Amazon Kindle (3rd Generation)
Amazon has finally arrived at an e-reader product that not only slays its current competition, but also feels ready to meet the mainstream masses. With the Amazon Kindle (third-generation), Amazon addresses many of the transgressions of earlier Kindle iterations, such as relatively heavy weight, slow page turns, and finger-unfriendly button designs.
After using a shipping version of the Kindle, I found much to like. And while there’s still room for improvement, this Kindle is the first I feel comfortable recommending to friends.
The third-generation Kindle comes in two versions: The Kindle Wi-Fi costs $139, while the Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi costs $189 (the same as what the 3G-only Kindle 2 cost previously).
This isn’t just a mild update or color refresh, which the recently refreshed Kindle DX (Graphite) could easily be considered, even with that product’s improved display technology. The attention Amazon has paid to this model shows that the company is focusing on its hardware strategy to complement its software (with Kindle apps for iPhone, iPad, PC, Mac, Android, and BlackBerry) and e-bookstore strategies.
That said, it’s worth noting that this is the first smaller-sized Kindle in two colors: eye-pleasing graphite (the same as the Kindle DX launched earlier this summer) and standard Kindle white. In my experience with e-readers, a darker border enhances readability, giving the perception of better screen contrast. That was indeed still my impression with the Kindle.
Kindle 3 Ships This Week: Are You Getting One?
The third iteration of Amazon’s Kindle e-reader ships Friday boasting a lower price, improved E-ink display, longer battery life, slimmer profile, and faster page turns. The new Kindle, dubbed the Kindle 3, ships in two versions: 3G and Wi-Fi connectivity for $189 or Wi-Fi only for $139. You can also buy the Kindle 3 with Amazon’s new graphite color (first introduced with the new Kindle DX in July) or the Kindle’s standard white.
Many critics are wondering whether the Kindle 3 might be the device that finally convinces people to toss out their trade paperbacks forever in favor of the Kindle. Assuming they haven’t already, that is. Amazon is fond of saying the Kindle is the online retailer’s best-selling item. The problem, however, is that Amazon never provides solid sales figures to reveal exactly how many Kindles are being sold.
Amazon Kindle Features Hint at Future Direction
Amazon released its third-generation Kindle July 28, and the device’s “experimental features,” including a Web browser, hint at its possible future directions.
Even before Amazon.com announced its third-generation Kindle July 28, speculation abounded about what new features the online retailer would add to the device, in order to better compete against the likes of Barnes & Noble’s Nook and the Apple iPad.
On the furthest edge of that speculation, some suggested that Amazon would introduce multi-touch capabilities, or even a color screen. But the unveiled Kindle demonstrates Amazon’s continued focus on the basic e-reading experience: the screen has 50 percent better contrast, the body is smaller and lighter, the storage capacity has doubled—and new bells-and-whistles have been kept to a minimum.
Amazon Adds Video, Audio to Kindle Apple Apps
Amazon.com added embedded auto and video clips to its Kindle e-reader applications for iPad, iPhone and iPod Touch. Amazon continues to aggressively back the Kindle e-reader device, which displays text on a grayscale e-ink screen, but a robust Apple app would conceivably allow the online retailer to carve off a certain percentage of readers who opt instead to purchase an iPad. Multimedia-enhanced e-reader applications will allow readers to listen to narration during a tour, for example, or watch a demonstration video for a cookbook or home-repair volume.
Amazon.com has added embedded audio and video clips to its Kindle e-reader applications for iPad, iPhone, and iPod Touch—a feature seemingly designed to leapfrog not only Apple’s own e-reader, but also those of competitors such as Barnes & Noble’s Nook. The new Amazon feature bakes more multimedia into e-books; readers can now listen to a travel author’s narration during a city tour, for example, or view a demonstration video inside a how-to text.
Barnes & Noble and Amazon Wage E-reader Price War
Wasting little time in responding to Barnes & Noble’s new lower prices for its Nook e-readers, Amazon today slashed the cost of its Kindle device to $189, the company announced. The new price is $70 off the Kindle’s previous $259 list, and $10 less than a comparably equipped Nook.
Both the $189 Kindle and the $199 Nook are 3G-enabled wireless devices that use a cellular connection to download books, periodicals, and other content. Kindle and Nook users don’t pay monthly fees for 3G service. Barnes & Noble today also introduced a $149 Wi-Fi-only Nook.
The lower-priced Kindle and Nook e-readers join Borders’ $150 Kobo and the $199 Sony Reader Pocket Edition in the suddenly hot sub-$200 e-reader market. However, neither the Kobo nor the Sony Reader Pocket Edition has wireless connectivity. Rather, each requires a wired connection to a PC to download content.
Apple iPad’s iBooks vs Amazon’s Kindle
Apple’s iPad launches on Saturday, and among its many functions, one that analysts are looking at right now is its e-reading capability. In fact, some analysts and critics are wondering if Amazon’s Kindle will be under threat once Cupertino’s new tablet device launches on April 3. It’s true that Amazon has a few problems to contend with that may be related to pressure from the iPad’s coming iBooks application. Amazon just caved to the demands of major book publishers regarding Amazon e-book pricing, and some analysts believe the online retailer needs to cut the price of its Kindle e-ink devices to compete with the iPad.
But don’t count out Amazon or the Kindle just yet. Let’s take a closer look at Kindle’s version of e-books and Apple’s take with the new iBookstore.
Kindle is a platform
An important point to remember about Kindle is that Amazon devices like the Kindle, Kindle 2 and Kindle DX may not be too important to its future. The Kindle isn’t just a set of devices, but an e-reading platform withapplications available for the iPhone, Blackberry, PCs and Macs. The Kindle will also have an application for tablet computers (including the iPad), and it’s only a matter of time until the Kindle lands on Android devices.
Nook Better than Kindle? Top 5 Best Consumer Comments
Posted by admin on June 19, 2011 · Leave a Comment
But why is the Nook scoring better than the Kindle according to the report?
Basically, because it allows users to freely borrow e-books from public libraries, something Amazon hasn’t made available in the Kindle, yet.
Why is the Nook better than the Kindle according to tech analysts?
Because it fits in your pant’s back pocket (fancy way to say smaller), it’s lighter, it’s one-hand operable, and did I mention it’s touch-display based instead of key-buttons based?
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Enough said. Bring in the consumer comments:
Touch screen makes it easier to use than those Kindle buttons getting in the way. The ePub format is more widely used than the proprietary Kindle format. I’d say it’s a LOT better than the Kindle. The reason you’d buy one of these devices over the versatile iPad is that you can read e-Ink ereader in the sun. The size of an e-Reader makes more sense than a monstrous 10 inch iPad. – NedNedson
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Filed under Technology news · Tagged with Best Consumer Comments, kindle, Nook