Amazon Kindle out of stock again - back in a few weeks

searcher · 03-20-2008, 05:01 AM

Quote:

Dear Customers, We had high hopes for Kindle before its launch, but we didn't expect the demand that actually materialized. We sold out in the first 5 ½ hours and have been scrambling to increase our manufacturing capacity ever since. We've been shipping on a first-come, first-served basis, but many customers have had to wait as long as six weeks after ordering. We hope to be able to announce to you within the next few weeks that we are back in stock and that when you order a Kindle, we'll ship it to you that very same day. That's our goal: order today, and we ship today. Until then, customers can order now, and they'll be first in line. For those of you who've waited six weeks to get your Kindle, you have our sincere thanks for your patience. Many of you have written detailed and thoughtful customer reviews, and we're grateful for that too.

I found this delectable-looking Kindle cake on the web - it's the ultimate geek compliment!

Happy reading.
Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

Btw, the cake Jeff is talking about can be found here.

guguy · 03-20-2008, 10:38 AM

Considering the launch of the PRS-505 in two weeks in the UK... Well, it may be linked
with a possible european launch of a Kindle+, don't you think so?

Ervserver · 03-20-2008, 11:04 AM

still no numbers on how many were actually sold

JAcheson · 03-20-2008, 01:00 PM

At the very least, the "giggle factor" regarding ebook readers should be dying down.

Though, the fractured nature of the market with all the competing file formats is still an issue.

HarryT · 03-20-2008, 01:04 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ervserver

still no numbers on how many were actually sold

How many what? Kindles?

Bookeen seem to be being supplied with 2000-3000 units per month by PVI. It's probably reasonable to "guesstimate" that Amazon are getting around about the same number.

searcher · 03-20-2008, 01:13 PM

Actually the big news is that Amazon promises enough supply within the "next few weeks". Maybe PVI will start to manufacture more displays.

guguy · 03-20-2008, 01:36 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

How many what? Kindles?

Bookeen seem to be being supplied with 2000-3000 units per month by PVI. It's probably reasonable to "guesstimate" that Amazon are getting around about the same number.

Amazon is a much more important customer for PVI than bookeen so just
like Intel supply in priority their processors to Apple and Dell I guess PVI
supply in priority their e-ink screens to Amazon!

So I reckon 5000-6000 units per month is much more realistic.

JSWolf · 03-20-2008, 01:49 PM

The fact that the Kindle is out of stock is not newsworthy. Bookeen and Sony and iRex have all been out of stock and it's just as not newsworthy.

Alisa · 03-20-2008, 02:43 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by searcher

Actually the big news is that Amazon promises enough supply within the "next few weeks". Maybe PVI will start to manufacture more displays.

I don't think saying that he "hopes" to be back in stock in a few weeks can really be taken as a promise. I know they've gotten a lot of criticism from people waiting on their orders for not being more specific about exact shipping dates but this is why they avoid it. If they say they "hope" to have something, people do start taking it as a promise. When they fail to meet an "estimated" delivery date on an order people get their noses out of joint because they somehow construed "estimated" as "guaranteed".

HarryT · 03-20-2008, 02:44 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

I don't think saying that he "hopes" to be back in stock in a few weeks can really be taken as a promise.

Of course it's not a promise. I could say "I hope to win the lottery next week. That doesn't (unfortunately) mean that I will do so

.

tsgreer · 03-20-2008, 03:02 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by HarryT

Of course it's not a promise. I could say "I hope to win the lottery next week. That doesn't (unfortunately) mean that I will do so

.

Just remember that if you ever do win the lottery Harry, you aren't allowed to retire to some beach somewhere and enjoy all your time reading e-books. I would hope that you stay home and post even more ebooks because of all the extra spare time you would have. That way we could benefit from your lottery as well.

I'm just sayin....

JSWolf · 03-20-2008, 03:24 PM

This is just silly. Amazon says we hope to have more units and everyone goes nuts. Other companies like Bookeen say it and nobody feels it's newsworthy. To be honest, it's not newsworthy. The Kindle is no more special then the Gen3, the 505, the iLiad, V3, or whatever.

Now if this was "We HAVE all the units needed to fill ALL the backorders" and it meant that PVI has ramped up production or some such then yes it would would worthy of all the attention.

searcher · 03-20-2008, 03:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

I don't think saying that he "hopes" to be back in stock in a few weeks can really be taken as a promise.

Back in stock for immediate purchase. This is something new for Kindle. We'll see that.

Alisa · 03-20-2008, 04:36 PM

I think that was always their plan: to have them always in stock for immediate purchase. I don't see that as being anything extraordinary. Still, hope != promise.

Jon - I don't see that everyone is going nuts here. It seems a pretty tepid response to tepid news IMO.

JSWolf · 03-20-2008, 05:31 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Alisa

I think that was always their plan: to have them always in stock for immediate purchase. I don't see that as being anything extraordinary. Still, hope != promise.

Jon - I don't see that everyone is going nuts here. It seems a pretty tepid response to tepid news IMO.

Well there is also another thread in the Kindle forum on the very same topic.

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03-20-2008, 10:38 AM	#2
guguy Groupie Posts: 191 Karma: 15 Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: Clermont-Ferrand/Paris, France Device: PRS-505	Considering the launch of the PRS-505 in two weeks in the UK... Well, it may be linked with a possible european launch of a Kindle+, don't you think so?

03-20-2008, 11:04 AM	#3
Ervserver Wizard Posts: 2,624 Karma: 1008294 Join Date: Dec 2007 Location: Iowa, USA Device: Nook Simple Touch	still no numbers on how many were actually sold

03-20-2008, 01:00 PM	#4
JAcheson Tech Writer Posts: 211 Karma: 1745785 Join Date: Feb 2007 Location: Philadelphia, PA Device: Palm TX, Nook Color, Nook Simple Touch, Vizio Tablet, Nexus 10	At the very least, the "giggle factor" regarding ebook readers should be dying down. Though, the fractured nature of the market with all the competing file formats is still an issue.

03-20-2008, 01:13 PM	#6
searcher Connoisseur Posts: 58 Karma: 344 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Sony PRS-500, PRS-505	Actually the big news is that Amazon promises enough supply within the "next few weeks". Maybe PVI will start to manufacture more displays.

03-20-2008, 01:49 PM	#8
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,142 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	The fact that the Kindle is out of stock is not newsworthy. Bookeen and Sony and iRex have all been out of stock and it's just as not newsworthy.

03-20-2008, 03:24 PM	#12
JSWolf Resident Curmudgeon Posts: 79,142 Karma: 144284184 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Roslindale, Massachusetts Device: Kobo Libra 2, Kobo Aura H2O, PRS-650, PRS-T1, nook STR, PW3	This is just silly. Amazon says we hope to have more units and everyone goes nuts. Other companies like Bookeen say it and nobody feels it's newsworthy. To be honest, it's not newsworthy. The Kindle is no more special then the Gen3, the 505, the iLiad, V3, or whatever. Now if this was "We HAVE all the units needed to fill ALL the backorders" and it meant that PVI has ramped up production or some such then yes it would would worthy of all the attention.

03-20-2008, 04:36 PM	#14
Alisa Gadget Geek Posts: 2,324 Karma: 22221 Join Date: Aug 2007 Device: Paperwhite, Kindle 3 (retired), Skindle 1.2 (retired)	I think that was always their plan: to have them always in stock for immediate purchase. I don't see that as being anything extraordinary. Still, hope != promise. Jon - I don't see that everyone is going nuts here. It seems a pretty tepid response to tepid news IMO.

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