Hands-On Account of Amazon's Upcoming Color Kindle 156
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.
Want: Added to to the list (Score:4, Insightful)
$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?
Do not want (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
No kidding (Score:5, Insightful)
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.
Re:Do not want (Score:3, Insightful)
Who wants an e-reader without an e-ink display?
Well, Apple sold quite a few iPads. Besides, Amazon has a lot of stuff to sell beyond ebooks. Not least of which is video content.
Re:so much for e-ink... (Score:4, Insightful)
The technology had promise.
...and it is unbeatable for sequentially reading large quantities of flowing text - but until it has a much faster response rate, that is about all it is good for. Paper books have better random access! Aside from the lack of colour or video, it can't even implement a decent multitouch interface (sure, you can add the touchscreen but you can't give the sort of fluid visual feedback on which iOS and Android depend).
I have an iPad and a Kindle - the Kindle is far more relaxing for reading novels on, but for anything else, even for reading reference books and other PDFs, the iPad is more practical.
On the other hand, Amazon have kept the price of the e-ink Kindle down to the point where it is viable as a single-purpose device. If the price given in TFA for the Amazon Tablet is correct (presumably they will be subsidizing it from media sales) then you could get a tablet + an e-ink Kindle for the price of most half-decent tablets...
Wonder if its going to have "free" worldwide 3G like the Kindle?
However, it does sound a bit like Kindle Tablet owners are going to be able to tell iPad owners "Lock-in? That's not a lock-in... This is a lock-in..."
Re:No kidding (Score:3, Insightful)
The thing is: Most people don't want to lug around a separate device that can't be used for *anything* other than reading text, especially when the devices are reliant on proprietary (i.e. device specific) software, restricting the available input formats and causing rendering problems on more complicated PDFs and such. I've heard many a complaint about eBook readers' PDF rendering - they don't seem to be suitable for anything much other than reading fully reflowable text.
A tablet, on the other hand, will display PDFs (and other formats) exactly as they were intended, because apps are available to do so, and if they aren't, you could write one yourself. Also, being able to do everything from a single device is great... especially for people who don't need a laptop with them when they've got a tablet - add an E-Ink reader to that and you more or less double their load.
Also: Backlights are great for reading if you don't set them on full blast like an idiot (basically Apple's default "Fucking blind me!!!!" auto-backlight settings), and in the dark, when you don't want to keep the SO awake.
Re:Do not want (Score:3, Insightful)
Who wants an e-reader without an e-ink display?
People who buy iPads (currently massively outselling kindles) and use them to read books, and the net, and watch videos etc. apparently do.
The display is such a vital part of the experience!
For you. For most people, the disadvantages of an e-ink display outweigh the advantages. That's why more people buy tablets. I'm not sure why e-ink aficionados constantly insist that they can't be compared to a tablet - the two devices do similar things in different ways. They are both good in their own way, and yes they are (for many people) comparable. On some things tablets lose in this comparison (battery life, display in sunlight), but on many other things e-ink devices lose out (colour, response time, resolution, which leads to touch screens and the ability to function as a mini-computer). It's really just a matter of what you want it for - if you just want it for reading novels, an e-ink device definitely wins, if you want to do other stuff (argue on forums about the relative worths of eink and lcd for example), a tablet wins.
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.
I doubt very much they'll abandon eink in their cheaper models for years to come. Perhaps they never will if the tech improves and gains colour and a decent refresh rate (though inevitably that'd bring it closer to lcd in power draw). In the meantime, you can enjoy cheaper eink kindles, what's not to like?
Now you know ... (Score:4, Insightful)
Re:so much for e-ink... (Score:4, Insightful)
so much for e-ink... The technology had promise.
Promise? I'd say that the technology is wildly successful for those of us that actually read books. I don't have a Kindle, but I have a Sony PRS-650 which is a comparable device (slightly better IMO). I've read more than 300 books on it, and it's just about perfect for its purpose. No eyestrain whatsoever, only needs charging every third week. For Internet and media on the go I have my phone, but you just can't find anything better than E-Ink for reading novels. I really don't see how my reader could be significantly improved.
Re:No kidding (Score:5, Insightful)
apps are available to do so, and if they aren't, you could write one yourself
The number of people who can actually write PDF display software that is both accurate and fast may not be small in an absolute sense, but as a percentage of the market it's so small as not to be worth bothering with.
The eInk devices have succeeded because they're cheaper, lighter, longer-lived, and better at one specific task than the real tablet alternatives.
Re:No kidding (Score:3, Insightful)
When you say "most people" you really mean "I".
The Kindle replaces books. It doesn't replace your laptop. If you want to replace your laptop, then you're not in the Kindle's target audience - you're in the tablet's target audience.