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Source Claims 240K Kindles Sold
Naturalist writes "Exact data on (the Linux-powered) Kindle sales figures have been hard to come by. Amazon is notoriously tight-lipped about it, and although CEO Jeff Bezos did give some Kindle-related information back in July, the company has yet to break out how many readers it has sold to date. Now TechCrunch claims to have spoken to a source close to Amazon with direct knowledge of the company's sales figures. According to this unnamed source, Amazon has sold 240,000 Kindles to date, for an estimated hardware revenue between $86 million and $96 million; media sales would push the total above $100M." We've been following the Kindle since its launch nine months ago.
240M (as in million) is not the same as 240,000.
Do you even lift?
These aren't the 'roids you're looking for.
You know you're reading slashdot when the number given is 1,000 times off.
240,000 is not 240 million
Is it true that more people vote for the winner of American Idol, than vote for the president? -Ali G.
Usually you can get blogs delivered automatically for about $1-2/month, or you can access them via the internet app for free, and its not too much more difficult if you set up google reader or something like that. Magazines like Time and Newsweek are $1.50/month.
I like your first statement. I must say, as a Kindle owner I perfectly understand your point of view. Here's the way I see it
1. The cost was fine for me, but I'm also a young guy with a decent job so I've got some disposable income.
3. PDF's can't transfer well because of the size of the screen... I do wish there were an easy way to read technical papers on it though, I dont see it until the E-ink comes down in price and improves durability though.
4. Again, I've got adequate money right now, if its a book I really like and would want to lend, I'm at the point now where I can give gifts or buy a copy to lend...
5. The selection is a little frustrating, but it also gives me a chance to find things I may not read otherwise. I just finished Ken Follett's Pillars of the Earth, which I don't think I would have found otherwise, which would have been sad.
Now... for #2... I really wish they'd learn from the music guys. The simplicity of buying off the device itself makes it so that they shouldn't need DRM, and it being a smaller, generally more respectful market makes a difference as well; the small file size is the one difficulty. And of course the worst part is that unlike with music, theres no easy way to buy a book and rip it.
There are definitely some flaws, most notably the DRM issue, but since I still move around a lot and dont like having to carry boxes of books around, its great. Plus, I actually think its more comfortable to read than a book, since there are no awkward poses in bed trying to keep it open when your at the beginning or end of a paperback that simply does not want to stay open.
But saying all that, I can definitely see how its not for you or most people, and 240,000 seems pretty respectable.
Obviously you have had no experience with a Kindle. The EVDO is the "special sauce". I have owned one for 8 months and I love it. I use it every day. I am reading (buying) about 3 books a month (each book is about $6, best-sellers are more like $10, but I usually wait until they "age" a bit). Plus I shut off my newspaper ($30/month) and get it delivered to my Kindle instead ($10/month), so in the end my monthly outlay for reading materials is unchanged while I am essentially getting 3 books/month for free. So from that perspective, my $400 initial outlay (I was an early adopter before the price drop) will be paid for in 33 months. Anyhow, what makes this device really attractive to me is the (free) wireless. Being able to browse their book collection (which is substantial), download and read a few chapters (for free) anywhere, anytime, is extremely addicting. And being able to buy the book and be reading it in less than 30 seconds is a convenience I've grown to "need". In the morning when I turn it on, there is my newspaper - I don't have to boot the PC, connect the USB, do the "syncing" thing, it's just delivered automatically. Built in web-browsing for checking the occassional baseball score or my email is also a big plus. Yes, the hardware is a bit clunky (too many next page buttons - there is no place to hold the thing), and the industrial design looks like something from the 80s, but the battery lasts a good long time (many days if you turn off the wireless and just use it as a book) and the display is very easy on the eyes. Never having to tether to a computer is a really big deal for me - don't knock it until you've tried it.
The more you regulate a company, the worse its products become.