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Hands-On Account of Amazon's Upcoming Color Kindle
jcgam69 writes with a description at TechCrunch of what's claimed to be an all-but-finished version of the upcoming color Kindle. "It's called simply the 'Amazon Kindle.' But it's not like any Kindle you've seen before. It displays content in full color. It has a 7-inch capacitive touch screen. And it runs Android." That last part inspires sharp words from some of the TechCruch readers, because the GUI described is an older version of Android wrapped so thickly in Amazon livery that it's hard to recognize. The author speculates that this new Kindle might be sold with a tempting sweetener — a free subscription to Amazon Prime.
$250 is a *great* price point, IMHO. We know quality hardware sold for $99 ($300 loss) sells like hotcakes because of HP.
Will be interesting - especially since they're not working with Google on it... FTFA "At all".
I have a nook color and nook touch (the nook Touch is awesome) - I'll gladly add one of these. Amazon is shaking things up. Killer.
When will Apple start suing them?
/me sips his coffee and ponders a new sig...
The technology had promise.
There were a lot of potential positives in the story. Amazon has demonstrated it knows how to put together a device people want, after all.
But there may be a big gotcha. This is a fork of Android, and Amazon's not working with Google *at all* on this. More importantly, there are no Google applications on the device (with the implication that they aren't available, period). You can use the Amazon app store, but not the Android app store.
I'm only one guy, but when it comes to my Android phone... I think the strongest feature is specifically Google's Android applications. I'm not really sold on Android; but I really like how Gmail is handled, how the free turn-by-turn navigation works, etc. Those apps are the one thing Android does better than anything available on iOS - and they're not going to be available on the Amazon tablet.
#DeleteChrome
Just another tablet in the realm of iPad ripoffs.. what the current Kindle has is weak but promising.. why couldn't they of done more of that?
Who wants an e-reader without an e-ink display? The display is such a vital part of the experience!
I get that you can "do more" with traditional display, but I don't *want* to do more. A big part of the appeal, for me at least, is that it's a very quiet piece of technology. It doesn't encourage me to check my email or browse the web; the display just isn't well suited for that task.
It does encourage me to read, however, as the display is so easy on the eyes. As a bonus, the thing has amazing battery life. So much so, that it can go weeks without a charge. It's not even something I think about. I don't worry about charging, or running out of juice in the middle of a chapter. In short, I don't have to manage it the same way I'd need to manage a tablet. It stays out of the way, letting me read in peace.
If I wanted to stare at a light bulb, I'd just read on the computer. Here's hoping Amazon doesn't abandon the tried-and-true e-ink display.
Required reading for internet skeptics
Relating the two products will dilute the name of kindle.
Expanding a name is very risky and you need to be very careful since people will still buy it to read on and will notice that it's garbage for it (too heavy, doesn't work in sunlight, needs to be recharged quite often).
Poor decision.
That last part inspires sharp words from some of the TechCruch readers, because the GUI described is of an older version of Android wrapped so thickly in Amazon livery that it's hard to recognize.
Respecting a fine tradition, I didn't read TFA, but isn't the point of Android (a version of Linux wrapped so thickly in Google livery it's hard to recognize) to be hackeable & modifiable by any company, organization or individual? Why would someone object to this?
If the initial report is to be believed, and I've read this all correctly, this is very disappointing news.
Amazon's tablet is basically just that: a tablet that is linked into Amazon's store.
That's it. Nothing more, nothing less.
I was expecting something more: some sort of LCD / eInk combo or even a colour eInk screen, that Amazon may have been keeping secret to hit the competition with.
As it stands, this is basically just an Android tablet, capable of downloading and listening to music, downloading and watching films, and reading books (and not as well as a true Kindle at that, given that it's a LCD screen..!!) Just like any other damn tablet out there!
Probably the only thing going for it is the price. Other than that, this seems... pointless.
THE HONOUR OF THE KNIGHTS - CC Licensed Sci-Fi Novel
The e-ink display is what makes these things worth owning and why not to just get a tablet. If you want a tablet, fine and well, go right ahead, but don't say it is a replacement for an eReader until you've tried one. It is no more a replacement for an eReader than a stove is a replacement for a toaster.
The reason is the display. It really does look like paper. The e-ink name isn't bullshit, it really does work like ink and is fully reflective. The battery life is also really nice. It is a device that doesn't have to be plugged in every day.
I've played with tablets and they hold no interest for me. I don't find they fill any useful niche what with owning a laptop and smartphone. However I do have a Kindle and like it very much. It is because while it only does one thing, it does it very well. I would liken it to my toaster, or rice cooker. Those are specialty devices. I have another device that can do everything they do and more. However though they only do one thing, they do it really well, and that makes them worth owning despite having a stove, oven, microwave, and so on.
You could buy a Nook Color and root it (to enable sideloading), install the Amazon apps (market, books etc) and get the best of both worlds (and Google apps as well). So I suppose the only real difference is Amazon's custom UI instead of B&N's, or if you prefer Amazon's services and don't care to root it.
Either way, I don't see why pundits are suddenly predicting it'll disrupt the market. Maybe if they'd put a Mirasol display in there...
Why would anyone engrave "Elbereth"?
... if the display is indeed an e-ink color. That is it, nothing else mattered (for a Kindle).
Gaws I just luve a parade !! Amazon's color kindle is sooooo gay it just gives me gooosse !! I just must have it !!
An important piece of the article is where is says that this device will come with an "Amazon prime" subscription. Amazon prime provides 2nd day delivery to all orders at no cost.
So why on Earth would someone want to get *physical* stuff from amazon if they have a reader that gets its content electronically? This alone makes me thing that amazon doesn't intend this to be a book reader (even if it can display PDFs). It's probably just another tablet, and amazon doesn't expect people with kindles to buy it...
And yes, I know that amazon ships things other than books. But I think Amazon prime is only worth it for people that get regular shipments from amazon (maybe 2 a month or so), and I can't think of anything other than books that one would buy that often from amazon.
I am with you. I bought my Kindle a month ago, after very very long hesitation. And I love it. It's light, small, portable and the display is amazing. I love the fact that I can sit in the sun and read, just as I would with a book. That I can read in the evening in bed, without having to look at a back-lit display (some people may not mind, I do).
I love the fact that it does nothing else - I was impressed how immersive the reading is and I guess the fact that it does not have Skype, email, news, facebook, or any other of the million distractions is a huge plus. Of course, I know that on a tablet you can switch all these off and get the same undisturbed experience, but Kindle just makes it so much easier for you. When I read to fall asleep, without being tempted to check my mail one last time.
And don't underestimate the importance of the incredible battery life. I hope for a future where all devices will be like this - you just use them without having to constantly care about battery charge. With my android phone, I have to make sure that it's fully charged when I leave the house in the morning.
As for touch - I don't want to touch the screen of my e-reader (or my computer for that matter) with my dirty greasy fingers, thank you.
YMMV, but for me, the future Kindle should have a larger display, colour and possibly be even a little lighter. That I would buy immediatelly.
... why the Android 3.x source didn't get released. Google didn't want want Amazon lifting it, forcing them to either fork or come back to the negotiating table. The publically cited excuse that the 3.x codebase broke stuff and the code needed to be fixed probably had some truth but IMO this was the real reason.
I hope that if they produce a full scale Android device, that they actually produce a quality app!
I've been using the Kindle app on Android for about a year now.. or at least, since whenever it came out. It has *tons* of failings, including the ability to navigate it, backlight annoyances, and so on.
Even the Amazon store through the app, for some bizarre reason, is less function than the full web.
Heck, there are probably about 20 e-book reader apps, for free on the market, that actually provide more functionality than the Kindle app. *Far* more functionality. Heck, I can't even choose what precise colour, or font I want with this app!
The most annoying part of it all, is that I emailed the Kindle team about this. *No* response. Thanks guys, I actually spent time thinking about how this annoyed me, and provided something that companies sometimes pay millions for.. customer feedback!
... for those of us that actually read books
... yet you're talking about e-readers.
Grammar nazis are to this community what excrements are to gold.
My prefered reading format isn't supported by anything but a webpage ;( Anyone willing to pop it on the Android store for >$2.99?
Here's http://spreeder.com/app.php.
http://spreeder.com/app.php Anyone seen this before? Can someone port it to Android for >$2.99? Please please please!
For $290 you can get an uncrippled 8" tablet.
The only reason this will succeed is the Amazon name.
Then that leaves me out.
The ONLY reason i would upgrade is to color e-ink. I already have a LCD 'tablet' and it sucks for long term reading. The only reason i use it to read it is that tech manuals suck in b/w. But if i don't *need* color at that moment its back to my e-ink device, which i can read for hours on end and not hurt my eyes, or worry about the battery for weeks ..
Oh well, perhaps hancom will bring one of theirs to the states that isn't stupid priced.
We need 'just yet another tablet' like we need more taxes.
---- Booth was a patriot ----
I got a new nook color on sale for $200 and all I had to do was put CM7 on a microSD card to get a fully functional tablet. It is probably the easiest hack I ever did. It was so easy that anyone who is able to push a power button could probably handle it. If the amazon device is locked down then I see more people getting the nook color since it is so easy to hack which allows people to install whatever apps they want, run any ereader they want, etc. The amazon device needs to be hackable in order to compete against the nook color. It might be a tough sell for amazon even if it is hackable, though, because B&N has already run nook color promotions for $200. They could probably lower the normal price to $200 and take most of the sales away from amazon.
I was really looking forward to this device when I first heard the rumors, but the problem is that it's 7-inches. I own the current Kindle and it gives me exactly what I need for reading books: a reflective screen that saves energy so I can read off it for a month between chargings. That's all I need for reading text.
What I desperately need is a device I can read my extremely large and growing comic book collection and role-playing game PDFs on. I hate reading these on my laptop and a color touchpad seems like it would be ideal for it, but a seven inch screen is too small. I need a screen that is at least as large as a comic book page and ideally as large as a RPG book page.
I'm not going to buy any touchpad until it meets this requirement, and I'm not buying an iPad period. And I'm sure I'm not the only person who thinks a touchpad that's slightly larger than a smartphone is worthless, but these companies keep marketing them to us and declaring "There's not market for Android touchpads" when we don't buy them. Recall Benjamin Franklin's definition of insanity.
i ~ Celebrating Science, Cyberspace, Speculation
There were articles claiming that a new version of the e-ink Kindle was going to be released in conjunction with the tablet. Is this the case?
If you get Prime it doesn't give you access to all Amazon Instant Videos, it only gives you access to videos which are marked as Prime viewable (a small subset of the total). Didn't seem like that good of a deal to me.
And, 7in is too small for PDFs.
Considering that I have no interest in using any of Amazon's cloud services, I'm not sure why I would choose this over a Nook Color. Maybe I'm just weird.
go out to the driveway and get up on a step ladder...
next, take your iPad, new whiz-bang Amazon thingie, and a Nook Simple Touch...
drop each onto the concrete...
oops! which one hurt your wallet more? :-)
(hypothetically discussing e-readers)
I'm not going to buy any touchpad until it meets this requirement, and I'm not buying an iPad period.
I can understand the page size requirement.
But why not an iPad? It's a really good system for doing what you want.
In fact, since I think it really unlikely you're going to see a full-page tablet any time soon (well, possibly a Windows8 tablet may ship at that size) the next best thing would seem to be the rumored high-resolution version of the iPad coming early next year. Even though the page size is slightly smaller a screen with a high DPI would be FANTASTIC for rendering comics.
You have to ask yourself if hate is really more important than love - love of comics and using whatever tool can best render them.
So you may want to wait a bit to see both how the iPad turns out and if Windows8 tablet makers decide anyone else would be interested in larger tablet screens.
"There is more worth loving than we have strength to love." - Brian Jay Stanley
Not e-ink = do not care. There are plenty of LCD tablets already; both from major manufacturer and smaller asian corporations. There's no compelling reason to buy this over any other tablet, that you could install the kindle app on.
what many people were looking for was a tablet with stock android especially icecream sandwich as it solves aloft of problems. People like the google apps especially mail and maps and dont want to have to root or sideload. Amazon blew it
Doesn't add up. Why Amazon prime? E-books + Fast delivery of my 100lb box of nails? Nah. And why essentially build the nook Color again? Something is off about this story.
The 10-hour battery life is a non-starter for me. That means you can't go to Europe and back, without dragging the charger along.
I'd much rather they introduced a 10-inch version of the current Kindle.
I love this one >> Kindle, Wi-Fi, 6" E Ink Pearl Display