ereaders | Brown Book Loft Blog

Posts Tagged ‘ereaders’

Will Amazon Be Giving Away Free Kindle Readers Soon?

September 6, 2010

When Amazon launched the original Kindle e-book reader back in November of 2007, there must have been a lot of discussion as to what the correct price point was. The Kindle wasn’t the first e-book reader on the market (not by a long way), but neither was the market mature enough to suggest a clear price point. They also had a variety of different pricing plans that could have worked.

They could have chosen some kind of cell phone type of payment scheme where the hardware price was subsidised by regular monthly payments over a fixed contract length. Some sort of halfway house where there was a charge to download books or access the net would also have been a possibility. Amazon chose to charge the full price for the Kindle reader and to have no monthly fee – 3G connectivity was included in the $ 359 selling price. Neither was there any fee for downloading Kindle books, it was very much an all inclusive package.

The Kindle was pretty well received – Oprah Winfrey declared it to be her “new favourite gadget” – but it didn’t exactly change the world. It was considered to be something of a work in progress – which is exactly what it was. It wasn’t until the launch of the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 that the e-book market really exploded. The Kindle 2.0 was also sold for $ 359 and the large display Kindle DX was released in the summer of 2009 with a price tag of $ 489.

The e-book reader market started to grow exponentially and it seemed that every electronic manufacturer had their own e-book reader in development. Companies such as Plastic Logic, Sony, Barnes and Noble, Bookeen and iRex fought to secure their share of the new and fast developing e-book market. The Kindle had a reported 60% share of the e-book reader market and was the standard to which other e-book reader manufacturers needed to aspire. It seemed that any reader which displayed the slightest potential was instantly christened the “Kindle killer” – but, in reality, the Kindle had no real credible competition.

However, the launch of Apple’s iPad changed the scene and, not for the first time, the death of the Kindle was widely predicted. However, and also not for the first time, rumours of the Kindle’s impending demise proved to be premature. The third generation Kindle was released in August of 2010 and sold like hot cakes. Shortly after the Kindle 3 launched Amazon were sold out of the new readers and prospective customers were faced with a four or five week wait before their new readers would ship.

As well as all the usual technical upgrades – faster page turns, smaller, lighter body, better contrast display, increased memory etc. – Amazon introduced a new entry level Wi-Fi only Kindle priced at just $ 139. The price of the 3G plus Wi-Fi model was set at $ 189 – a big drop compared to the $ 359 price. More importantly perhaps, the new Kindles are considerably cheaper than even the entry level iPad – and there’s no monthly connection fee to pay.

Based on the evidence to date, it looks like the Kindle and the iPad can co-exist. Whether the same can be said for other e-book readers must be highly debatable. The big advantage that Amazon enjoys over some other e-book reader manufacturers is the fact that, being a book seller, it will be able to profit from the ongoing sale of e-books. If it wished, it could choose to support the cost of the hardware from e-book sales.

The e-book market is developing very quickly. It seems clear that hardware prices have further to fall, quite possibly in the not too distant future. Is it out of the question that Amazon, and possibly Barnes and Noble, might consider giving away free e-book readers in order to guarantee sales of e-books in the future? Is it ludicrous to suggest that customers who sign up for membership of Amazon’s Prime premium delivery service or who take out the Amazon credit card might find themselves in receipt of a free, or discounted, Kindle reader in the near future? We’ll find out sooner rather than later.

Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

Why The Kindle And The IPad Can Co-Exist In The Market

September 6, 2010

In the second half of 2009, the e-book reader market was just starting to take off and competition was really heating up. Following the huge success which Amazon had achieved with its Kindle reader – first with the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 and then with the larger DX model in the summer of the same year – numerous electronics manufacturers were either developing, releasing or updating their own e-book readers so as to secure a share of the newly emerging market.

Sony and Barnes and Noble were bursting a gut to get their new readers launched before the 2009 festive season and Samsung, Plastic Logic, Asus and a host of others were rushing to get their readers on the market as fast as they could. The Computer Electronics Show (CES), held in Las Vegas in early 2010, had a dedicated e-book reader section for the first time ever. E-book readers were a hot developing market.

Today, just a few short months later, the scene is somewhat different. The price of e-book readers has tumbled. The latest third generation Kindle now has a Wi-Fi only entry level model available for only $ 139 – less than 40% of the $ 359 price which the Kindle 2.0 launched. Barnes and Noble have also dropped the price of the Nook reader to S 149 – and this will probably be cut again before the festive season.

Several new e-book readers which were going through the development process – including Plastic Logic’s Que – have been cancelled. The market seems to be entering a new stage in its development – and whether there is any place in it for pure electronics manufacturers or not is highly debatable. Amazon’s business model is very well suited to selling lower priced readers and making a profit on the follow up sales of Kindle books. A similar strategy would be available to Barnes and Noble of course, but it’s debatable as to whether or not they can benefit from the same types of economies of scale as Amazon.

Clearly the release of Apple’s iPad tablet computer has been an important influence in this. E-book reader prices were always going to fall – but the appearance of the iPad definitely seems to have jollied things along quite a bit faster. However, bearing in mind the fact that the new third generation Kindles sold out shortly after they were released, the iPad doesn’t look like the Kindle Killer that it was expected to be.

Even putting the debate about e-ink displays being easier to read on than back-lit screens to one side, there is – at this time – enough of a gap between the price of the Kindle and the price of the entry level iPad to ensure that the Kindle will continue to be the more attractive option for anyone who just wants to read books. The fact that the iPad has a monthly download/connection fee will not please everyone.

It does look like there is sufficient room in the market for both the Amazon Kindle and the iPad to rub along – for the short term future at least. Other e-book reader manufacturers, including Sony and Barnes and Noble, seem destined to struggle as hardware prices will continue to fall.

Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.

A Kindle Reader Is A Top Item On Amazon For Very Good Reasons

June 13, 2010

The Kindle reader has been the best selling item on Amazon for many good reasons. When you look at all this handy device has to offer, it is easy to see why. There are hundreds of thousands of books available for immediate download and it can be used in many places around the world. There are hundreds of periodicals to choose from and other resources, many that are free. You will even be able to keep any PDF files on hand. A Kindle is ready to go, right out of the box.

Some of the basic features provided include a large, 6″ diagonal “E Ink (a registered trademark) electronic paper display.” This technology uses ink just like is expected with books and newspapers. The ink is electronically displayed so it remains sharp and is not like reading from a computer screen. The text is adjustable with six font sizes.

Basically, all of your books can now be large-print text if you prefer. Images are presented in sixteen shades of gray which ensures images are bright and clear. They can also be rotated and displayed in full-screen mode. You can browse basic text-based websites and services for sport scores, images and maps.

Since there is no back-lighting involved, you will find there is no glare like with typical electronic devices. Users are very impressed with the ability to use a Kindle inside, or out on a sunny beach, with no loss of clarity. There is 2 GB of internal storage. The battery will last for two weeks when you turn off the wireless capability, otherwise the battery life is cut in half, you will be able to carry it with you anywhere.

The Kindle is designed to be synchronized with computers and hand-held devices. You’ll be able to read on any of the devices and pick up where you left off. The included power adapter and USB cable will enable you to recharge the battery. The USB cable will also allow for easy file transfer of larger files that are downloaded to your computer.

You’ll find an incredible amount of material to load unto your Kindle. There are almost two million public domain writings, hundreds of thousands of ebooks, over 50,000 audio books and of course the half-million books available at Amazon. You can download a segment of almost every offering from Amazon before you purchase. If you like it, a single click will secure your purchase and the book is downloaded. Many of the books will have text-to-speech capability for even more flexibility.

The Kindle is designed for long-term use. It only weighs 10 ounces, yet holds up to 1,500 books. If you ever come to a point you need more room, all of your purchases are stored for you and can be re-downloaded. It is very thin, about the thickness of a lead pencil, so it can be held comfortably in one hand. Both sides of the screen have the buttons used to turn the pages.

Having a Kindle reader is going to give you the option to download MP3 files if you like to have background music as you read. Any bookmarks and notations made will be synced. You will be able to clip and save texts for future reference. Having so many books at your fingertips, as well as music, audio books, countless ebooks and reference materials, in such a compact device, is what makes this Amazon’s top selling item.

Frustrated with carrying a lot of gadget that you like to read on your road trip? Why not get a amazon kindle? Well, these tiny electronic gadget allows downloaded gadget to be written in it’s memory. We have what you want and a lot of kindle accessories.

A Look At The Unique Amazon Kindle

May 20, 2010

You may have heard about the Amazon Kindle, a device that allows you to read books that have been stored in an electronic format. Because of the way the files are stored on the device, you can carry as many as fifteen hundred books at one time.

Because they can hold so many books, they have rapidly found fans among prolific readers who want to be able to take their books with them. If you are traveling and will be on the road for a long time or you need to pack very lightly and have limited space, you may want to think about getting one. They weigh very little and are extremely thin. The Kindle has a thickness that is roughly equal to that of a pencil.

Books on the Kindle are stored in an electronic format and you can read them very easily. There are menus which allow you to choose which of the books you want to read and then navigate to the chapter, section or page you are interested in. There are also commands which allow you to bookmark a particular page so that you can return to it very quickly.

The display is also something that many people have never experienced before. If you have read books on other digital devices, you may wonder what is so different about these devices. On the Kindle, the display is not back lit and the screen itself looks very much like the page of a book would.

With the Kindle, the display looked much like the pages of an actual book. This made it easy to read and also meant that the battery life was greatly increased. This was because battery power was not being used to illuminate the reading surface. Many people were very excited about this fact. The fact that it was easy to read came from the fact that there was no glare on the surface of the reader even if it was being used in bright sunlight.

There are other advantages to the Kindle that have nothing to do with the display. One advantage that many people have enjoyed is the ability to download books wirelessly. Other ebook readers require readers to download books to a computer and then connect their e-readers via a USB cable so that the files could be transferred. With the Kindle, this can be accomplished wirelessly.

One of the nice things about the Kindle is that it allows you to back up your book purchases to an online site as well. Unlike other e-readers, you do not need a computer in order to store your ebook files. As well, it is very easy for you to make room on the device for new books since you can back them up to an online library rather than needing to store them on a computer.

If you like the idea of always having your favorite titles close at hand, you may want to take a serious look at the Amazon Kindle. These devices are becoming increasingly popular and affordable and can really provide a great alternative to conventional, paper-based books.

Frustrated with carrying tons of books that you like to read on your ride? Why not get a amazon kindle? Well, these tiny electronic books allows downloaded books to be written in it’s memory. We have what you want and tons of kindle accessories.

2010 – The Year Of The E-Book Reader

January 17, 2010

For the first time ever, the organisers of the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), being held in Las Vegas, have set aside a dedicated area for e-book readers. Not without some justification – there are at least two dozen different companies showcasing e-book readers at the event.

The heightened level of interest, both from the public and from electronics manufacturers is perfectly understandable. After all, 2009 was a bumper year for e-book readers. All the signs are that 2010 could be even bigger.

A great deal of the credit for this must be given to Amazon’s Kindle reader. The Kindle 2.0 launch in February, followed by the launch of the larger DX in June, created a tidal wave of publicity for e-book readers as a whole and, of course, for the Kindle reader in particular.

The Kindle quickly went on to become Amazon’s number one selling product and, during the festive season of 2009, the Kindle became Amazon’s most gifted product ever. Sales of Kindle books made up 35% of all book sales (where a Kindle edition existed). On Christmas day 2009, for the first time ever, Amazon sold more Kindle books than traditional books.

The market for both e-book readers and e-books was well established and seemed set to take off. At this time, Amazon has 60% of the American market and Sony has 35%. Clearly there are plenty of other manufacturers who want a share of this new market. On the face of it, they will have a difficult time considering Amazon’s dominance – but the market is new and developing rapidly. Exponential growth seems probable in the short term and the right product at the right time could change everything overnight.

Neither are electronic hardware manufacturers the only businesses with a vested interest in the expansion and development of the e-book reader market. Third party manufacturers of various accessories – covers, chargers, clip on reading lights (e-book readers use e-ink technology displays, which are not back-lit), screen protectors etc. – also stand to gain from a brand new market that simply did not exist until very recently. Currently most of these accessories are aimed at the Kindle reader – but as other readers begin to emerge and increase in sales volume these will also be catered for.

2010 is going to be an important year for both e-book readers and e-books. Next year’s CES will almost certainly retain an area specially for e-book readers. It may be somewhat larger in size than that set aside in 2010 – and it will be interesting to see which manufacturers are participating in 2011.

Learn more about Amazon’s amazing Kindle reader – and don’t forget you can save a lot of money by getting free Kindle books – straight from the Amazon website.