You already know about Kindle. It’s the most widely-used mobile book device out there. (Maybe I’m wrong on that, now that Amazon has released Kindle software for the iPhone.)
I’m not going to review the device here. Time magazine gave a good tech review. Josh Marshall (PhD) gave a great reflection on the future of paper books. So I don’t want to go over old ground. I just wanted to suggest a totally new approach to the whole area of mobile reading devices...
Do you remember Polaroid cameras? They were really cheap, but the film (print-film) was very expensive. That model worked fine until digital cameras sadly killed off Polaroids. (Yes, there is a new Polaroid printer, the PoGo that is really cool, but that’s another story.) And mobile phones? Cheap or free (except smart phones, of course) because money is made in connection fees or monthly rates.
I’d propose that Amazon sell the Kindle for $49 and increase the price of mobile content for it. They would sell far more content, the authors would get more royalties, and people like me could have a Kindle! ($359 is about $310 too much for me.) I am sure they would make more money in the long run.
Apologies to the image copyright holder — I couldn’t even find out who it was from the source.
Update: The Kindle DX is a bigger reader — but also bigger priced ($489).
Doesn’t this one cost in both directions — pricey content and pricey hardware? I think I’ll stick with paper books and such things as are accessible using my library card. It’s paid for.
True, Marti. Kindle content is pricey. However, for those who buy new books (rarely me), the Kindle content is often cheaper than a new book.