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Thursday, March 20, 2008

Amazon: America’s Gone Kindle-Krazy!

posted by on March 20 at 14:42 PM

The Amazon home page has a letter from Jeff Bezos that reads, in part:

“We had high hopes for Kindle before its launch but we didn’t expect the demand that actually materialized. We sold out in the first 5 1/2 hours and have been scrambling to increase our manufacturing capacity ever since…customers have had to wait as long as six weeks after ordering.”

And so on. There’s also a picture of a Kindle Kake. Of course this is a press-release-style manufactured bit of hoopla (I notice Jeff’s still not mentioning actual numbers of Kindles sold, for example) but as I was reading it, I was thinking, “Oh, Christ, what if this actually works?” So I guess it’s effective propaganda.


In other technology news
: I saw a girl today who I thought was really cute until I noticed that she was listening to a Zune, and then I felt weird and had to look away.

RSS icon Comments

1

Hey now, there are a whole metric crapload of locals who work on the Zune project. It gives them jobs.


Also, the Zune's not a terrible device at all, in fact it's the top not-an-iPod I've ever used. Not that I'm an expert or anything.


heh.

Posted by Matt Fuckin' Hickey | March 20, 2008 2:46 PM
2

I love my Zune. Unlike with my old I-Pod, I don't pay for 99 cent downloads. I get all the music I want for a low monthly fee that's less than two CDs. Never in my life have I spent so little for so much.

Posted by Brendan | March 20, 2008 2:50 PM
3

Yeah, don't be such a snob, Paul; I've heard plenty of good things about the Zune. If/when my ipod finally gives up the ghost, I will think about it - but in the end, I've become a total slave to itunes, so I'll probably end up staying in that camp unless there's an easy way to use non-ipods with itunes.

Posted by Levislade | March 20, 2008 2:52 PM
4

where can i have ze link to buy ze zune?

Posted by hans | March 20, 2008 2:52 PM
5

What so bad about a Zune that it can turn you off to someone?

Don't fear technology, Paul.

Posted by JC | March 20, 2008 2:53 PM
6

A friend of mine works at Amazon and was showing off his Kindle at dinner the other night. It's a pretty spiffy device, and the book downloads are cheaper than the hardcopy. I don't think I wanna spend $300 on one, though. Think of it as an iPod for books.

Posted by NaFun | March 20, 2008 2:54 PM
7

I've enjoyed my second gen Zune far more than I ever did my two iPods. It's a neat little device.

Posted by Postureduck | March 20, 2008 2:56 PM
8

I would've gotten a Zune if it was Mac-compatible, because I still appreciate radio tuners. Also, I worked on Zune marketing about a year ago, so it provided dearly-needed paychecks.

Posted by Emily | March 20, 2008 2:58 PM
9

@3 See that's the thing. Apple doesn't make a ton off of itunes, but it does manage to lock everyone who uses it into the ipod line for life, or until apple decides to kill off their current drm format.

Posted by cmaceachen | March 20, 2008 3:02 PM
10
Posted by Chris | March 20, 2008 3:05 PM
11

My zune cost 1/4 what an equivalent ipod would have cost, and it works at least 3/4 as well.

Posted by don't break the oath | March 20, 2008 3:17 PM
12

"Paul, iPod has become predictable and hackneyed these days. They are the equivalent of driving an SUV to soccer practice to pick up your kid, while Zune is still a sexy drunken makeout sesh in the backseat of a taxi. Tell me again, when are you moving into your new condo where the Cha Cha was?"

Posted by Josh Bomb | March 20, 2008 3:21 PM
13

You made the right decision. Only losers own Zunes.

Posted by Mr. Poe | March 20, 2008 3:24 PM
14

Well i suppose Kindle can't be as bad a vaporware flop as the segway was. so congrats i guess.

Posted by vooodooo84 | March 20, 2008 3:24 PM
15

Well, we are in the regional home of Microsoft, so we should expect people to stump for Zune.

It's an MP3 player. It's functional and effective. Can't speak to the proprietary software, though, or the comparitive availability of tunes.

So anyway, Paul, your point... looks like Bezos is taking the same tactic Nintendo took with the Wii: ensure there is some demand, then manufacture and make available so few of the devices that you can brag about selling out. Without seeing specific numbers, it's nearly certain Amazon had the device under-manufactured in order to a) ensure they didn't have a sitting inventory and b) ensure that they sold out to create the impression, however artificial, of high demand.

Too bad most civilians aren't smart enough to see through such an obvious publicity ploy.

Posted by Gomez | March 20, 2008 3:25 PM
16

Paul - Did your ipod come with that attitude, or did you have to buy that separately, like everything else Apple? When your attitude turns sunny, do you have to stand in line at the Apple Store to buy a fresh supply of hipster-than-thou bullshit?

I got mine for 79 bucks on w00t, and it works great. That's one quarter the price for the same functionality. But please continue to spew forth your garbage, it obviously makes for great slog-fodder.

Posted by wbrproductions | March 20, 2008 3:30 PM
17

Gross. I'd rather own the book.

Posted by Gutsy Oldster | March 20, 2008 3:37 PM
18

Um.

What's a Zune? Is that one of those cameras? And is the Kindle like one of those things you give kids to bash round and square pegs into?

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 20, 2008 3:51 PM
19

The Kindle is a DRM piece of crap. The sony reader is much better.

Posted by Andrew | March 20, 2008 4:10 PM
20

those funny voices in my head keep me entertained fairly consistently...

mostly.

Posted by michael strangeways | March 20, 2008 4:19 PM
21

You stopped looking at a cute girl just because she works for Microsoft? Harsh.

Posted by daniel | March 20, 2008 4:20 PM
22

Cute girls with Zunes are a lot cuter than no girls at all. One's choice of portable music player isn't really a criterion for suitability as a partner, or even as an object of idle lust. Nothing is, really; it's entirely possible to be attractive, charming and desirable and like "bad" music, books, computers, video games....

Posted by Fnarf | March 20, 2008 4:24 PM
23

I pretty much love my Zune, man, even if only for the wireless (and that really isn't the only reason). That having been said...

@7 -- Postureduck! I've seen you! On my wireless, that is. Unfortunately you always go out of range before I can bomb you with some kind of awesome song. I think that means you are going past on the bus when I am waiting at the stop.

Posted by Sarka | March 20, 2008 4:25 PM
24

What's a zoon?

Posted by S | March 20, 2008 4:26 PM
25

Okay, we don't have this device up here in the primitive tundra of Canada. Can anybody tell mw why it's called Kindle? Is it named after somebody? When I hear it, I think of kindling, y'know something you burn to start fires. Which of course gives the device a whole Fahrenheit 451 vibe.

Posted by Bont | March 20, 2008 4:30 PM
26

they still make zunes?

Posted by um | March 20, 2008 4:32 PM
27

rofl @21

@25, to kindle is to arouse or to evoke (generally an emotional response). It's a pretty good name, actually.

Posted by w7ngman | March 20, 2008 4:41 PM
28

@27, ah thanks. My mind didn't go there at all. Still, I think it sounds a little too... folksy... for an electronic device

Posted by Bont | March 20, 2008 4:54 PM
29

I saw a meter maid (dickless Tracy) on one of those Segways yesterday and I finally got a little jealous. Sometimes I'm just too lazy to walk. I predict they'll get really popular with the baby boomer crowd as they get old because they're too embarassed to roll a Roundabout or Rascal but they'll need something. Give it 10 more years. It'll happen.

Posted by Diana | March 20, 2008 5:06 PM
30

If you get Segways to run over Kindles, they go Zune.

Posted by Will in Seattle | March 20, 2008 5:16 PM
31

The general premise of an electronic device that can replace books is valid, but the Kindle is an overpriced piece of shit that will never attain broad acceptance (Bezos gushing aside). He's sold a bunch to the Early Adopter crowd, but that's as far as this will go.

Modern books are commonly printed at 300 dpi (dots per inch). Most laser printers print at 300 or 600 dpi. That's reasonably easy on the eyes and easy to read.

The Sony reader is about half that (170 dpi). So is the Kindle (167 dpi). Or twice as hard to read as commonly printed text.

I have a hard enough time with printed text (just recently started to wear reading glasses). A Kindle will not replace books for me, or pretty much anyone over the age of 40.

Now, if they come out with a Kindle II (or whatever) that has twice the screen resolution and half the price... I might seriously consider it. It will probably happen within the next 10 years.

Posted by Reverse Polarity | March 20, 2008 6:02 PM
32

I love my Kindle. I've had it for about 2 months and read twice as much as I used to. It's not for everyone, I agree, but for my purposes it's fantastic. I get books right away, it's easy to read, it's portable, and I can read multiple books simultaneously. Granted the DRM sucks, but it's a trade-off I'm willing to make. I've also found that most of the criticism of the devise if from people who have never actually seen or used one - several of the people who have played with mine have gone and bought their own.


Posted by Emily Steed | March 20, 2008 7:47 PM
33

Paul Constant, are you a 76 year old man, sitting on his porch complaining about his bum knee? I have never met you so, from now on, that is the image that I will picture whenever you complain about newfangled technologies.

Posted by Julie | March 20, 2008 10:09 PM
34

I love my Zune. I needed to buy it to test something for work (my company, though NOT in Washington, works closely with Microsoft) and took a tax deduction. But I love it, much more than I love my iPod. And I listen to Savage Love on it. Hah!

Posted by Nora | March 21, 2008 6:36 AM
35

@32: Emily! It's been forever! How are you?

Posted by Greg | March 21, 2008 8:26 AM
36

as someone who's used the Kindle EXTENSIVELY, (hint: 8 hours a day, 5 days a week, for six months) all I can say are two words:

EYE and STRAIN.

oh, and design-wise, these words:

TEXAS. INSTRUMENTS. 1984.

Posted by former Amazon contractor/flying monkey | March 21, 2008 9:14 AM
37

@35: I'm super! WHO are you?

@36: The design is clunky, I'll be the first to admit it. I don't think it was designed to be read 40 hours a week, though, and for casual reading purposes (2 or so hours a day, maybe?) I find that it works beautifully.

Posted by Emily Steed | March 21, 2008 10:40 AM
38

@37: EFS, back in the day. Remember?

Posted by Greg | March 21, 2008 11:32 AM
39

@30 FTW!

Posted by lorange | March 21, 2008 12:10 PM
40

Kindle owners can you lend your downloads to other Kindle owners, or sell or trade them for more downloads?

Posted by inkweary | March 21, 2008 12:58 PM

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