Calling all book readers - cheaper E-Book Kindle on sale soon.

Biggins

On the back of the Ipad, the Sony E-Reader and inbuilt feature, that being to allow users to read books, available soon - NEW cheaper Kindle with built in wi-fi - released on August 27th!
THESE WILL SELL FAST!

Link to site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B002Y27P3M



British Times Newspaper Announcement:

Amazon has launched a new version of its Kindle e-reader at a knock-down price of £109 and will sell the device directly to UK customers for the first time.

The Kindle had previously been available only through Amazon’s US website which meant that, including import taxes, early adopters had to stump up more than £200 to buy the e-reader last year.

It is the first time Amazon has made the Kindle available on one of its local sites and the company will also allow UK users to post local reviews and recommendations.

The company hopes that cutting the price will also have a similar impact as in the US when it lowered the cost of buying the device a month ago. Since then, Kindle sales have tripled. “It was definitely a tipping point,” Steve Kessel, senior vice president, Amazon Kindle told The Times.

The new Kindle is 15 per cent lighter than its predecessor and is 21 per cent smaller. The screen offers a 50 per cent better contrast and page turning is 20 per cent faster. It also boasts a battery life that lasts a month and provides access to 400,000 book titles.

Unlike Apple’s iPad, which features a colour touch-screen, the Kindle remains a black-and-white resolution device. Amazon argues that this is because it a device built specifically for reading, not for computing.

Mr Kessel said the iPad’s rapid growth since its launch in January has not slowed the Kindle’s progress. “Since the iPad launch, Kindle sales have accelerated month-on-month and year-on-year. They’re very different products with very different purposes,” he said.

The £109 price applies to the wi-fi only version of the e-reader while the 3G version, which includes free roaming, costs £149.

Amazon’s e-book sales overtook its hard-cover book sales for the first time last month. The company now sells 180 e-books for every hard-cover book it ships.

jcrowbar

Pre-ordered one there yesterday.

Can't wait!

Biggins

Wife and I have Sony E-readers each so not as tempted - but admittedly it looks nice and light too.
If I hadn't one already, I'd be buying this in a flash - absolutely no question.

...Then again, I might just buy one anyway as back-up, or one for home, one for the travel case.
Will have to think about that fast because the first stock of these will go in days.

Update: I caved and pre-ordered one. The wireless ability has me interested!

witnessmenow

I thought they wouldnt deliver these to Ireland?

Biggins

witnessmenow wrote: »

I thought they wouldn't deliver these to Ireland?

The link in the first post takes you to the international shipping section.
Ireland is listed on it.

The UK only direct purchase have their own purchase web page.

The Uk Site: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reading-Display-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M/ref=amb_link_353611822_7?pf_rd_m=ATVPDKIKX0DER&pf_rd_s=gateway-center-column&pf_rd_r=08XSH26ZZW9ERQFK1TNM&pf_rd_t=101&pf_rd_p=1271496582&pf_rd_i=507846

The international site (inc Ireland) site: http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B003DZ1Y8Q?country=IE

witnessmenow

I assumed the International Site was being shipped from America, thus being subject to Vat & duty?

I see on their t&C:

Your international shipment is subject to VAT. This is the same VAT rate you pay when you buy products in your country. There are NO customs duties or any other fees. We will show you the estimated VAT upon checkout. Learn more

Im a little confused, where is it shipping from?

Biggins

witnessmenow wrote: »

I assumed the International Site was being shipped from America, thus being subject to Vat & duty?
I see on their t&C:
Im a little confused, where is it shipping from?

Unsure but here is my email receipt details (for being sent to Ireland):

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]
Shipping Method: [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Priority International Courier [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]
Shipping Preference:[/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Group my items into as few shipments as possible[/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Subtotal of Items: [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]$139.00 [/SIZE][/FONT]
[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Shipping & Handling: [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]$20.98 [/SIZE][/FONT]

---

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Import Fees Deposit [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]$33.60 [/SIZE][/FONT]

---

[FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]Total for this Order: [/SIZE][/FONT] [FONT=verdana,arial,helvetica][SIZE=-1]$193.58 [/SIZE][/FONT]

Using xe.com:
$193.58 = 148.819 EUR

eclectichoney

This looks niiiice I take it they have not changed the file compatability so that you can view pdfs and any kind of ebook rather than just the ones you buy from amazon?? (This was my understanding of the kindle mark I anyway - i could be wrong). If they have - I'd preorder one in a second tbh.

Biggins

eclectichoney wrote: »

This looks niiiice I take it they have not changed the file compatibility so that you can view pdfs and any kind of ebook rather than just the ones you buy from Amazon?? (This was my understanding of the kindle mark I anyway - i could be wrong). If they have - I'd pre-order one in a second tbh.

This Kindle supports Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, HTML, also unprotected Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX), RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and PRC files.

randombar

Lads going on holiday on the 29th to spain after messing with my friends one over the past couple of days I'm definitely considering it. I suppose two things, the built in 3G will that work in Spain? The release date of the 27th, is that the date I would receive it or is that the date the post it to me? Hmm I'd probably be cutting it fine.

Also there's no issues uploading my own pdfs and ebooks and reading them off it??

Any way to check my email using the 3g?

Biggins

GaryCocs wrote: »

Lads going on holiday on the 29th to spain after messing with my friends one over the past couple of days I'm definitely considering it. I suppose two things, the built in 3G will that work in Spain? The release date of the 27th, is that the date I would receive it or is that the date the post it to me? Hmm I'd probably be cutting it fine.

Also there's no issues uploading my own pdfs and ebooks and reading them off it??

Any way to check my email using the 3g?

From reading of the summary and deeper defined details on a number of tech news sites, there is a some type of new webkit browser incorporated into it.
Won't be the fastest thing on the earth to beat Firefox or Safari 5 but should get you going I'd say.

From what I can gather the 27th (New York Times - last paragraph) is the date that they start shipping them out from their depot - not the date it will arrive at your door.

Uploading books on to it? Will be as easy as previous Kindles. Just copy your books via wireless or cable connection from PC/laptop to the appropriate folder and you are ready to go.

pickarooney

Do you not need to have (and pay for) an agreement with some ISP to use 3G? It's hardly a free for all.

randombar

It actually is a free for all, they have contracts with 100 and something phone companies around the world.

Packet

The look of the old Kindle put me off buying, in particular the wide screen border, white colour, and the ZX81 like keyboard but the new one looks much better.

I heard the rumour that Amazon were about to release a new one and the minute I saw it on the website I ordered it. I was holding out for a 2nd generation iPad but the main thing I really want is a good e-reader. The almost impulse buy level of the price for the WiFi suckered me into ordering one then and there, although the sting in the tail is Ireland isn't lumped in with the UK amazon website. So the shipping and import duties from the states substantially add to the price.

Someone at work then told me about the free 3G web browser built in so I went back and ordered that on instead. I hope they don't cancel that, they appear to have left themselves wriggle room to do that as the browser is experimental and on the Ireland page for Amazon they only say that there's web access to wikipedia not the whole web.

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

...on the Ireland page for Amazon they only say that there's web access to wikipedia not the whole web.

Where does it say that exactly? Link?

Quote from Amazon:

Web access is not currently available for some customers outside the U.S. Check your country.

...And when we do check our country, there is NO mention that its definitely already restricted!
I have been thru Amazon searching and have found nothing that states its definitely restricted for Ireland.
Please provide link?

Amazon now says "Temporarily Sold Out. Order now to reserve your place in line"
So it looks like the first batch is now sold out.

Packet

I must have been mistaken or they've updated the wording in the last few days.

It does say the 3G is free.



Under this section I think there was previously a line saying that the web browsing was only open to wikipedia. The line isn't there any more.



It didn't take them long to sell out.

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

I must have been mistaken or they've updated the wording in the last few days. It does say the 3G is free.

It didn't take them long to sell out.

Think it was a genuine mistake. Never seen it and I have been back and forth to that section many times. No worries.
I'll be just glad to be able to use it (the wi-fi too) around the house or in the back garden when relaxing.

The fact that you can from your garden, use it to browse their book store, find a book and download it direct to its standard internal book folder, its a great ability.
I also noted this in the manual that was on the Amazon web pages for it:
"If you purchased the Kindle with your Amazon account, it is
already registered to you" so that makes buying books even easier I assume - besides downloading their free ones!

Packet

Biggins wrote: »

Think it was a genuine mistake. Never seen it and I have been back and forth to that section many times. No worries.

Here's the line I thought I saw. It is visible under the French entry.

Biggins wrote: »

I also noted this in the manual that was on the Amazon web pages for it:
"If you purchased the Kindle with your Amazon account, it is
already registered to you" so that makes buying books even easier I assume - besides downloading their free ones!

The two that I ordered (the wifi and the 3G + WiFi) are both showing up already in my "Manage Kindle" section of the website linked to my account, so you might see yours there too. I had already bought a book for the Kindle for Mac/PC apps. It may be possible to send them to it so when it arrives and is powered on it will automatically get the books.

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

...The two that I ordered (the wifi and the 3G + WiFi) are both showing up already in my "Manage Kindle" section of the website linked to my account, so you might see yours there too. I had already bought a book for the Kindle for Mac/PC apps. It may be possible to send them to it so when it arrives and is powered on it will automatically get the books.

Cheers for that tip, looked in my section too and saw all the stuff about personal email kindle addresses they have already awarded to me. They certainly didn't waste any time.

eclectichoney

I can't understand why you can't buy it through amazon uk though Will we be able to use the uk store to buy ebooks I wonder or will we also have to use amazon.com?? They will have different pricing structures I believe, so it might make a difference.

Packet

eclectichoney wrote: »

I can't understand why you can't buy it through amazon uk though Will we be able to use the uk store to buy ebooks I wonder or will we also have to use amazon.com?? They will have different pricing structures I believe, so it might make a difference.

Here's a thread on Amazon.co.uk of people complaining about it.

Not being able to pay in Euros is already a big enough inconvenience with using Amazon.co.uk. So it is a pity they're also now forcing us outside of the EU to buy kindle books. I thought Ireland was almost still a branch of the UK for book selling purposes so it does seem strange that we're not let use it.

The French website no longer seems to have the reference to it being restricted to wikipedia. It looks like they're still updating their website.

silvine

I read a few previews online and apparently there's still a slight bleed of the text when you turn pages. That sounds like something that would put me off but then again I haven't seen it for myself.

Interesting hands-on preview here: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/review-my-20-minutes-with-amazons-latest-kindle/37252

Tempted by the price though. How does buying books for the Kindle work? Do Irish consumers have to pay anything extra on top of the Amazon.com price (bearing in mind the €/$ exchange rate)? Also can I put any book from Project Gutenburg on it?

Biggins

silvine wrote: »

...How does buying books for the Kindle work? Do Irish consumers have to pay anything extra on top of the Amazon.com price (bearing in mind the €/$ exchange rate)? Also can I put any book from Project Gutenburg on it?

You will be paying I presume by credit card so all charges will be paid direct according to UK or USA site you buy from and converted automatically.
I have stated above already what Irish payers can expect to paying in total full price.
See previous posts.

The Kindle supports Kindle (AZW), TXT, PDF, Audible (Audible Enhanced (AA, AAX)), MP3, unprotected MOBI, HTML, also unprotected Microsoft Word (DOC, DOCX), RTF, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP and PRC files.
(Again stated already - see previous posts!)
So Project Gutenburg books will go on it no problem in absolute most cases.

Packet

silvine wrote: »

I read a few previews online and apparently there's still a slight bleed of the text when you turn pages. That sounds like something that would put me off but then again I haven't seen it for myself.

Interesting hands-on preview here: http://www.zdnet.com/blog/btl/review-my-20-minutes-with-amazons-latest-kindle/37252

Do you have a link to that "slight bleed of the text when you turn pages"?

I can't see it mentioned in the ZDnet review. It only has positive things to say about the improved page turns.

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

Do you have a link to that "slight bleed of the text when you turn pages"?

I can't see it mentioned in the ZDnet review. It only has positive things to say about the improved page turns.

Agreed. I have read many reviews by very qualified folk and well regarded sites.
NOT ONE of them so far has mentioned this!

Packet

Here's a Stuff Magazine http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xs755bLrOvg review of the new Kindle.

It has quite a lot of close-ups and shots of page turning.

No sign of the alleged text bleed :rolleyes:.

JohnK

Anyone know if the 3g version limits you to 3g access in the home country only or do you maintain 3g even if you go abroad? Is there any extra cost associated with that?

Packet

Using Whispernet (Amazon's mobile virtual network) is free globally where they've a deal with a local mobile operator. They claim 100 countries, here's the Coverage Map.

It is "free" because Amazon subsidise the fees they pay the mobile network operators from charges built into the Kindle content.

There is a charge if you email a file to your Kindle's @kindle.com address and it is connected by Whispernet.

JohnK

Thanks Packet. That does seem to be good yet at the same time they mention for americans abroad they could be charged per mb for some downloads so I'm a bit concerned about it.

Owen

When ebook readers came out first, I was shocked at the price. In my head, €100 is the ideal price point for one of these. Sell the unit without profit, or at a minimal loss, and recoup it on book sales. There was a survey on slashdot.org a while back that said about a hundred dollars was the ideal price point considering the simple electronics inside.

This is a step in the right direction, but it's hard to take the Sony readers @300 seriously when you can have an iPad for a little more.

pickarooney

For some reason I got the feeling wathcing that Stuff review that in 20 years people would be pissing themselves laughing looking back on it

I'm still not sold on eReaders, but I'm slightly less sceptical about them than before.

Packet

JohnK wrote: »

That does seem to be good yet at the same time they mention for americans abroad they could be charged per mb for some downloads so I'm a bit concerned about it.

The Amazon.com website is more than a bit confusing and some of the links to further info circle back to the original page.

As far as I can tell there are actually less charges for international (non-US based) users of the Kindle when traveling abroad than there are for US based users traveling outside America.

See Using Kindle if You Live Outside the United States and follow the link to here Using Whispernet Outside the United States.

On the corresponding US-based user page the wording is

"International Subscription Service: Receive all of your newspaper, magazine, and blog subscription content wirelessly for a weekly fee of $4.99."

My reading of this is that if I bought a subscription to Time magazine off Amazon.com I would have it delivered to me wirelessly for free globally but US-based users have to pay more to have the magazine delivered over whispernet when they're abroad.

JohnK

That is a bit strange alright. Very tempted to get this now

Biggins

pickarooney wrote: »

I'm still not sold on eReaders, but I'm slightly less sceptical about them than before.

I think the Rubicon has been crossed in regard to majority sales of e-books versus paper books.
Well according to Amazon it has. Thats means the writing might be on the wall so to speak - no longer in a paper book not coming to a shop near you soon! :pac:

silvine

Agreed. I have read many reviews by very qualified folk and well regarded sites.
NOT ONE of them so far has mentioned this!

Wow there's a lot of people ready to defend this device. I didn't say there was a page bleed, a Tech Radar journalist did here: http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/hands-on-new-amazon-kindle-review-706568

There is still that jarring 'bleed' you get with page turns, but it is definitely speedier.

I dunno if it'd be off putting but I'd like to see this 'bleed' before I buy.

Biggins

silvine wrote: »

Wow there's a lot of people ready to defend this device. I didn't say there was a page bleed, a Tech Radar journalist did here: http://www.techradar.com/news/portable-devices/hands-on-new-amazon-kindle-review-706568
I dunno if it'd be off putting but I'd like to see this 'bleed' before I buy.

Cheers for the update link.
From what I can see below, if there is a "bleed" that exists while just the pages are turning (very fast), I can't honestly see it effecting reading in any way what so ever - if ever.
The print is clear, very sharp (from what I see) and even better than the 2 Sony E-readers I already have.
(One is now the wifes)

Packet

silvine wrote: »

I dunno if it'd be off putting but I'd like to see this 'bleed' before I buy.

Thanks for the link to the source.

That review seems to be talking about "page flash", the flash the e-ink screen makes when turning a page.

AFAIK Amazon themselves call this page flash.

The term bleed suggests to me that the text runs after a page turn.

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

Thanks for the link to the source.
That review seems to be talking about "page flash", the flash the e-ink screen makes when turning a page.
AFAIK Amazon themselves call this page flash.
The term bleed suggests to me that the text runs after a page turn.

Yep, thats what I was thinking also.

Biggins

Article from this weeks Newsweek (August 9th, 2010).

The Sparrow

Sounds great. I'm very much tempted to ask for a Kindle for my birthday in September.

Packet

Some of the figures in the article seem to be based on the Kindle 2. The new one is lighter at 247 grams and its battery is claimed to last for a month (with the wireless off and moderate use).

Here are two good Kindle blogs I found.

http://www.thekindlechronicles.com/ is a podcast and he has access to people in Amazon and e-ink for interviews.

http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/

andrys

JohnK wrote: »

Thanks Packet. That does seem to be good yet at the same time they mention for americans abroad they could be charged per mb for some downloads so I'm a bit concerned about it.

JohnK, The charge is only for NON-Amazon downloads you received that you want sent to your Kindle direct. If you do that instead of just USB'g it over yourself, there's a charge of 15 cents per megabyte of a file.

To avoid that charge, when having Amazon automatically converting, say, a Microsoft WORD doc file, you can instead use your regular email to send the attachment to [you]@free.kindle.com and Amazon will convert the file and then give you a link to download it to your computer -- then you use the USB cable to move it to the Kindle.

With the new 3G/WiFi -- If you are connected to a WiFi network locally, you would not be using the 3G feature for that time and CAN download direct to the Kindle using WiFi, files not normally downloadable (because they'd likely be too large for 3G wireless costs to Amazon ) because Amazon isn't paying for your WiFi access as they do with 3G Whispernet wireless.

But web browsing (look-ups really, at mobile-device-optimized sites, more or less like the smart phone mobile-webpage access style) IS free when it's enabled and it was in Ireland a couple of months ago.

I think Amazon is encouraging people to use WiFi when they can for that, as it helps keep Amazon's wireless costs down and they can more easily continue to offer the 3G type for free (so far they have, for 2 years although it was slower than it is now and it will be quite a bit faster with the K3's).

You also have access direct to Project Gutenberg's 30,000 files, which are in Amazon's MOBI format also. There are two ways to get these direct to your Kindle. Also available: http://feedbooks.com http://mnybks.net and www.archive.org/details/texts for direct free downloads also.

The 500,000 free Google books are easily convertable to Amazon's format and I have a blog entry detailing how. You can do it yourself with a free utility in about 3 minutes or send it to a site that will do it for you for free and will also provide a link to the converted file, which is also left available to others interested in the free Google books.

- Andrys

Biggins

andrys wrote: »

...archives.org/details/text for direct free downloads also.

NOTE:
That site for the record is a bad site. Its just a marketing site AND A CON that will have you going around in circles.
The REAL one is: http://www.archive.org/index.php

Packet

andrys wrote: »

I have a blog entry detailing how.

- Andrys

Are you Andrys Basten of http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/ ?

Our little thread is doing well here. We're attracting in international Kindle bloggers

Edit -

Here's a post I found on the Amazon.com discussion board.

To help show any perceptual difference caused by the Graphite versus White Kindles someone has taken the images from the Amazon sales pages and superimposed them on the other border. In Ireland we can only order the graphite one so if you prefer white too bad.

KinderKindler says:

Here you go - I saved it when I posted it last time, so I'll just paste it here again:
---
I think it's a matter of personal choice, but to help everyone compare the two, I did a few graphics using Amazon's images from the main sales page.

Amazon's original images for the Granite K3 and White K3, placed side-by side over gray background:
http://i33.tinypic.com/23rvekm.jpg

Note that the screens aren't photographed the same lightness, due likely to a flash. So, to discern any perceptual effect the dark vs light frames alone might give, I made both screens identical:

- Same images, but with the screen from the White K3's image pasted onto Granite's image:
http://i38.tinypic.com/nfpegk.jpg

- Same, but with screen from Granite K3's image pasted onto White's:
http://i34.tinypic.com/2885r4h.jpg

silvine

I'd personally prefer the black one; it'd be easier to look after. A perceptual difference is splitting hairs anyway.


It's good to know there's a wealth of free books from the likes of Gutenburg for the Kindle which are easy enough to put on but unless the device receives a proper Irish launch (I.E. like in the UK) it's not really going to be bought by anyone here other than techies and gadget heads who like to read. It will remain a niche device, albeit a good one, which is a shame because you can walk into Watersones and try out other e-readers no problem.

andrys

Biggins, Thanks for the alert. I should never post a link w/o testing it. I've corrected the link, which takes you to the text files area rather than the intro to all the many offerings including music, video.

andrys

Packet wrote: »

Are you Andrys Basten of http://kindleworld.blogspot.com/ ?

Yes. I'm to blame :-)

Re perceptual differences - the key factor is usually the color of the area bordering the screen.

In this one, which I feature at
http://bit.ly/kwdx2-dx1

....the screensaver in even the white Kindle has a black border and that would make the screen background look lighter but also it would make the dark font look lighter as well.
I mention what to look for in that photo comparison.

In the comments area I also have this:
_____ A correspondent, Guven Witteveen, wondered ... and put the following image together (reversing the Kindles and removing the bezel portions):

See Guven's results.

There is black bordering in the photo IDs at the bottom and in the fringe bit at the top of the left one (from the white DX), but I think Guven made it clear that the differences perceived are not due to the models' bezel colors.

Biggins

For people in Ireland that have ordered the Kindle 3 as it now being called, there is a LLoytron USB power charger adapter available at Powercity for the price of €6.95.

If there is a store near you and you didn't order one with your Kindle, it might be worth checking out.

Packet

andrys wrote: »

http://bit.ly/kwdx2-dx1

The display on the newer graphite kindle one looks objectively better to me not just perceptually better than the slightly older white kindle. The cropped shot by Guven seems to bear that out. I can't discern much of a difference if any from the Kindle 3 comparison done by KinderKindler.

Biggins wrote: »

For people in Ireland that have ordered the Kindle 3 as it now being called, there is a LLoytron USB power charger adapter available at Powercity for the price of €6.95.

If there is a store near you and you didn't order one with your Kindle, it might be worth checking out.

Is it this one, ironically liked to by the Amazon website? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lloytron-1000ma-USB-Mains-Adaptor/dp/B003IV253I/

Biggins

Packet wrote: »

Is it this one, ironically liked to by the Amazon website? http://www.amazon.co.uk/Lloytron-1000ma-USB-Mains-Adaptor/dp/B003IV253I/

Yes, thats exactly the one.
Bought it yesterday for use with the Kindle 3 when it arrives.

Packet

Has anyone got so much as a shipping notice from Amazon yet?

It looks like a lot of people in the UK are going to physically receive their Kindle 3s this morning.