    XeddicusXeddicus Registered User regular
    Aha: http://blogkindle.com/2011/09/kindle-4-disassembly-part-i/
    CPU is MCIMX508CVK8B N78A 8TFC1130E. Which is:

    ARM Cortex-A8 CPU that can run at clock speeds up to 800 Mhz (an upgrade compared to 533Mhz of older Kindles)
    has 32 KB data and instruction caches, and 246KB L2 cache
    Vector floating point co-processor and NEON SIMD media accelerator
    Has built-in USB 2.0 controller

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    TychoCelchuuuTychoCelchuuu PIGEON Registered User regular
    And with that (plus this helpful video) I just bought one of the new Kindles with special offers. $79 for an eReader, weeeeee!

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