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Old 10-07-2009, 08:15 PM   #1
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Last time they dropped the price of the current device it was a very short time before a new reader, the K2, was announced and released.

At $259 they have set a new price point for a lot of people. So many just want it easy to buy books directly on their reader and could care less who store it comes from...and am willing to suggest even more who are on the bubble for a 6" (or even 5") device are going to look at the small price difference of the K2 compared to a 5" device with peeling paint (PAINT FOR GAWDS SAKES!!) for $199 and be willing to pay for the simplicity of not needing their computer in the mix.

As of now I see many will not pay anything like $200 for a 5" device unless the device offers some substantial differences that the AVERAGE consumer can appreciate. Experienced users are willing to dance around quirks but average users...not a chance.

And oh yeah, so much for the FUD from the marketing wonks about increasing cost of eink displays...

Nice to see the bar raised due to nothing more than a price decrease.

And YES, I get it that a 5" device is worth the "compactness"...and yeah, I dunna like the K2 anymore than my K1 so another Kindle is not going to be on my wishlist...a Pocketbook 360 would be nifty though...
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Old 10-07-2009, 10:54 PM   #2
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...a Pocketbook 360 would be nifty though...
I'm thinking so too, especially if the US sellers pricing expectations hold true.
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Old 10-07-2009, 11:20 PM   #3
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To me, the main reason for the Lower price looks like a clearing of stock of the US only Kindle. THey did the same thing when the K2 was coming out and the replacement is already here in the form of the International edition.

Withe the international edition, they now have a device that not only will work in the US, but will also work around the world. It makes more sense to slowly shift to making it the only reader i it size, as opposed to having two, and the resultant confusion for buyers as to which one to get as except for the radio, they are identical (As far as we Know).

They might introduce a cheaper, smaller device perhaps in the 5' screen range to compete with the Sony 300 and Astak Pocketpro at below the $200 mark.

We might also see a refresh in the DX in the near future to switch it to the GSM chipset, to align all its devices as world devices.
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Old 10-08-2009, 12:01 AM   #4
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Quote:
Originally Posted by brecklundin View Post
Last time they dropped the price of the current device it was a very short time before a new reader, the K2, was announced and released.

At $259 they have set a new price point for a lot of people. So many just want it easy to buy books directly on their reader and could care less who store it comes from...and am willing to suggest even more who are on the bubble for a 6" (or even 5") device are going to look at the small price difference of the K2 compared to a 5" device with peeling paint (PAINT FOR GAWDS SAKES!!) for $199 and be willing to pay for the simplicity of not needing their computer in the mix.

As of now I see many will not pay anything like $200 for a 5" device unless the device offers some substantial differences that the AVERAGE consumer can appreciate. Experienced users are willing to dance around quirks but average users...not a chance.

And oh yeah, so much for the FUD from the marketing wonks about increasing cost of eink displays...

Nice to see the bar raised due to nothing more than a price decrease.

And YES, I get it that a 5" device is worth the "compactness"...and yeah, I dunna like the K2 anymore than my K1 so another Kindle is not going to be on my wishlist...a Pocketbook 360 would be nifty though...
Well if you are referring to the Astak PP the paint issue has been fixed, just a first batch issue. Substantial difference? Does the Kindle come in different colours? No. Does the Kindle offer extended storage by use of memory card? No. Does the Kindle offer the ability to buy DRM-laced content from different publishers? No. Does to Kindle offer the portability of a 5"? No (even less portable than comparative 6" readers on the market the Kindle is). Does the Kindle offer user replaceable batteries? No. Does the Kindle come with a supplied hard cover protective pouch? No. You say the Kindle is $259 and $199 for the 5" units. The 5" come with a protective cover, for the Kindle the cheapest is $29.99, so that takes you up to $289.99. So now there is a $90 price difference.

But the Kindle does offer; 1-stop shop for ebook purchases; the flexibility of buying book straight from the device; the ability to download purchased ebooks without hooking upto a computer; a computer is not required to have to use the Kindle; the availability of having certain newspapers and magazines delivered straight to your Kindle.

If people are happy to just buy the reader, a pouch and content to just buy books from Amazon, then yep the Kindle is an absolute winner, but for ease or portability, vast options of ebook suppliers etc, these cheaper 5" units are looking pretty good.

I think the biggest issue for people are, is a 5" or 6" screen best for my needs? Most certainly the Kindle will eat into the existing 6" market, but not the 5". People buy a 5" for reasons that a 6" can not provide.
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Old 10-08-2009, 12:06 AM   #5
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At $259 they have set a new price point for a lot of people.
And $400 for the new model, to ship with a cover to the UK. Sorry, unconvinced.
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Old 10-08-2009, 04:41 AM   #6
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Withe the international edition, they now have a device that not only will work in the US, but will also work around the world. It makes more sense to slowly shift to making it the only reader i it size, as opposed to having two, and the resultant confusion for buyers as to which one to get as except for the radio, they are identical (As far as we Know).

They might introduce a cheaper, smaller device perhaps in the 5' screen range to compete with the Sony 300 and Astak Pocketpro at below the $200 mark.

We might also see a refresh in the DX in the near future to switch it to the GSM chipset, to align all its devices as world devices.
There is one reason they might keep the us-only versions alive and thats price, if the deal with sprint is better value for them than the at&t deal then they won't rush to dump the us-only version, not until they have managed to get a better deal from at&t anyway.
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Old 10-08-2009, 04:44 AM   #7
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And $400 for the new model, to ship with a cover to the UK. Sorry, unconvinced.
Even with the additional costs from this initial setup they have, it still sounds pretty competitive with the price of a prs-600 etc.
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Old 10-08-2009, 04:52 AM   #8
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And $400 for the new model, to ship with a cover to the UK. Sorry, unconvinced.
It's a total of $387.85, which at today's exchange rate of £1 =US$1.603 is £241.90.

That makes it cheaper than the Sony PRS-600, at £250, which is the natural device to compare it with. Plus, it's an additional £40 for a cover for the Sony, so you're looking at £242 for the Kindle + cover against £290 for the Sony + cover.

I'd say that's a pretty favourable comparison, personally.
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Old 10-08-2009, 05:00 AM   #9
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You can get the sony cheaper than that if you shop around, but this import price is sadly competitive with the current pricing from sony in europe.

The real question people have to ask is whether or not the books they are interested in fall into the 60-70k that are geographically restricted depending on your country because thats where all ereaders stand or fall, the content you can get for them.
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Old 10-08-2009, 07:38 AM   #10
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It's a total of $387.85, which at today's exchange rate of £1 =US$1.603 is £241.90.

That makes it cheaper than the Sony PRS-600, at £250, which is the natural device to compare it with. Plus, it's an additional £40 for a cover for the Sony, so you're looking at £242 for the Kindle + cover against £290 for the Sony + cover.

I'd say that's a pretty favourable comparison, personally.
Don't forget you will also be running a customs and duty risk.
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Old 10-08-2009, 08:17 AM   #11
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It's a total of $387.85, which at today's exchange rate of £1 =US$1.603 is £241.90.

That makes it cheaper than the Sony PRS-600, at £250, which is the natural device to compare it with. Plus, it's an additional £40 for a cover for the Sony, so you're looking at £242 for the Kindle + cover against £290 for the Sony + cover.

I'd say that's a pretty favourable comparison, personally.
£40! A cover here is €30, which would be at around £27.

A Sony 600 costs €299, add €30 for the cover, that will make €320

A Kindle costs $387,85 (I presume that's with a cover?), which is €264.

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Don't forget you will also be running a customs and duty risk.
Yes, I'm curious about that. If it is imported from the US, from Amazon to you, you have to pay taxes over it. If, however it is imported from the US, from Amazon.com to Amazon.co.uk and then to you, would you still have to pay taxes?
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Old 10-08-2009, 08:21 AM   #12
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Don't forget you will also be running a customs and duty risk.
No, that price include all duties and VAT.
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Old 10-08-2009, 08:59 AM   #13
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It's a total of $387.85, which at today's exchange rate of £1 =US$1.603 is £241.90.

That makes it cheaper than the Sony PRS-600, at £250, which is the natural device to compare it with. Plus, it's an additional £40 for a cover for the Sony, so you're looking at £242 for the Kindle + cover against £290 for the Sony + cover.

I'd say that's a pretty favourable comparison, personally.
You can get the Sony for £220, and a case for another £18, pretty easily.

Oh, and 2% quidco cashback on WHSmiths electronics as well. So...

Not to mention you won't get anything like that actual exchange rate in practice with a card, my bank lists $1.56... so £248.62 for the Kindle vs £233.6 for the Sony. Favourable?

Last edited by DawnFalcon; 10-08-2009 at 09:20 AM.
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Old 10-08-2009, 09:15 AM   #14
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I don't understand why there is so much Kindle-bashing right after they lowered their price.

Maybe it is because I'm American and Kindle is so darned convenient here, but I'm nothing but happy with it. I paid $300 shipped. Bought a nice rugged Patagonia case for $46. Everything works fine, and I have only run into a few books that are not available for it through Amazon. Book prices are good.

Now that they lowered the price, I asked for the difference back and they said: "OK." (Amazon also has very good customer service)

Everyone else is just bitter that they haven't been able to make it as convenient and cost-effective abroad as they have stateside.

Even if it is still not going to be your choice, those of you outside the USA should at least be happy that it introduces more competition. Kindle is HUGE in the US. Sony and others may have to lower their prices or come out with wireless-enabled systems just to stay competetive! Any way you slice it, competition is good for consumers.
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Old 10-08-2009, 09:25 AM   #15
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No, that price include all duties and VAT.
In that case, the price is most certainly competitive.


JeremyZ, it's not so much the Kindle, but the fact that the Kindle has been released only now, when the European ebook market is picking up as well. And most European publishers don't publish in mobi but epub. Which you can't read on the Kindle. So, in that respect it's not really a competitor. If I buy a Kindle, the only books I can read on it are DRM free books, which I can convert to mobi, or books from Amazon. But not the books I can buy from my local (aka Dutch) book store, as they only sell in epub format.
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