41–50 of 54 posts
This would be a good move by Amazon. The only way they are going to keep the iPad as the 2nd place e-reader is to either give away the kindle or at least drop the price to $99. Then when they release their color touch screen kindle they could charge $199 while still giving away the older model.
That's nice of them but will anyone still be using this when the iPad drops??
So, uh, I'm an Amazon Prime customer that has already bought a Kindle. What do I get? Edit: also, why the pic of the old Kindle? Are they giving away leftovers of the first edition?
Considering that kindle customers do not own the books they buy, Amazon's kindle will be Free as free first dose of cocaine.
Just like with libraries? I buy books for a few hours of enjoyment. After I've read them, they just sit on a shelf and collect dust. Because most people are like this, the Kindle is not a poor value proposition. Even if you were only allowed to read the book exactly once, it would still be a better value (in terms of hours of time spent per dollar spent) than many things, like seeing a movie. Everyone hates DRM, but…
As an avid library goer, I'm tempted by the Kindle, but I don't actually want one. I get 95% of my books from the library, so for people like me, a Kindle is just a way to spend money more easily and more often.
I see from other comments that this may not be true, but if it isn't, I'd advise that Amazon should start doing it as soon as they can. It would be an application of the "Gilette model" of sales -- sell the razor, or the printer, or the video-game console cheap, and make your money back on selling blades, cartridges, or cartridges respectively. For a book-delivery platform like the Kindle, this strikes me as a natura…
I guess their strategy must be more like Microsoft's: establish market power early and milk it for the big bux0rz later.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just like with libraries? I buy books for a few hours of enjoyment. After I've read them, they just sit on a shelf and collect dust. Because most people are like this, the Kindle is not a poor value proposition. Even if you were only allowed to read the book exactly once, it would still be a better value (in terms of hours of time spent per dollar spent) than many things, like seeing a movie. Everyone hates DRM, but…
I mostly agree with you, but with one exception: I'm a bit of a history buff, and I'm not altogether looking forward to a future where all of the history texts are alterable, and nobody owns previous copies.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Do the family members have to live in the same household as you for this to work (disregarding the ToS)?
No, I have my account with 4 other people at 3 different addresses, it works just fine. Keep in mind all of these people are in the same city, though... [edit] Note for other post: you don't have to share actual accounts - you can invite people to share prime membership; they will use their own account to do their own shopping but still get the same perks.
I'm a Prime customer, and I love it. I buy way more on Amazon than I used to, and I find it very convenient. It pays for itself on Christmas shopping alone. This could be a smart move. I've often thought about a Kindle, but never really wanted one bad enough to shell out for it (although I'm pretty sure I'll get the iPad). Dropping one in my lap, knowing that I spend a lot of money on Amazon, could be a very smart mo…
I have never considered paying for Prime beyond the free trials they sometimes run. But if they gave me a free Kindle, I'd sign up for it. I also know that I'd end up dropping ten bucks a pop for book-after-book-after-book.
Earlier quoted context omitted.
Just like with libraries? I buy books for a few hours of enjoyment. After I've read them, they just sit on a shelf and collect dust. Because most people are like this, the Kindle is not a poor value proposition. Even if you were only allowed to read the book exactly once, it would still be a better value (in terms of hours of time spent per dollar spent) than many things, like seeing a movie. Everyone hates DRM, but…
Not just like with libraries. Library books are free. As an avid library goer, I'm tempted by the Kindle, but I don't actually want one. I get 95% of my books from the library, so for people like me, a Kindle is just a way to spend money more easily and more often.
That's not even close to true. The actual case is just that the costs of library books are (almost) completely externalized.