Amazon Announces 4 New Kindle devices...

[mrevent]

What about the DX? It has been so long since there has been an update to it, right?
Did amazon "forget about" the product with the largest screen?

I was thinking after an update "DX" (or Kindle Giant Touch, whatever) would improve its pdf handling capacities and hoping to get one, soon...

--sorry, porkbarrel and nesler mentioned this before. Well count this as 'seconding' porkbarrel then...

[Rizla]

I'm surprised. Amazon have dropped the ball. E-reader issues:

1) The Touch version has no buttons! I use a 650 and I use the buttons a lot. I do swipe the screen to do page turns sometimes, but 90% of the time I use the buttons. Having to use screen only is a major negative. I dislike the Kobo because it only has one button. Big mistake IMO.

2) The color is a poor choice. Reflexive Silver / Metallic grey? Ick. IMPO it looks cheap and ugly. Maybe it will grow on me.
More objectively, the finish has obvious possible reflexive glare issues. Odd choice if it is the only color choice. Mat black is best.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I've had a crappy week so far but this big announcement from Amazon has me smiling again!
I've preordered the Kindle Touch $99. I plan to buy the Kindle Fire at a later date. Hopefully for Christmas.

I've seen so many good deals on ebooks on the other Special Offers K3 models I was starting to feel left out. I had planned to get a T1 but I love Kindle and I love Kindle Support so my loyalty lies with them. Especially now I can read my Library books on it. I have no need for two Readers anymore.

The only negative for me are It's not as light as I wanted but it is smaller and thinner!

I'm not planning on getting the new Kindles (at least not right now, I've got my heart set on a new red Sony PRS-T1), but I do think that Amazon has made some great improvements to the Kindle line. Whenever a new ebook reader is announced I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, regardless of whether or not I'm planning on buying it.

I had a pretty crappy month (beyond terrible), but the new Sony PRS-T1 and now the new Kindle announcements have brought a smile to my face, too.

Originally Posted by jupstin

This is what I'm wondering as well. I especially can't imagine how Sony can stay in the ebook reader game. How much more will people be willing to pay for epub support?

I'm willing to pay. I've got a large epub library that I would be loath to have to convert, and quite a few of the books that I read aren't available at the Kindle store (foreign books, for the most part). Also, I like the added Sony dictionaries. As I don't live in the U.S., I can't easily purchase the ad subsidized models of the Kindle, so the price difference between a Kindle touch and the new Sony models is not that large at all. I may not be in the majority, but I'm sure that there are others like me.

That said, I've always said that I wouldn't mind a Kindle as a backup reader. At these prices I might even pick one up. I do read Kindle books on my iPad as it is.

Originally Posted by Alisa

You could have both. I really like the idea of touch for things like dictionary lookup, highlighting, and menu navigation. I would like to have the option of page turning buttons on the side, though. It makes it easer to read one handed. Plus, if I use the touchscreen for every page turn, I think I'd likely get the screen more smudgy than I would like.

If the screen is like my PRS-350 screen (and I imagine that it is) it probably won't get very smudgy. It isn't like a cell phone or tablet screen, that shows every fingerprint. I do like the option of having both touch and button turns, though.

[Fbone]

I wonder what Amazon will price the refurbished Kindles (2011). $59, maybe?

I like to look ahead.

[Latinandgreek]

Originally Posted by Rizla

I'm surprised. Amazon have dropped the ball. E-reader issues:

1) The Touch version has no buttons! I use a 650 and I use the buttons a lot. I do swipe the screen to do page turns sometimes, but 90% of the time I use the buttons. Having to use screen only is a major negative. I dislike the Kobo because it only has one button. Big mistake IMO.

2) The color is a poor choice. Reflexive Silver / Metallic grey? Ick. IMPO it looks cheap and ugly. Maybe it will grow on me.
More objectively, the finish has obvious possible reflexive glare issues. Odd choice if it is the only color choice. Mat black is best.

I agree. I don't like the colour (I was quite fond of the graphite colour of the previous models), and buttons on the touch model would have been great. I use both buttons and swipes on my PRS-350.

However overall I do think that the new Kindles are quite nice and I don't doubt that they will sell like hotcakes.

I am still sticking to my Sony readers, though. I haven't yet seen anything that would make me switch over. I wouldn't complain if I got a Kindle for Christmas (as a backup reader), though

Originally Posted by nesler

I say this as a first-generation DX owner... I really get the sense that the DX has reached its end. The DX Graphite has been seriously neglected when it comes to updates (due in part to having less system memory than the Kindle 3)--it's been the red-headed stepchild for quite a while now.

I have seen absolutely no rumors regarding a new version of the DX. With the tablet line making its debut... I think the Fire is pushing the DX under the bus.

It's too bad - I had been hoping to get a 9.7 inch sink reader for years to read my PDFs, but none of the ones on the market ever seemed to suit my needs. I had been holding out hope for a new 9.7 inch touchscreen Kindle, but alas, it looks like it isn't to be. Tablets it is.

[toronado]

Yeah, the DX seems to be languishing. It's like 6" is the only size eReader any major player is coming out with right now. Even with these new Kindles coming out, I'm still planning on getting the new Sony.

[toronado]

Originally Posted by log

Regarding ads not beinging instrusive, please don't get your hopes up for the cheaper models unless you think something like this is not intrusive.

It seems like since the advertised prices of the new crop of Kindles are all the KSO prices, Amazon is making a shift to try to make the KSO versions the "regular" versions, and the ad-free versions the "special" versions. Whereas before it was the other way around.

I understand needing to pay more for the non-ad-subsidized versions, I just don't like the whole apparent "subtle" shift in attitude that Amazon seems to be promoting here. I don't like that you are supposed to start thinking that having ads on a device is the "norm" and that not having ads is somehow exceptional.

[carld]

I don't find those ads to be intrusive.

[Purple Lady]

Originally Posted by Blossom

I just took a look and it does have a Virtual Keyboard. It's has to be navigated with the 5 way though.

I did realize that it has a virtual keyboard, but if you can't type on it I don't really consider it a usable keyboard. I have the Sony with the touchscreen keyboard and you can type on it normally. I was just thinking of how much of a pain it would be to use the 5 way on a keyboard.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by toronado

I don't like that you are supposed to start thinking that having ads on a device is the "norm" and that not having ads is somehow exceptional.

That may very well be the new norm for the low-end, in order to get a quality product at an affordable price.

[toronado]

Originally Posted by carld

I don't find those ads to be intrusive.

You may not find the current ads on the Kindle intrusive. And if so, that just means that Amazon has done a good job of calculating exactly how far they can go with this at the present time. But I think this is just opening a door to further expansion of advertising in the future as people get used to it and consider it normal.

I find any and all ads intrusive. We already live with more and more intrusive advertising in the culture. And it will continue to increase as long as people accept it, for example, in exchange for a discount on a product.

I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon was making more money from the KSO versions than the no-ad versions in spite of higher price of the no-ad versions.

[log]

Originally Posted by LoganK

Do you have anything to back that up at the moment? Amazon Kindle Fire will support the Amazon App store. The Amazon App store includes Aldiko and Kobo. Amazon have not removed those applications even though the Fire was announced, so I suspect Amazon might take the high ground on this one...

Also, why "very small"? Smaller than the existing selection of Amazon App, or do you mean limited by the developers that choose to utilize the Amazon App store?

It's simple, Amazon is able to sell all these devices essentially for a loss on the hardware since they plan to make the money back on content.

I meant a subset of all the applications available, the ones Amazon approves. They've already made it clear this not an "Android tablet" but an "Amazon tablet".

I wouldn't be too concerned if this what you have in mind since no matter what Amazon decides, the fact that is device is already Android based will make it highly likely that the device will be rooted or "jailbroken" and allow you to install anything you want. Look into what happened with the Nook Color if you want to see what's possible.

[Blossom]

Originally Posted by Latinandgreek

I'm not planning on getting the new Kindles (at least not right now, I've got my heart set on a new red Sony PRS-T1), but I do think that Amazon has made some great improvements to the Kindle line. Whenever a new ebook reader is announced I feel like a kid on Christmas morning, regardless of whether or not I'm planning on buying it.

I had a pretty crappy month (beyond terrible), but the new Sony PRS-T1 and now the new Kindle announcements have brought a smile to my face, too.

Today has been exciting! I've been tweeting, facebooking about it all day. The $79 NTK is already out so I've been trying to convince some non eReader friends to try one. I think I may get a NonTouch for traveling later on as it smaller and lighter then the touch and I can finally get rid of my Pocket Pro. I mean if someone swipes or you lose a $79 reader it's not something to really cry about as say my $189 K3. No one wants my Pocket Pro though I can leave that thing out and it's still around when I come back. I can't believe I paid $225 for it.

I hope things start going better for you! *hugs*

[crashed]

I'm impressed by the new Kindle Fire, looks awesome and appears to work great, as long as your a dedicated Amazon user, esp. a Prime user (something I haven't brought myself to do yet as I don't buy often from them).

As for the e-readers...I honestly just feel they caught up to Nook Touch, but with one issue I see with their Touch version: no hardware buttons. I think swipes and taps will get really annoying after awhile if you're reading for long.

X-Ray looks awesome though, hopefully other people will do similar work....looking at you B&N.

I don't see much else for the e-readers in general, it comes down to who you like more on the book/format front.

In the end, I am psyched on the tablet!

[xg4bx]

Originally Posted by toronado

You may not find the current ads on the Kindle intrusive. And if so, that just means that Amazon has done a good job of calculating exactly how far they can go with this at the present time. But I think this is just opening a door to further expansion of advertising in the future as people get used to it and consider it normal.

I find any and all ads intrusive. We already live with more and more intrusive advertising in the culture. And it will continue to increase as long as people accept it, for example, in exchange for a discount on a product.

I wouldn't be surprised if Amazon was making more money from the KSO versions than the no-ad versions in spite of higher price of the no-ad versions.

i'm of the mind that advertising only works if you're easily influenced by advertising. i could watch commercials all day long and not buy the advertised products.

i'm not going to sweat a little ad bar, its easy to ignore. if it were to go further than that (i.e. ads in the middle of the book) i think there would be a massive massive backlash from everyone. having something that i'm not going to pay attention to anyway in exchange for saving $$$ is a fair trade to me.