New Amazon Kindle 2 coming February 9?
Is this what Amazon.com will announce at its press conference on February 9?
(Credit: Boy Genius Report)A few days ago I wrote a column speculating when Amazon's new Kindle might arrive, and I might have gotten the answer Tuesday morning.
I just received an invite "to an important Amazon.com press conference" on the morning of Monday, February 9 in New York. I'm not going to say where it is (that's not cool for Amazon's PR people, who would have to deal with crashers), but let's just say it's in a location that relates to books.
When the Kindle was first announced in 2007, Amazon held a very similar press conference (yes, in the morning), so I'd say there's a good chance we'll finally get some sort of official announcement on the next version--or versions--of Amazon's popular digital reading device.
Photos of the alleged Kindle 2 were leaked late last year and speculation was high that a new Kindle would arrive in time for the holidays.
Not only did no new device show up, but Amazon basically stopped shipping the Kindle, even as it continued to advertise it front and center on Amazon.com, day after day. A note on the Kindle product page informed potential buyers that the Kindle was sold out and on back order for two to three months. Now it's just listed as sold out and that Amazon would ship the device on a first-come, first-served basis.
It's interesting to note that one of the readers of my earlier story posted that he just got an e-mail from Amazon saying that the Kindle his girlfriend ordered for him during the holidays was due to ship on March 5. Of course, that's just one buyer, but it wouldn't shock me if Amazon shipped out the bulk of its orders for the Kindle around then.
If indeed this turns out to be the announcement for the new Kindle (to be clear, I have no confirmation of that), Amazon could very well offer customers who've already ordered the original Kindle--and are awaiting its arrival--the option of canceling their orders or receiving the new Kindle.
As always, feel free to comment.
Hunkered down in New York City, Executive Editor David Carnoy covers the gamut of gadgets and writes his Fully Equipped column, which carries the tag line "The electronics you lust for." He's also the author of "Knife Music," a novel. E-mail David. Follow David on Twitter. 
talkingfuture: I don't think this needs a color display to take off. It's for serious readers like me. Everything I read is in black and white, so color would not be much of an enhancement to me.
While Amazon does not release Kindel sales number it is estimated (realistically) to be in the 235,000'ish figure.
Sony, which does release its eBook numbers (all models sales combined) are well over 500,000 and Stanza a ebook software for desktops and mobile devices like the iPhone are closing in on 1 Million software downloads.
Even if you double the Kindle numbers its competitors are murdering it.
The information that I am reading is from ALA and the publishing industry. Friends who work at Workman and Random House.
Are you going to trust some analyst who tells you the iPhone is going to be a disaster, the iPod is done and AIG is a great company to invest in. All true from just about all "analyst" at one time or another.
When Microsoft and Nintendo had a hit game system on their hands they shouted the sales numbers from the rooftops. When the iPod was first released Steve Jobs lead every keynote speech with iPod sales numbers. When companies have a successful product they love to talk market share and sales. Amazon not only does not release sales figures but sends out false information to muddle any sales figure prediction.
Will I have to shell out another $400?
I'm not too sure about this thing becoming a revolution.
I've been a book reader for 30 years and it was really hard in the beginning
to get myself adjusted to reading a Teleprompter.
I think the level of "entertainment quality" of the books one initially reads
decides how quickly and to what degree Kindle owners become "into" their Kindles.
I?ve had a Kindle for 6 months and the problem for me was finding outstanding books to get me
used to reading this way.
Two of my close friends, however, got "into" their Kindles right away--and they also admit
that a big reason for that was how much they enjoyed the first books they read on the Kindle.
I wasn't as lucky breaking myself into the Kindle.
I found two books, the autobiography of Osama Bin Laden?s mistress, Kola Boof (what A book!) and Stephanie Meyer's vampire book and both blew me away.
So when you have really strong material to read, the Kindle is a great device that makes you forget you?re reading a machine.
I actually snuggled up in bed with the Kindle when I was reading ?Twighlight? and ?Diary of a Lost Girl? (Bin Laden's mistress/sex slave) because they were so good, and once I actually found myself ENGROSSED in something I was reading on the device, I notice that I started purchasing a lot more books because there?s a huge discount on the Kindle Store books and also you start to feel funny if you don?t read something on this device for a long time. It compels you to use it.
Not sure others will feel the same but heck, they're already introducing the 2.0!
The big question is not weather they will anounce the Kindle 2 and tell everyone who has a Kindle 1 on order to take the Kindle 2 or buy a used Kindle 1, but weather they will talk about the Kindle 3 also.
The big question is not weather they will denounce the Kindle 2 and tell everyone who has a Kindle 3 on order to take the Kindle 1 or buy a used Kindle 3, but weather they will talk about the Kindle 1 also.
For $10 I can buy any book in paperback and enjoy to my heart's content, including the smell of the paper and ink
And, I'm not anti-tech...far from it. I've been in computers for 25 years and have the latest *practical* and *elegant* gadgets across the board
Kindle just doesn't kindle any desire to me
Sorry, Jeff, Kindle ain't ready for prime time...despite all the Apple-like hype you're trying to surround it with...
My bet is within 6 months Apple has a book reader out...but then again, the iPod Touch/iPhone shows a book much better than Kindle...
John Wozniak
If so what were the results, how did it fare with independent accessibility user testing with screen readers or other Adaptive (assistive ) Technology tests for users with mobility and cognitive delay disabilities?
Section 308 is a Federally mandated measure that notes that all Electronic and Informational Technology be Section 508 compliant -pertinent to State and Federal jurisdictions.
Oprah had Jeff on her show and was going through a speech about what an insanely great device the Kindle was, even though the sales were just OK. When she said that there was a discount if we mentioned her name, we instantly got to the Amazon site and ordered the electronic device (with a $50 discount). It arrived in two days.
Literally by the time the show segment had ended, the things were on back order. Now that's power -- Just think what would happen if she got behind a Presidential Candidate! Wait a minute.
Articles:
http://www.slashgear.com/plastic-logic-demo-video-hands-on-versus-amazon-kindle-1216036/
http://www.slashgear.com/plastic-logic-ebook-reader-still-on-track-for-2009-video-interview-1619396/
Videos:
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=eWRpkIQrjYo
http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=50x8h7fF4DU
The drawbacks I have found is that there are books that friends have recommended to me that I cannot find in the Kindle store. You cannot flip through different parts of the book as you can with a book. The cost is a deterrent, especially since it may break in a few years and I would then have spend another $350 on a new Kindle.
All in all, I am happy to own the Kindle although I initially had reservations whether I would acclimate to using electronic books and readers. For those of yu who are into the "greening" craze, having the Kindle reduces paper production and waste.
Trust me.
- by BenzTech January 27, 2009 11:34 PM PST
- I've had a Kindle since last April and have fallen in love with it. Wasn't sure I would be at first. Something about that whole having a physical book in your hand thing. But after several months I've found that I just read more often when I have the convenience of taking one device with me in my bag everywhere I go.
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Showing 1 of 2 pages (39 Comments)While I have some gripes about my current device, I really hope the new and improved version isn't the one in the photos BGR released. I guess they're making the bezel larger to help you hold it from the sides, but then even though they minimized the buttons they still put them right where I want my hand to be! For me, my palm should touch the left bezel right where the new buttons are so the weight is balanced, and then my thumb can reach up above that to hit the page button. Even though my first generation buttons are even more cumbersome, there's no way I'd pay money to upgrade to the new unit just to face the same problem.
Hope they release it, though. Then maybe I can find a first gen cheap on eBay to replace mine since my cat knocked it onto the floor and cracked the casing...