...do you think it will be before I can buy an eink display reader that can download new books (like any of the fictionwise formats) for a price of $200.00? Is this years away or will the Astak or somebody else actually do this?

...do you think it will be before I can buy an eink display reader that can download new books (like any of the fictionwise formats) for a price of $200.00? Is this years away or will the Astak or somebody else actually do this?

I would predict that buy Christmas 2010 the Kindle will be close to $200 based on economys of scale and technical advancements. Look at CD players, and DVD players. They followed the same basic path.

BOb

Just to add to my predition, look at what OLPC foundation is saying they expect to have out by 2010 for $75.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=186607#post186607

...do you think it will be before I can buy an eink display reader that can download new books (like any of the fictionwise formats) for a price of $200.00? Is this years away or will the Astak or somebody else actually do this? It isn't years away. Amazon could almost certainly sell the Kindle for $250 today and make a profit. I would not be surprised to see FictionWise sell an E-Ink device for (say) $250 this year with a $50 credit towards eReader ebooks.

I would not be surprised to see FictionWise sell an E-Ink device for (say) $250 this year with a $50 credit towards eReader ebooks.

I would jump on that if it were true! I guess time will tell.

Just to add to my predition, look at what OLPC foundation is saying they expect to have out by 2010 for $75.

http://www.mobileread.com/forums/showthread.php?p=186607#post186607


Gosh durn! And OLPC predicted they'd be selling the original versions for $99 - two to three years ago. So the idea they'll make their self-imposed deadline, price and power consumption by 2010 is, in my opinion, pure hyperbole.

Derek

Gosh durn! And OLPC predicted they'd be selling the original versions for $99 - two to three years ago. So the idea they'll make their self-imposed deadline, price and power consumption by 2010 is, in my opinion, pure hyperbole.

Derek

So what? They sell them for $189. So what if this device comes in at $75x2 it would still be pretty compelling price.

BOb

PRS-500 refurbished is sold by Sony for $150.
http://www.sonystyle.com/webapp/wcs/stores/servlet/ProductDisplay?productId=8198552921665262812

Edit: my bad, it's out of stock.

Crutchfield lists them in their outlet for $251.99 and scratch and dent for $237.99.

http://www.crutchfield.com/S-ry0J05mNWTb/App/Product/Item/Main.aspx?I=158prs500&search=PRS500

No idea if they are in stock. But, why buy a 500 for $250 when you can get a 505 from Walmart for $268?

http://www.walmart.com/search/search-ng.do?search_constraint=0&search_query=Sony+Reader&ic=48_0

BOb

I've seen new (not refurbished) Sony PRS500's at Costco for $129.

It isn't years away. Amazon could almost certainly sell the Kindle for $250 today and make a profit. I would not be surprised to see FictionWise sell an E-Ink device for (say) $250 this year with a $50 credit towards eReader ebooks.

I think they could do that and be ahead on the hardware cost but they have a lot of R&D to recoup.

I would get a Kindle for my wife it weren't do darn ugly (even if it was cheap!)

I would get a Kindle for my wife it weren't do darn ugly (even if it was cheap!)

Get a silicon skin for it to improve its looks. You can pick from lots of colors.

Dale

I would get a Kindle for my wife it weren't do darn ugly (even if it was cheap!) I guess beauty is in the eye of the beholder. I don't think it's ugly at all. It is a bit bigger than the Sony because of the keyboard at the bottom. And I've have preferred a darker plastic case instead of the off-white one they used. That's not because the light one is ugly -- but because it emphasizes the grey-ish background color in the eInk display by providing so much contrast. With a light-grey color case, the eInk background would blend into the case. With a dark color, the eInk display would look positively bright.

If I were designing the next generation, I'd make the "next page" button on the right side smaller. But the ergonomics of having the buttons on the edge instead of on the face of the unit make it extremely easy to hold and use the Kindle.

Hehe I didn't mean to turn the thread into a discussion about Kindle design. I've seen it, I've played with it, I don't like it. It's just my opinion. But at 20,000 pennies I could see myself buying it...for my wife.

I think this is now the third mention I've seen of you getting it "...for your wife". Is that code for something? I'm not getting what you're implying by that. If you don't like it, why buy it for your wife? If you do, why won't you spend as much as you spent on yourself?