Returned my Kindle today...

[enzo1]

Kindle DX-489$ ... Ipad_499$ No brainer

[Cornpanzer]

Ahhh...reminds me of the digital SLR thread. Wayne, is it true that you returned your waffle iron because it was terrible for making scrambled eggs?

I havent been able to use either yet, but it seems that the Ipad because of its backlit screen will not be able to successfully accomplish what is the Kindle's main attraction for much of its audience - enable you to read for long periods in sunny "vacation" environments without having to recharge.

From what I can tell, the two devices are targeting two different audiences. It would be like comparing a Porsche to a Jeep. The Kindle seems very good for what it is intended to do - with the understanding that it is targeting a niche audience. Its success will depend on how many people can justify that kind of expense for vacations or business travel. I think that they need to get the price down by about 50% before it really takes off.

For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

[Dottore]

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer

For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

You pay discounted Amazon prices. I have paid as much as $9.- for a book and as little as $3.-

And the price for the normal kindle is only about $230.- +/- (The higher price quoted above is for the very large version—which rather defeats the purpose.)

As fxeditor says above, one of the attractions of the kindle is that it is not one of an increasing number of devices that tries to be all things to all people. Instead it has a limited mission and does that extremely well. Like an old Porsche.

[dd74]

Also, the Kindle is smaller than the iPad.

For me, I simply don't need -- as far as I know of myself these days -- the features of the iPad. As is, I'm running out of outlets at home with the Kindle, the computer, the printer, the cell phone, etc. plugged in.

[KaptKaos]

Everyone I know with a kindle loves them and then says "it would be really great if it did X." So there is plenty of opportunity for the iPad.

People tout the screen as THE reason to buy it, but it's really just a feature they like. The screen alone is not a strong enough selling point.

To me, it seems that the Kindle will need to drop in price dramatically and/or innovate quickly or it will be buried.

[jshape]

I travel a lot for work - mostly back and forth to China or Korea. The Kindle is - for me - a fantastic companion. I can load as many books as I want and away I go. I also like that you can get a free sample that allows you to read the first 50 or so pages for free to see if you like the book (or to see if you already read it and forgot you did!). Beach reading is great as well since the "ink" doesn't suffer from glare from sunlight. For night reading you need a night light - but you do for a book as well. I don't particularily like the newspaper subscriptions - I still like to hold a paper even though I've gotten over holding a book. Battery life is great as is the speed at which books are downloaded. The web interface is weak and I rarely use it - but it does sometimes come in handy. Like someone said, it's reading tool not a substitute for a netbook or laptop.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by Cornpanzer

For those of you who have Kindle's, what does it cost to purchasae a book? Is there any talk of being able to interface with some form of "libraries" soon?

Tons of books on the Kindle are free! Publishers are trying to get readers into authors by giving away the first book of a protracted series. I tend to load up on these because I'm kind of a cheap a$$! Most books for purchase are no more then $9.99 but recently some of the prices have started to creep higher.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by Wayne at Pelican Parts

I'm glad that you guys all love the Kindle - it just wasn't for me (I don't really read books, mostly magazines, journals, and newspapers these days). I just picked it up again and tried to read the Wall Street Journal with it - just not cutting it - the interface seems so rudimentary compared to multi-touch. The fact that there are so many Kindle fans here leads me to believe that the iPad will possibly be a huge success. At least for reading the WSJ and other "newspaper apps", the iPod Touch / iPhone seems like a superior device - full color, easy to browse by swiping the screen, and it has full-motion video from those news sites too. Even if the iPad was nothing more than a color eBook reader with a full-featured Safari web browser, then it would seem to blow away the Kindle. All of the other stuff seems like pure gravy. The device currently has a bunch of pundits, but I think if you look at it as a multimedia device that's designed to compete with the ebook readers, then they might be in for some big trouble in the near future.

I believe that the iPad screen is supposed to be like the iPod touch screen - it's a much higher density screen than most laptop screens, so it's much easier on the eyes.

-Wayne

Wayne, you make a good point about the Ipad being an excellent newspaper reader. will be great for that. My only problem with the e-versions of newspapers so far is that they are unbelievably expensive! particularly if you think that with a device like an Ipad why would you pay that much for yesterdays news when websites give up to the minute information? In my opinion the newspaper format is dead but if you have something that updates in real time (via RSS perhaps?) but retains the 'look' of a newspaper, then you may just have a winner.

[dd74]

Originally Posted by fxeditor

Wayne, you make a good point about the Ipad being an excellent newspaper reader. will be great for that. My only problem with the e-versions of newspapers so far is that they are unbelievably expensive! particularly if you think that with a device like an Ipad why would you pay that much for yesterdays news when websites give up to the minute information? In my opinion the newspaper format is dead but if you have something that updates in real time (via RSS perhaps?) but retains the 'look' of a newspaper, then you may just have a winner.

True, the newspaper is dead in many regards, which is why so many are adopting community/blogger type reporters and stories, which is a whole 'nother problem in itself.

Nevertheless, the death of newspapers should not and probably will not have bearing on the devices like the iPad, as it can do so much more than a reader like the Kindle.

[enzo1]

the Kindle, IMHO, is more of a 1 dimensional device where the Ipad will be 2 with color graphics and cool interphases...software

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by dd74

Nevertheless, the death of newspapers should not and probably will not have bearing on the devices like the iPad, as it can do so much more than a reader like the Kindle.

Agreed but what can the Ipad do that the Iphone, that everyone interested in this device probably already has, doesn't?

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by enzo1

the Kindle, IMHO, is more of a 1 dimensional device where the Ipad will be 2 with color graphics and cool interphases...software

Yes, but at least I can listen to music and read my e-books at the same time with my Kindle!

[Super_Dave_D]

I would expect that the iPad will be able to do that as the iPhone and iPod can.

Quote de enzo1

the Kindle, IMHO, is more of a 1 dimensional device where the Ipad will be 2 with color graphics and cool interphases...software

Yes, but at least I can listen to music and read my e-books at the same time with my Kindle!

[dd74]

Originally Posted by fxeditor

Agreed but what can the Ipad do that the Iphone, that everyone interested in this device probably already has, doesn't?

All I have is an iTouch, and for the four months I've had it, I really haven't touched it.

But granted, the iPad looks like a giant iTouch or iPhone, so I'm sure my only guess is it has a better/bigger screen, but not much else.

[fxeditor]

Originally Posted by Super_Dave_D

I would expect that the iPad will be able to do that as the iPhone and iPod can.

Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .

[porsche4life]

the iPod app will run in the BKG on an iPhone or touch.... I listen to music and surf the web all the time.... That is the only thing that will run in the back though....

[krichard]

Originally Posted by fxeditor

Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .

wrong I'm listening to music and surfing the web on my Iphone right now.....

[Super_Dave_D]

Guessing you have neither???

Originally Posted by fxeditor

Actually they can't. You can't run 2 apps at the same time on a Iphone, Ipod touch, Ipad .

[Moses]

I'm waiting for the next version...

[imcarthur]