Amazon has sold 240,000 Kindles…Who’s buying them?
By Emily Price
Apparently the fact that it’s ugly and horribly overpriced hasn’t stopped people with deep pockets, and perhaps a complete lack of common sense from picking up Amazon’s electronic book reader Kindle.
Apparently 240,000 of the devices have been sold since November according to “a source close to Amazon with direct knowledge of the numbers” talking to TechCrunch.
Amazon dropped the price on the kindle in May from $400 to $360 in order to boost sales, and boost sales they have, Analysts are predicting the sales to continue to grow over the next four quarters and for Amazon to triple their sales numbers and sell 750,000 of the devices of the next four quarters.
750,000?! Really?
I’ve been a bit of a skeptic about the Kindle from the beginning. While undoubtedly great in concept I can’t see how anyone would really use the thing enough to warrant it’s massive price tag.
When you buy the overpriced device you’re only getting the device itself. If you actually want to USE the Kindle then you have to shell out some more money to purchase books, and even fees to read blogs that you could otherwise read for free on the web. The books you purchase for the Kindle aren’t exactly cheap, and they’re not like regular books that you can pass on to a friend or peddle to a used book store once you’re done with them. Once you buy them- they’re yours and only yours forever.
So who’s buying these things?
I’ve got to admit the tech nerd in me wanted to order one immediately after they were announced, but logic got the best of me. Now for less money you could pick up a 3G iPhone and read books online and those same blogs the Kindle is charging for free. They could be great devices to have for business travelers who have deep pockets and don’t want to haul around a bunch of books, but how many people are there out there that meet that description?
Do any of you have a kindle? Do you think it was worth the money?
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August 3rd, 2008
I have a Kindle AND I have an iPhone. You cannot read books on an iPhone. Indeed, the moment you access the iPhone, the goal is to get whatever you’re doing done as fast as possible in order to put it back in StandBy to save the battery.
While the Kindle has flaws, what it does is transmit the books, (much cheaper than the paper versions) instantly to the device, at no charge for the wireless service. That’s major. Here’s why: you don’t have to pay tax or shipping for the book, nor do you wait for it for days or weeks. You have it instantly.
If you’re an avid reader like me, the Kindle will also pay for itself by the time you’ve bought your 30th book… that’s about a year for the typical heavy reader. Bestsellers for ten bucks… instantly? Hell yeah! Loving it.
The only problem is the digital Ink screen is kinda gray, not white like the screen you’re reading. A drawback, but not a deal breaker.
Despite its flaws, the Kindle really IS the iPod for Books. Its installed base will be just as large, and this really does change everything, just as Amazon hoped.
August 3rd, 2008
Your blog is broken, no one can post anything longer than this sentence. Hope you like listening to yourself blab.
August 3rd, 2008
Amazon dropped the price on the kindle in May from $400 to $360 in order to boost sales….
That’s not entirely accurate, Amazon had difficulties with its supply chain early on, once this was sorted the savings were passes on to the consumer, Bezos himself said it.
Secondly, You can read feeds for free on the Kindle.
Now Kindle isnt going to appeal to everyone — books don’t even appeal to everyone!! — however, for avid book readers the Kindle is a no brainer. If you buy more than 30 books a year then the Kindle will pay for itself. Then after that you are saving money.
Eric Shawn is right, the Kindle is the iPod for books, and this (unsurprising to me) news simply reinforces that. I love mine and it was the best thing I have bought in a long time.
November 5th, 2008
My parents asked if I wanted a Kindle for Christmas. I told them ABSOLUTELY NOT. The books are $9.99. For a text file!??! I would go broke trying to purchase all the books I already have, plus new ones, at that outrageous price.
When Amazon comes back down to Earth and changes their pricing considerably, I (and many, many others) will happily jump onboard.