The iPad has changed things a lot as far as consuming media... in a very short time. And while it has been getting the lion's share of publicity since its release, it wasn't the first "slate/tablet" type device designed for media consumption. Perhaps the best known, until 3 months ago, was the Amazon Kindle. Now, I've blogged about the Kindle here before. It's a great device for reading. Well designed, extremely light and portable.
Amazon was very meticulous in the design and the software as well. The Kindle is easy to use, easy on the eyes, and really had anything the average person reading a book might need, including a dictionary. You can make notes, highlight passages, dog ear pages, you name it. In fact the only thing the Kindle wasn't easy on was the wallet. I bought mine about 3 years ago and paid about $300 for it.
Now we're seeing why the old adage "competition is good" rings so true, even today. That's because today, Amazon announced the release date for a new Kindle that will retail for only $139. Jeff Bezos, CEO of Amazon has stated that due to selling so many of the devices, the price can drop due to the economy of scale. This particular device also has a lower price tag due to the fact that it can only download from a WiFi connection and not a wireless mobile connection (Amazon uses AT&T for that service with no charge to the customer).
This new WiFi Kindle has some advantages over previous versions, including:
- Faster page turning
- 3500 book memory - almost double from previous versions
- One month battery life
The device will be shipping on August and is currently available for pre-order. All the details can be found on the product page at Amazon.com
No comments:
Post a Comment