Monday, November 19, 2007

The Amazon Kindle


This one blew right past me over the past few days: Amazon is just about to release it's own e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle.

For $400, you can purchase the Kindle device, which sounds like it has some very cool features. It has wireless connectivity to the Amazon Kindle store (via FREE Sprint EVDO), where you can purchase books for about $10 a pop, subscribe to magazines and newspapers, and purchase content from many mainstream blogs. All of your content gets downloaded directly to the Kindle via wireless (amazingly, FREE - stoke of genius on Amazon's part), with most books downloading in a minute or less.

The CNET review sounds encouraging, more or less. Their take is that content is too expensive and there aren't enough options for where to buy it, which sorta sounds like the original iTunes argument.

I stumbled across the Kindle while browsing Amazon for some maps and books (the wife and I are headed to NYC for a little Holiday Season fun - look for some travel blogging in the not-too-distant future) and had to stop down to read all about it. I am so ready for a real e-book reader, with wireless access and a good ergonomic design. It sounds like the Kindle is pretty darn close. Definitely worth watching.

UPDATE: The Kindle is the cover story in this week's Newsweek, which just hit the old mailbox today.

UPDATE UPDATE: Oh dear. The other side of the coin. Mark Pilgrim gives a litany of reasons why the Kindle is a steaming pile of Amazon hypocrisy and a soon-to-be disaster. Cory Doctorow chimes in with a few additional points as well.

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