$99 eReader is already here ! (NewEgg.com)

meem · 08-13-2010, 01:48 PM

No, it’s not the $139 Kindle WiFi we’re talking about – though you have to admit the difference between $99 and $139 isn’t very much.
We are talking about all the eReaders that are already available for $99.

$99 eReaders already available

Newegg already has three eReaders for $99 -

Astak Mentor is down from $279.99 to $99.99.
Foxit eSlick is down from $299.99 to $99.99. Not recommended since the company has gone bankrupt and support is likely to be non-existent.
Until yesterday the Bookeen Cybook Opus was at $99.99. It’s now missing and presumably sold out.

Thanks to commenters at MobileRead for these updates.
The $99 eReaders are pretty decent
These aren’t terrible eReaders -

Cybook Opus has a 5″ screen, weighs just 5.3 ounces, has 1 GB of memory, and has a 200 dpi eInk screen. It also has an accelerometer. It supports ePub and PDF. It used to be $249, then was selling at NewEgg for $199, and yesterday its price was cut to $99.
Foxit eSlick used to be $299. It’s still available. It’s .4″ thick and weighs just 6.4 ounces. It has an SD card slot. It also supports ePub and PDF. It has a 6″ eInk screen with 4 levels of gray.
Astak Mentor used to be $279. It has a 6″ enk screen and supports ePub and PDF. It has 170 dpi screen resolution. It supports Chinese and Simplified Chinese.

These are decentish eReaders – Astak and Foxit are rated 3 stars and Cybook Opus is rated 4 stars (explains why it sold out). Now, all three have been dropped from the $250 to $300 price range to $99.
The Cybook at $99 is a steal – Didn’t realize it had 200 dpi and was just 5.3 ounces until now or would have bought it.

Kindle WiFi as the destroyer of eReader worlds

Why are these $250 and $300 eReaders being discounted to $100?
Well, you have the Kindle WiFi come in at $139 with the new eInk Pearl screen and a dozen different improvements – It blows away everything else.
If eReader companies want to clear stock they have to price their eReaders below $139 and the most convenient price point below $139 is $100. At $99 you break a major threshold – Apparently, there are a lot of people won’t buy an eReader unless it’s below the magical $100 figure.

Everyone’s moving towards $99 eReaders

It’s not just the bankrupt companies and the smart, tiny companies that are moving to $100. The Big 3 (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader) are moving to $100 too -

Nook WiFi came in at $149 and started the trend. Though perhaps we should credit Kobo.
The Kindle WiFi came in at just $139. That affected everyone – especially as it has the new eInk Pearl screen.
Sony Store now has the Pocket Edition PRS 300 for $149 with a free $25 gift card.
Kobo is down to $128 at Walmart until end of the week. By the way, the geniuses at Kobo don’t have a link to buy the Kobo on their ebooks site (update: there’s one hidden in the bottom navigation bar). We know your eReader isn’t as good as Kindle or Nook but at least let readers make up their own minds.
P. C. Richard & Son has Sony PRS 300 for $99.96.

All the claims that we’re going to see $99 eReaders by the end of the year are missing the fact that we already have $99 eReaders.

$99 eReaders are ALREADY here and they’re selling out

The Cybook Opus is a great example of a $250 eReader that has no choice expect to price itself at $99 to survive.
It’s a pretty good eReader. The 4 star rating proves it. These are all people who bought it for $199.

Would anyone consider Cybook Opus at $199 or $250 when Kindle WiFi is just $139? For that matter, would anyone consider Cybook Opus at $139 given the Kindle WiFi has the new eInk Pearl screen?

The only option left for Bookeen is to price the Cybook Opus at $99, get rid of stock, and go back to the drawing board.

The Press is predictably behind the curve
The focus of the Press has been on how the more expensive eReaders are struggling. However, the $200 and $250 eReaders are struggling far more.
The Press felt that the Kindle at $139 meant that we would see $99 eReaders by end of the year. It didn’t realize that there are a lot of 2nd generation eReaders that just can’t compete with the new $139 Kindle WiFi and that these newly outdated eReaders would have to drop to $99 to sell their stock.

The mythical $99 eReader is already here.

It’s got the same screen as the Kindle 2 did. It’s got ePub and PDF support. It’s available in 5″ and 6″ versions and it’s pretty good. It has to sell for $99 because the Kindle 3 and Kindle WiFi have bypassed it on both price and technology and its only option is to go from $250 to $99.

The $139 Kindle WiFi has brought us $99 eReaders – It’s done it about 5 months ahead of the most optimistic predictions.

Source:
http://ireaderreview.com/2010/08/09/...-already-here/

carld · 08-13-2010, 01:59 PM

I'll agree that the $99 e-ink reader is here when a stable (as in not on death's door or beyond) company puts out a quality product at a stable $99 price, not on sale, not with a coupon, or a rebate, or especially as a going-out-of-business closeout. I think those days are still a bit ahead of us.

meem · 08-13-2010, 02:08 PM

Two offers of tree are sold out.
There only one till now:

http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...^58-242-009-TS

clintbradford · 08-13-2010, 02:19 PM

One gets what one pays for. The Kobo has been at US$149 - 20 gift cert - 10 Borders Bucks = $119 all month. THAT'S the unit to watch for for another twenty dollar price reduction - and not models from companies who are failing, IMHO.

Ajax · 08-13-2010, 02:33 PM

The Kindle Wi-Fi can also be had for $99 if you sign up for the Amazon.com Chase Rewards card. They offer a $40 credit back to your account after the first month.

I signed up for it to buy my Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi.

edit: I just checked my online statement. My balance is now -$20

. I had purchased a couple of blu-rays with the other $20. It's nice to see companies that actually follow through on their offers in a timely manner.

meem · 08-13-2010, 04:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ajax

The Kindle Wi-Fi can also be had for $99 if you sign up for the Amazon.com Chase Rewards card. They offer a $40 credit back to your account after the first month.

I signed up for it to buy my Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi.

edit: I just checked my online statement. My balance is now -$20

. I had purchased a couple of blu-rays with the other $20. It's nice to see companies that actually follow through on their offers in a timely manner.

Is it for any new account ?
And for whole world subscribers or only US ?

Ajax · 08-13-2010, 05:04 PM

I'm not sure what the terms and conditions are for international, I would just have to guess that it's for the US only.

Looking at the credit card page it now only lists a $30 reward so I guess they decided to lower it since last month. I found the link under "Your Account" in the payment area there is a link to "Amazon Credit Cards" where you can see the various options.

fjtorres · 08-13-2010, 05:40 PM

Talk of a $99 reader isn't about a sale or liquidation; those aren't even news.
Several readers have been hitting $99 on sale since early in the year.
What the press is waiting for is an in-production reader list-priced at $99 permanently.
It *is* going to happen.
It *hasn't* happened yet.

For now, the best candidate is still the as-yet unannounced Jetbook Mini.
Second best candidate is the somewhat vaporish Copia.
Both are LCD-based.

For eink, the betting is on Kindle:
http://www.slate.com/id/2263787
...but its not a bet I'd choose to make.
I think Kobo gets there first.

clintbradford · 08-13-2010, 08:44 PM

>> ... For now, the best candidate is still the as-yet unannounced Jetbook Mini.
Second best candidate is the somewhat vaporish Copia ...

The "best" is one I can put my hands on and check out for myself ... Or a Kindle 3 in two weeks.

(grin)

Noah98 · 08-13-2010, 08:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by clintbradford

One gets what one pays for. The Kobo has been at US$149 - 20 gift cert - 10 Borders Bucks = $119 all month. THAT'S the unit to watch for for another twenty dollar price reduction - and not models from companies who are failing, IMHO.

I agree with Clint, if someone is looking for a bargain they should hold out just a little longer. If the Kobo drops another $20 it will blow away the bargain ereaders. The Sony PRS-303 at $128 is even a better deal than those $99 ones. At this point, the name brand ereaders (nook, Kindle, Kobo) are all worth the slightly higher prices.

Noah98 · 08-13-2010, 09:08 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by fjtorres

Talk of a $99 reader isn't about a sale or liquidation; those aren't even news.
Several readers have been hitting $99 on sale since early in the year.
What the press is waiting for is an in-production reader list-priced at $99 permanently.
It *is* going to happen.
It *hasn't* happened yet.

For now, the best candidate is still the as-yet unannounced Jetbook Mini.
Second best candidate is the somewhat vaporish Copia.
Both are LCD-based.

For eink, the betting is on Kindle:
http://www.slate.com/id/2263787
...but its not a bet I'd choose to make.
I think Kobo gets there first.

Actually, it has happened. Kmart has the Augen "The Book" for $99 (regular price). It was even on sale for $89 for the first week it was available.

Unfortunately, it is an LCD reader, and not eink.

fjtorres · 08-13-2010, 10:58 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Noah98

Actually, it has happened. Kmart has the Augen "The Book" for $99 (regular price). It was even on sale for $89 for the first week it was available.

Unfortunately, it is an LCD reader, and not eink.

I knew of the Augen but the reviews were pretty bad; have they updated it enough to be actually *useful*?

(For similar reasons I ignored the one from Walgreens and the horde of no-name LCD pads from ebay.)

clintbradford · 08-14-2010, 12:16 AM

>> ... I agree with Clint ...

Careful ... that won't get you many friends ... (grin)

I bought my Kobo when they were first intro'd - and I signed up for one, sight unseen, from Borders US online. My wife already has her Kindle2 ... Although the Kobo is a "step down" from the Kindle2 (and please forgive me for re-stating what I've preached all over for the past two months here) , I am enjoying the heck out of the Kobo. Did I raise an eyebrow or two when Borders started to offer the gift certificate and double Rewards Points a couple weeks after my purchase? Honestly - sure. But my enjoyment of the unit overshadowed that, in all honesty. I am very glad I purchased it when I did.

meem · 08-14-2010, 08:08 PM

A site shot before sold out:

Verres · 08-15-2010, 12:52 PM

Pocketbook is also launching new e-readers at the end of the month.
I'm really curious what their price point is going to
be as their new models probably won't have Pearl
displays.

08-13-2010, 01:48 PM	#1
meem A Reader who can think..! Posts: 257 Karma: 108298 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Earth Planet Device: Kindle 3 WiFi - Kindle DX (B004)	$99 eReader is already here ! (NewEgg.com) No, it’s not the $139 Kindle WiFi we’re talking about – though you have to admit the difference between $99 and $139 isn’t very much. We are talking about all the eReaders that are already available for $99. $99 eReaders already available Newegg already has three eReaders for $99 - Astak Mentor is down from $279.99 to $99.99. Foxit eSlick is down from $299.99 to $99.99. Not recommended since the company has gone bankrupt and support is likely to be non-existent. Until yesterday the Bookeen Cybook Opus was at $99.99. It’s now missing and presumably sold out. Thanks to commenters at MobileRead for these updates. The $99 eReaders are pretty decent These aren’t terrible eReaders - Cybook Opus has a 5″ screen, weighs just 5.3 ounces, has 1 GB of memory, and has a 200 dpi eInk screen. It also has an accelerometer. It supports ePub and PDF. It used to be $249, then was selling at NewEgg for $199, and yesterday its price was cut to $99. Foxit eSlick used to be $299. It’s still available. It’s .4″ thick and weighs just 6.4 ounces. It has an SD card slot. It also supports ePub and PDF. It has a 6″ eInk screen with 4 levels of gray. Astak Mentor used to be $279. It has a 6″ enk screen and supports ePub and PDF. It has 170 dpi screen resolution. It supports Chinese and Simplified Chinese. These are decentish eReaders – Astak and Foxit are rated 3 stars and Cybook Opus is rated 4 stars (explains why it sold out). Now, all three have been dropped from the $250 to $300 price range to $99. The Cybook at $99 is a steal – Didn’t realize it had 200 dpi and was just 5.3 ounces until now or would have bought it. Kindle WiFi as the destroyer of eReader worlds Why are these $250 and $300 eReaders being discounted to $100? Well, you have the Kindle WiFi come in at $139 with the new eInk Pearl screen and a dozen different improvements – It blows away everything else. If eReader companies want to clear stock they have to price their eReaders below $139 and the most convenient price point below $139 is $100. At $99 you break a major threshold – Apparently, there are a lot of people won’t buy an eReader unless it’s below the magical $100 figure. Everyone’s moving towards $99 eReaders It’s not just the bankrupt companies and the smart, tiny companies that are moving to $100. The Big 3 (Kindle, Nook, Sony Reader) are moving to $100 too - Nook WiFi came in at $149 and started the trend. Though perhaps we should credit Kobo. The Kindle WiFi came in at just $139. That affected everyone – especially as it has the new eInk Pearl screen. Sony Store now has the Pocket Edition PRS 300 for $149 with a free $25 gift card. Kobo is down to $128 at Walmart until end of the week. By the way, the geniuses at Kobo don’t have a link to buy the Kobo on their ebooks site (update: there’s one hidden in the bottom navigation bar). We know your eReader isn’t as good as Kindle or Nook but at least let readers make up their own minds. P. C. Richard & Son has Sony PRS 300 for $99.96. All the claims that we’re going to see $99 eReaders by the end of the year are missing the fact that we already have $99 eReaders. $99 eReaders are ALREADY here and they’re selling out The Cybook Opus is a great example of a $250 eReader that has no choice expect to price itself at $99 to survive. It’s a pretty good eReader. The 4 star rating proves it. These are all people who bought it for $199. Would anyone consider Cybook Opus at $199 or $250 when Kindle WiFi is just $139? For that matter, would anyone consider Cybook Opus at $139 given the Kindle WiFi has the new eInk Pearl screen? The only option left for Bookeen is to price the Cybook Opus at $99, get rid of stock, and go back to the drawing board. The Press is predictably behind the curve The focus of the Press has been on how the more expensive eReaders are struggling. However, the $200 and $250 eReaders are struggling far more. The Press felt that the Kindle at $139 meant that we would see $99 eReaders by end of the year. It didn’t realize that there are a lot of 2nd generation eReaders that just can’t compete with the new $139 Kindle WiFi and that these newly outdated eReaders would have to drop to $99 to sell their stock. The mythical $99 eReader is already here. It’s got the same screen as the Kindle 2 did. It’s got ePub and PDF support. It’s available in 5″ and 6″ versions and it’s pretty good. It has to sell for $99 because the Kindle 3 and Kindle WiFi have bypassed it on both price and technology and its only option is to go from $250 to $99. The $139 Kindle WiFi has brought us $99 eReaders – It’s done it about 5 months ahead of the most optimistic predictions. Source: http://ireaderreview.com/2010/08/09/...-already-here/ Last edited by meem; 08-13-2010 at 01:51 PM.

08-13-2010, 02:33 PM	#5
Ajax Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 17083352 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Texas Device: K4 Touch, Kindle Fire, HP Touchpad	The Kindle Wi-Fi can also be had for $99 if you sign up for the Amazon.com Chase Rewards card. They offer a $40 credit back to your account after the first month. I signed up for it to buy my Kindle 3G + Wi-Fi. edit: I just checked my online statement. My balance is now -$20 . I had purchased a couple of blu-rays with the other $20. It's nice to see companies that actually follow through on their offers in a timely manner. Last edited by Ajax; 08-13-2010 at 02:41 PM.

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08-13-2010, 01:59 PM	#2
carld Wizard Posts: 2,698 Karma: 4748723 Join Date: Dec 2007 Device: Kindle Paperwhite	I'll agree that the $99 e-ink reader is here when a stable (as in not on death's door or beyond) company puts out a quality product at a stable $99 price, not on sale, not with a coupon, or a rebate, or especially as a going-out-of-business closeout. I think those days are still a bit ahead of us.

08-13-2010, 02:08 PM	#3
meem A Reader who can think..! Posts: 257 Karma: 108298 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Earth Planet Device: Kindle 3 WiFi - Kindle DX (B004)	Two offers of tree are sold out. There only one till now: http://www.newegg.com/Product/Produc...^58-242-009-TS

08-13-2010, 02:19 PM	#4
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	One gets what one pays for. The Kobo has been at US$149 - 20 gift cert - 10 Borders Bucks = $119 all month. THAT'S the unit to watch for for another twenty dollar price reduction - and not models from companies who are failing, IMHO.

08-13-2010, 05:04 PM	#7
Ajax Addict Posts: 386 Karma: 17083352 Join Date: Feb 2009 Location: Texas Device: K4 Touch, Kindle Fire, HP Touchpad	I'm not sure what the terms and conditions are for international, I would just have to guess that it's for the US only. Looking at the credit card page it now only lists a $30 reward so I guess they decided to lower it since last month. I found the link under "Your Account" in the payment area there is a link to "Amazon Credit Cards" where you can see the various options.

08-13-2010, 05:40 PM	#8
fjtorres Grand Sorcerer Posts: 11,732 Karma: 128354696 Join Date: May 2009 Location: 26 kly from Sgr A* Device: T100TA,PW2,PRS-T1,KT,FireHD 8.9,K2, PB360,BeBook One,Axim51v,TC1000	Talk of a $99 reader isn't about a sale or liquidation; those aren't even news. Several readers have been hitting $99 on sale since early in the year. What the press is waiting for is an in-production reader list-priced at $99 permanently. It is going to happen. It hasn't happened yet. For now, the best candidate is still the as-yet unannounced Jetbook Mini. Second best candidate is the somewhat vaporish Copia. Both are LCD-based. For eink, the betting is on Kindle: http://www.slate.com/id/2263787 ...but its not a bet I'd choose to make. I think Kobo gets there first.

08-13-2010, 08:44 PM	#9
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	>> ... For now, the best candidate is still the as-yet unannounced Jetbook Mini. Second best candidate is the somewhat vaporish Copia ... The "best" is one I can put my hands on and check out for myself ... Or a Kindle 3 in two weeks. (grin)

08-14-2010, 12:16 AM	#13
clintbradford Older ... slower ... Posts: 450 Karma: 1924 Join Date: Jun 2010 Location: Jurupa Valley CA US Device: Kobo, Kindles 2/3/Keyboard/Fire/Fire HD, HDX.	>> ... I agree with Clint ... Careful ... that won't get you many friends ... (grin) I bought my Kobo when they were first intro'd - and I signed up for one, sight unseen, from Borders US online. My wife already has her Kindle2 ... Although the Kobo is a "step down" from the Kindle2 (and please forgive me for re-stating what I've preached all over for the past two months here) , I am enjoying the heck out of the Kobo. Did I raise an eyebrow or two when Borders started to offer the gift certificate and double Rewards Points a couple weeks after my purchase? Honestly - sure. But my enjoyment of the unit overshadowed that, in all honesty. I am very glad I purchased it when I did.

08-14-2010, 08:08 PM	#14
meem A Reader who can think..! Posts: 257 Karma: 108298 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Earth Planet Device: Kindle 3 WiFi - Kindle DX (B004)	A site shot before sold out:

08-15-2010, 12:52 PM	#15
Verres Zealot Posts: 137 Karma: 5496 Join Date: Jul 2010 Location: Trier Device: none	Pocketbook is also launching new e-readers at the end of the month. I'm really curious what their price point is going to be as their new models probably won't have Pearl displays.

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