Tue Nov 20, 2007
Amazon took a stab at revolutionizing the reading world today with the launch of its new wireless reading device called the Kindle. It’s about the size of a paperback, has a built in keyboard and a display that’s easy on the eyes and visible in sunlight. To buy a book you hook into their network through a wireless connection, but it’s more like making a call on your cell because you don’t have to find a hotspot. You also get free access to Wikipedia.
Sounds great, doesn’t it? So what’s stopping the average reader from tossing their bargain bin books onto the bonfire and rushing to join the paperless revolution? Well, that would be the price. At a hefty $400, most casual readers would probably just buy something a bit more versatile, like say, a Swiss army-knife, or an iphone. Book downloads seem a bit pricey as well. Perhaps Amazon will pull a Steve Jobs and slash the price for Christmas ‘09?
I for one am not ready to trade in the luxury of flipping through refashioned tree pulp just yet.