Amazon Introduces New Big-Screen EBook Reader: Focus on Newspapers and Textbooks
During an event in New York City this morning, Amazon's CEO, Jeff Bezos, unveiled a larger version of the company's successful Kindle eBook reader. The new device, the Kindle DX, has a 9.7" display that is about two and a half times larger than that of the Kindle 2. The Kindle DX will come with a built-in PDF reader, and features an auto-rotate mode, so that readers can easily switch between reading in portrait and landscape modes. The Kindle DX will cost $489 and is scheduled to ship this summer.
The resolution of the new Kindle's screen is 1200 x 824 at 150ppi, while the Kindle 2 features a 600 x 800 screen. The Kindle DX also feature 4GB of memory.
Textbooks
As we predicted earlier this week, Amazon is aiming this device at the educational market and has reached deals with three major textbook publishers: Pearson, Wiley, and Cengage Learning.
Newspapers
Amazon also announced that the New York Times, Boston Globe, and Washington Post have signed deals with Amazon and that these papers will begin trials with reduced prices for Kindle DX users who agree to long-term subscription commitments later this summer. It looks like these discounts will only be available to users who live in areas where printed versions of these papers are not readily available.
During today's event, the New York Times' chairman, Arthur Sulzberger Jr., argued that the new Kindle finally offers "the same satisfying experience as the reading of a printed newspaper." It remains to be seen, though, if newspaper readers are indeed clamoring for a device that simply copies the experience of reading a traditional, dead-tree newspaper. It is also important to note that Sulzberger called the new deal with Amazon an "experiment," and the success of this experiment will surely also depend on how much of a discount on the Kindle the papers are willing to give to their readers.
Not a Game-Changer
Judging from what we have seen so far, we don't think that the Kindle DX will be a major game-changer in the eTextbook market or for the newspaper business. Besides the bigger screen, there is nothing really new in the Kindle DX, though having a native PDF reader will surely be useful to a lot of users.
The newspapers' discount offer seems a bit timid, to say the least (though we still don't have all the details yet). And we still have serious doubts that the Kindle is the ideal device for reading textbooks (though we have to admit that some of our readers are more enthusiastic about a large-screen Kindle for eTextbooks than we are).
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I could see the textbook partnership becoming a huge hit, but the newspaper one, not so much!
And it's kind of interesting, how they always tout how many books have been added to the kindle library...they don't give out how many e-books have been sold so far!
Very excited about this and looking forward to see it in action.
Although, I still think that the resolution is not enough.
The iRex ILIAD ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ILiad ) has a 1024x768 resolution on 160 PPI on 124x152mm and was launched in April 2006 - I am surprised to see that they didn't release something more interesting in these 3 years and I still think that this is a highly under-estimated market.
This is where I thought Plastic Logic had a chance to out-do Amazon - but seems like Amazon beat them to the large format reader. Just how thin and sturdy is the new Kindle DX?
And still nothing about selling it in Europe.
Boooo Amazon!
And still, iRex Digital ( http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/IRex_Digital_Reader ) is bigger (10.2 inches display), higher resolution (1280x1024 at 158PPI) and is already on sale all over Europe ( http://wiki.mobileread.com/wiki/Where_to_Buy_eBook_Devices#iRex_Digital_Reader ).
Last and not least, I can and read copy whatever I want in it, without being limited by Amazon policies and channels.
This looks great to me. Just the right size. Now if we can get rid of the DRM, I'll buy it.
I love the Kindle technology. The idea that you can read a ton of books from one piece of equipment is incredible. I do believe however that the newspaper idea will not go over so well. I see people complaining about the price of the books, i say how much would it cost you to go buy the book off the shelf. It is not a physical product so they do take that into account when pricing them, i think that's cool.
My Kindle Review
It is veeeeeeery easy to see a big winner. No brainer.
1st. Why not a Notebook? This is made for reading.
2nd. His marketing is brilliant. The web is covered about kindle and some UNIVERSITIES already signed. With this kind of marketing, anything would succeed, even if it was not that good.
3rd. It is expensive... today. It will become cheaper and cheaper, just like laptops.
4th. He has all the resources of the big boys. Serious finances, reputation, connections. No miss.
5th. The model has been proven with Ipod, Iphone, why not something for books?
6ht. He has NO serious competition. Is true that Sony is out there and even bought books from Google, but even if they arrive on the scene a respectable market share is already taken by the first to arrive.
I love the Kindle technology. The idea that you can read a ton of books from one piece of equipment is incredible. I do believe however that the newspaper idea will not go over so well. I see people complaining about the price of the books, i say how much would it cost you to go buy the book off the shelf. It is not a physical product so they do take that into account when pricing them, i think that's cool.
This is where I thought Plastic Logic had a chance to out-do Amazon - but seems like Amazon beat them to the large format reader. Just how thin and sturdy is the new Kindle DX?