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Free Kindle This November

kk.org

41–50 of 105 posts

Re: Free Kindle This November

#41

Earlier quoted context omitted.

It isn't locked down at all. You can read ebooks from o'reilly, baen, pragprog, and many other non-Amazon stores on it right out of the box. It simply doesn't implement competing DRM schemes.

EPUB is not a competing DRM scheme. It's the standard for virtually every other reader and store, and the kindle doesn't support it.

Conversion between (DRM-free) EPUB and MOBI is pretty much trivial. It's a pain, but it's hardly a problem.

Re: Free Kindle This November

#42

Earlier quoted context omitted.

EPUB is not a competing DRM scheme. It's the standard for virtually every other reader and store, and the kindle doesn't support it.

Which is a completely separate issue from the claim that the kindle is a locked down device that can only view content bought from Amazon. In my experience, every DRM-free ebook store I've dealt with has been happy to sell me a .mobi.

Still, the reason they doesn't support epub is most likely because it would make it easier to get books from sources other than amazon. The OP was finding it regretable that they have the motivation to do things like this.

Re: Free Kindle This November

#43
post #38

The use of the graph is ridiculous in this post. If the author wants to predict a free Kindle in the near future and back it up with some one line quote from Bezos, fine. However, that graph is pointless. I can craft countless other curves to those four points that are just as "predictive" as that one yet would predict vastly different prices. Further, if that graph was correct, Amazon would start paying us to take K…

At least my reading of this was that the author was obviously just having fun with the idea that "Hey from just 4 points of data we can extract that the kindle will be free in nov 2011", however Jeff Bezos' reaction of "Oh you noticed", even if also somewhat in jest, was interesting enough for the author to ask in what ways would a free kindle be possible.

Even if Arrington's idea is a year and not a week old it certainly would seem to make sense, especially with Amazon adding free video to free 2day shipping with Prime.

Re: Free Kindle This November

#45
post #30

Even though Amazon is not a wholesaler like Sam's or Costco, but I won't mind getting movies at $35 per year. $79 is too much an yearly renewal for what appears to be just a guaranteed free delivery.

$79/yr is $6.60/mo, which is less than Netflix's streaming-only plan and includes free 2-day shipping on Amazon products.

Prime is great if you're going to use the free 2-day shipping feature, but Amazon streaming is horrible IIRC. It uses Flash, and I'm guessing doesn't have the selection Netflix does.

Re: Free Kindle This November

#46

A classic loss leader strategy. Given how much Amazon Prime increases Amazon purchase behavior, this makes all sorts of sense if the cost per unit goes down enough. Details about how Amazon Prime affects purchasing behavior: http://www.quora.com/Who-invented-Amazon-Prime-What-impact-h...

Plus with another few million kindles out there you approach some newspapers about a special kindle subscription deal

Re: Free Kindle This November

#47

A classic loss leader strategy. Given how much Amazon Prime increases Amazon purchase behavior, this makes all sorts of sense if the cost per unit goes down enough. Details about how Amazon Prime affects purchasing behavior: http://www.quora.com/Who-invented-Amazon-Prime-What-impact-h...

Yep. I am a happy Prime user; since getting it my Amazon purchasing has risen dramatically, stuff I would go elsewhere for I get from Amazon.

I've toyed with getting a Kindle, but while I would buy the books I don't really want to shell out on the Kindle and not like the feel of it....

So from my perspective this would be killer.

Re: Free Kindle This November

#48
Did you know that two-day shipping is Amazons' default mode of operation in Germany and Amazon Prime gets you overnight shipping there? Can't buy German Kindle books yet, though.

(I guess this is true for other 'small' countries, too)

Re: Free Kindle This November

#49
post #9

This is exciting for many reasons but one being educational systems may finally start adopting the digital tablet.

My university tried this and got sued for it. These things are not yet ready for prime time because they are not accessible enough for those with disabilities.

here is the results of the court case: http://www.ada.gov/case_western_univ.htm

Re: Free Kindle This November

#50
post #36
post #18

Earlier quoted context omitted.

To note, they don't care to make money on the device, thats why you can read your kindle books on Android, iPhone, PC, etc.

It's not they don't care to make money on the device directly, it's just they don't know how to.

Making money on the device directly is simple: You charge more for it. Keeping in mind that Amazon makes a pretty good margin on the content it sells with negligible infrastructure requirements (the kindle infrastructure would be negligible compared to the rest of Amazon.com + AWS), they don't need to make money on the device itself.

The company that uses the revenue model of making money of the device and selling the content for a negligible profit is Apple. That's how they run the iPod department for one. Devices are sold at a high margin but almost all the revenue for itunes sales go to the content providers.

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