Amazon released a fleet of new Kindles today. The reader is now $79, and the new Cadillac of the line is the Kindle Fire for $199. It isn’t quite an ipad but it appears to be a pretty impressive device. It is a reader, a web surfer, has its own email client, it has Flash, brings in thousands of Netflix and TV shows, performs other miracles. It is 7 inches and weighs in around 14 oz.
Techies don’t expect it to give the ipad much competition. However, Nook and the rest of the readers out there need to hold on to their wares because the Kindle Fire will be out Novemeber 15. It does not have 3G but what do you want for $199? Jeff Bezos announced the new productsWednesday and made it sound like something everyone wanted. Kindle’s prices are looking good, I might have to trade in my old ancient dinosaur Kindle on one of these new babies. I always said I would resist, but then again, I haven’t met a new gaget I didn’t like. On the other hand, the new iphone 5 is being announced next week. That is where the real dilemma will be. I am keeping my fingers crossed that it will have swype or something similar.
Features, Advantages Benefits of Kindle Fire
Are you being tempted by a Kindle? Can a person justify a new Kindle Fire if they already have an ipad, a Kindle 2 and a Droid x phone?
I think it’ll sell well if the fire sale on HP tablets told us anything. I think consumers see a $200 price point for a tablet and see VALUE.
On the back-end Amazon wants to push out a cheap hardware platform to sell more ebooks. And those ebooks have some nice margin.
How do you feel the free Kindle for the pc fits in to this equation, Marin? I use that more than my kindle. I am curious whether it has text to voice capability. My Kindle 2 does. My friend’s Nook does not.
It’s just like the iPhone/iPad Kindle app. If they can’t get you to buy the Kindle (they don’t really care – thats just a hw platform) they want you to still use the app so you buy the ebook from them.
My wife has a blackberry w/ Kindle app.
It’s the old Microsoft model. We don’t care who provides you the hardware or what it looks like. We’re just going to give you the software that you’ll love and use and encourage you to buy more of it.
Look at printers. They are dirt cheap. The ink will puot you in the poor house, however. I won’t buy one that doesn’t have individual wells.
That’s a better analogy.
I think the Fire is hot. I’ve got an iPad so have no need for it but I know my FIL was looking for a tablet and this will work perfectly for him.
Not all of America can afford an iPad so the Fire will sell very well.
I wonder how many food stamps it’d take to buy one……………………………… 😉
I hope that food stamps won’t pay for a Fire but…if it improves literacy, it might very well be worth it.
MH, someone did the math…
http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/amazon-kindle-fire-the-math-behind-a-subsidized-tablet/59333?tag=mantle_skin;content
Not bad at all.
Gotta love the Amazon Prime angle. All about pushing people back to it’s “product”.
Now here is a question for you, Marin. Do prime users buy more because they are prime users or….the converse. Do high volume purchasers have prime because they are high volume users.
Interesting numbers, regardless. I wonder if this new gadget will pick up your archives from older model kindles?
I think it’s like any membership to COSTCO, Sams or BJs. If you know you’re going to make a lot of purchases you’ll get the membership. As you get used to the benefits (with Amazon prime 2 day free shipping instead of waiting a week or 1-day for $4) you’ll find yourself wanting to maintain it and pushing your average purchases higher.
Ever try to get out of a BJ’s spending less than a $100?? 😉
It’s like an ant trap. Once you’re in you can’t escape!!
I don’t go to Costco for that very reason. Excellent analogy, the ant trap syndrome.