Clean Your Desk with the Amazon Kindle 2
My wife is an avid reader. From her book group novels to New York Times bestsellers, she LOVES to read. So having a Kindle 2 is a natural for her. She can download books on the fly, can carry it in her purse, and can pick up right where she left off without fuddling with a bookmark.
Me, on the other hand, I do not read very much. As an engineer, most of my reading is work related, e-mail or technical articles. These are very short in nature so having a Kindle which holds thousands of novels really didn’t impress me. What does impress me is that I can use it to store my pdf’s.
So the question is now that we have a Kindle do I use it? Yes, I am surprised to say that I do use it.
Most of the articles I read are either on the web or in print. Many of these articles are available in pdf format, which is supported on the Kindle 2. I have found that I can use InstaPaper to send many of my web articles to the Kindle to read at my leisure. The pdf feature alone makes the Kindle worth its weight (10.3 oz) in gold.
An added benefit of the Kindle’s pdf feature is that it can actually help you declutter your office. Before the Kindle, I would continually print out pdf’s knowing someday that I will read them. Not only was I wasting paper by doing this, I never seemed to get the time to read all of them. They just ended up piling up on my desk. Now my reports, whitepapers and articles are no longer printed and sitting in a pile. They’re all patiently waiting for me on my Kindle.
Kindle 2 Commercial
Have you seen the new commercial for the Kindle 2 from Amazon? I must say that it REALLY surprised me that Amazon was advertising the Kindle on TV. In case you haven’t seen the commercial, it’s included below…
It’s a catchy tune with a rather artsy feel. The colors are current/modern and it features a young woman. It kind of makes me believe that Amazon is going after the twenty and thirty something crowd with this advertisement. And I find it quite interesting that the commercial does not tell the viewer what a Kindle actually is. Do they assume you already know? Or are they trying to make you curious enough to go to their site to see what it’s all about?
What do you think of the advertisement?
Barnes and Noble Introduces the Nook
Barnes and Noble recently came out with their own version of the ebook reading device, the Nook. Available for pre-order, this wireless reading device is scheduled to begin shipping late in November, 2009.
Like the Kindle 2.0, the Nook features the E-Ink technology in its display, providing a crystal clear reading experience.
Barnes and Noble did add a few features that many were hoping to see in the Kindle – color and the ability to lend books to friends.
While the reading section of the screen is still “16 shades of gray”, the nook displays its navigation and online store access in color.
One small point of contention for Barnes and Noble may be their “loan” your ebook to other Nook owners offering. While Barnes and Noble proudly displays its ability to lend prominently on its Nook page, many are complaining that the “loan” is limited to just fourteen days. And it seems that you can only loan an ebook once . A major mistake in my opinion… but one that Barnes and Noble has control over. Hopefully they will continue to listen to their users…
What do you think? Will the Nook compete with the Kindle 2?
Kindle 2 Now Priced for Christmas Gift Giving
What do you give the person who has everything? That’s a question that comes up every year at our house. When you have parents and in-laws who can essentially buy themselves whatever they want, what could you possibly give them for Christmas?
For the avid reader, consider the Kindle 2.0. This wireless reading device recently dropped in price and is now available at $259. That price is down from over $300 earlier in the year.
Allow your gift recipient to carry his/her entire library wherever he/she may go. The Kindle 2.0 is easy to read, featuring the ability to change the font size for easy reading. It is lightweight (weighs just 10.2 ounces – lighter than a typical paperback book). You can download books on the go in under 60 seconds.
The Kindle was a best seller last year and quickly sold out when Oprah announced that the Kindle was on her list of favorite items for 2008.
Can the Kindle 2 Pay for Itself?
After looking at the large number of new releases and best sellers at the Amazon website, I began to wonder if my Kindle 2 could actually pay for itself?
Here is my thought process on determining the “return on my investment”:
1. Although I paid more, the Kindle 2 is now priced at $299.
2. A new release usually goes for just $9.99 on the Kindle. Let’s say I buy a bestseller or new release book month. Remember that new books usually only come in hardcover versions which are more costly (than the paperback version). For twelve hardcovers a year, I would probably spend about $240 (12 books at an average of $20 each).
3. Compare that to the $9.99 cost for the Kindle bestseller/new list version and I have save about half. Total cost for those same titles on the Kindle should total about $120.
So, if I were to buy a new book every month for my Kindle, I will save about $120 a year. In addition to that I can pick up quite a few titles for FREE and many others for just a few bucks. Those savings aren’t even included.
My book savings will pay for my Kindle 2 in just over two years.
The question is, should I even be worried about it? After all, I don’t expect my IPod to pay for itself. And my $200 cell phone certainly will never pay for itself.
If my Kindle will save me a few bucks here and there, I’m certainly ok with that!
Kindle 2 Trade In Values
When the Kindle 2 was released in February I wondered if ebay would become the place to pick up a cheap Kindle 1. I have two college aged readers and thought that the introduction of a new Kindle would mean that people would be dumping the older version at bargain prices. I was hoping to pick one up for them on the cheap.
Heading on over to ebay, I was surprised. I wasn’t surprised by the lack of Kindle 1’s. People were definitely selling their Kindle ebook readers and moving up to the Kindle 2. However, the Kindle 1 was nearly as expensive as the new Kindle 2.
So with the recent addition of the Kindle DX, I wondered if people would start unloading Kindle 2 units to help finance the new DX purchase.
And I am surprised again. The used Kindle 2’s are still selling for upwards of $275! And you can buy a new Kindle 2 from Amazon for $299!
If this pattern continues to repeat, you may very well be able to sell your Kindle used on ebay and recover a large portion of the original purchase price!
What other electronic device lets you do that?!
Illuminate your Kindle 2
I love to read at the end of the day. It is so relaxing to get into bed and read a good book. But what if the lighting is a bit too low? Or your spouse is sleeping and you can’t power up the overhead light?
You’ll be in the dark no longer with this handy little addition to your Kindle 2. It’s an LED light that clips onto your Kindle 2.
Mighty Bright XtraFlex2 Clip-On Light (Black, Kindle Version)
It has received over 500 “5 star” ratings at Amazon.
With its flexible stem, you can direct the light wherever you need it. It has two levels of lighting. Push the little button near the tip once for full “brightness” and again to tone it down a bit. It runs on AAA batteries. Amazon lists this light as an “approved Kindle Compatible product”.
Buy Kindle 2 Today and Save $60
Amazon recently lowered the price of the Kindle 2.0 to $299. That is a $60 savings over the regular price of $359. This is the first time we have seen a reduction in the price of any of the Kindle ebook readers.
Not sure if this is a temporary price reduction or not. Amazon does fluctuate prices up and down on many other items.
If you’re on the fence about this purchase, snatch one up while they’re just $299!
Kindle 2.0 – What’s Included?
Here is a great video which covers lots of great features in the Kindle 2.0
Kindle Sales
Just how many Kindles have been sold?
I’m sure that Amazon is counting but they are certainly keep it under wraps. Jeff Bezos, Amazon CEO, has refused to release any kind of numbers since the inception of the first Kindle (now lovingly called the Kindle 1).
Many have theorized over the numbers. Analysts at Cowen and Company recently came out with projections for the sale of the Kindle 2 and the Kindle DX.
Most notably, they predict that just under 10% of Amazon’s U.S. customer base will be purchasing Kindle items by the year 2013.
Will you be one of that 10% by 2013? Are you a Kindle owner now?