The Kindle 2

[cathyr19355]

The updated version of Amazon's e-book reader device, the Kindle 2 is out.

So far as I can tell from a quick look at the website, the major differences between it and the original Kindle are: 1) it's thinner (only 1/3 of an inch!!!); it can talk to you (text to speech feature!); 3) longer battery life (by about 25%); and 4) a faster refresh rate (by about 20%).

And only $359.00!

Somehow, I think I'll continue to pass on e-books for awhile--for at least as long as new books on Kindle continue not to be price-competitive with paperback prices.

Comments

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

We've agreed that books in which photos are critical are not really a good choice for the Kindle (and if you look at my Wish List you'll see that none of the history-related books on there are available for Kindle, whether or not they contain photos).

As for fiction, well, let's see. Let me look at a number of fiction books I've bought lately in other media and price them. (That's not the best metric for determining whether my assertions about the cost of fiction books on the Kindle are correct, but it will at least explain where I'm coming from here).

For example, here are the present prices for Jacqueline Carey's "Kushiel" books, most of which I have in mass market paperback, from Amazon itself:

Kushiel's Dart: $6.39 Kindle. $7.99 new in mass market paperback (but available in MMP from Amazon Marketplace vendors starting at $4 new, and $2.75 used);

Kushiel's Avatar: $5.69 Kindle. $7.99 new in mass market paperback
(but available in MMP from Amazon Marketplace vendors starting at $4.22 new, and $2.65 used);

Kushiel's Chosen: $7.99 Kindle. $7.99 new in mass market paperback
(but available in MMP from Amazon Marketplace vendors starting at $4.15 new, and $2.85 used).

Granted, a lot of fiction is no longer published in MMP anymore, so let's look at a trade paperback I just bought today from Chester County Book & Music Company: John Maddox Roberts's latest SPQR murder mystery--Under Vesuvius.

I bought it for $14.95 list. It's not out on Kindle, Amazon sells the paperback itself for $10.17. Amazon Marketplace sellers have copies new from $8.46 and used from $8.99.

There's a previous SPQR mystery, which I don't own, called "A Point of Law," that is on Kindle. Its list price in trade paperback is also $14.95, and its Kindle price is $10.09--a significant savings. But Amazon Marketplace sellers have copies even cheaper: new from $5.00 and (used copies right now, interestingly, start at $10.80).

What this says to me is 1) I cannot count on the new fiction I'd like to read being available on Kindle, and 2) even when it is, if I feel like shopping around a bit, I can get a dead tree book considerably cheaper than the Kindle price.

Now, I don't think that this is a stable situation, and it may well change in Kindle's favor in the near future. But right now, it doesn't pay me to buy a Kindle, IMHO.

[pmat.livejournal.com]

I think you're forgetting the +$3.99 shipping on used books at Amazon. I mostly don't buy used paperbacks if they're still in print, unless I can find them in batches on ebay, because the shipping tends to raise the price to close to new. That's an interesting point, though; as far as I know there is no way to resell a Kindle book. I generally keep books anyhow, unless they're just bad, but people who sell most of their books would also not be well-served by the Kindle.

[cathyr19355.livejournal.com]

I think you're forgetting the +$3.99 shipping on used books at Amazon

I didn't emphasize it, to be sure. But I'm aware it's there. However, in many cases, it *still* doesn't raise the price above the Kindle price, and in any event Amazon itself sells some of the books in which I'm interested in dead tree versions for less than list price (if not for less than the Kindle price); Amazon, of course, will ship for free if you buy $25 or more from it in a single order. And I've been able to get used books amazingly cheaply elsewhere on the Web; I just stuck to Amazon as an example because I wasn't feeling so great and was lazy when I composed my reply to your last comment.

That's an interesting point, though; as far as I know there is no way to resell a Kindle book.

There isn't. I found a comment thread on the Kindle 2 (?) Amazon page to the effect that you can't even easily share a Kindle book, purchased by one Kindle owner, with another Kindle owned by a different person (the example was of a husband and wife, both having Kindles). Apparently you can get around this (I think by getting the Kindle book converted, as brandyeileen mentions above), but it is something of a disincentive.

You also make an interesting point that people who like to resell old books would not really be interested in a Kindle, though that again may be a dying market.