Introducing the Kindle DX! Yippie #sarcasm

| Jul 02, 2010 | 3 comments

Amazon dropped the price of the Kindle to $189 from $249. Ok, really? While I understand that some people have a previously purchased Kindle, why would anyone buy just a Kindle for themselves at this point when we now have the iPad? Yes, the iPad is a lot more money but for most people it can replace their laptop completely.

I think the only way the kindle survives is if it adds Internet browsing and email. What I do see as a smart move on Amazon’s part is that they are creating the Kindle apps for phones other than the iPhone. So they are still getting people buying the books.  Now, I have to assume that their profits come from books sales as opposed to the hardware sale of the Kindle so this is a good move on their part.

Strange timing though because as I am writing this blog, a commercial comes on for the new Kindle DX. Their selling points: You can read in bright sun. Really. Really?  This is what they are selling? You can see the screen in the sun.  Guess what Amazon, you can see the iPad screen in the sun too.  They have one point that gives them a slight edge: free 3G anywhere in the world.  This is valid, but isn’t going to sell me on spending the $379 for the DX when the wifi low end iPad is only about $100 more.

That being said, it would be nice to have an option for a lower end reader that allows internet and email. These seem like simple additions to make to the Kindle so that they can truly compete.  Hey, I know, kindle and Flash should team up and make a product that supports flash and has all of the books with a cheaper monthly internet browsing plan than AT&T offers. Now we have a winner!!

Filed Under: apps • Gadgets • Innovation • iPad • Technology

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Michelle D'Attilio

About the Author

Michelle D'Attilio (@identify_urself) is the President of Corporate Identity Solutions, LLC, a branding and website development company. She is half of the TweetUp Girls (@tweetupgirls) with Jeanette Pham (@identifyourself) which helps businesses take their social media investment to the next level through social media based events. She is a self-described techy and gadget geek who is crazy about tennis. Identify-Yourself.com
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  • James W

    Wow… are YOU serious?

    I 'stumbled-upon' this site, and was shocked by the ignorance and uninformed nature of this whole post. I normally just click the 'next' button, and ignore the idiocy… but i felt compelled to actually respond to this one.

    Quote: "why would anyone buy just a Kindle for themselves at this point when we now have the iPad?"

    Well… apart from answering your own question in the very next sentence (Price comparison), how about factors like:

    1. Readability. The E-Ink screens on ereaders are less stressful to ones eyes, allowing for prolonged periods of reading, and less 'tired-eye' syndrome.

    2. Readability #2. Font rendering on an LCD screen is pretty ugly compared to a real world book, and again… e-ink helps to ensure fewer words are missed whilst reading passages, and again, prolonged periods of reading.

    3. Sunlight. Really. Really? Yes Really! come on… anyone who's ever tried to use a laptop on the beach knows the perils of a glossy/backlit screen being washed out by the sunlight. So being able to actually see the words on a device in the sun is a big plus!

    4. Simplicity. My grandparents both own ereaders. I shudder to think how they'd cope with an ipad. Don;t get me wrong, Ipads are generally pretty user friendly… but they're more complicated than an ereader.

    I;ve come across quite some number of blogs like this one a fair amount, and they mostly all compare the IPAD against the Kindle/Nook/Etc…

    Its just wrong, on so many levels! Its like comparing a car and a boat. Sure both get you to where you want to be, but they are fundamentally completely different machines!