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Kindle Prices – You have got to be frakin’ kidding me

So, I get my sister’s Christmas wish list. Front and center is the Amazon Kindle. I remember when it came out, but never really looked at it. There is just something about a physical book – I need it to comfortably sit and read at length. The funny thing is, I am the techno-geek and my sister (although very technically savvy) isn’t as much. She is also a voracious reader – consuming a book in a day given enough time. But she wants the Kindle.

I figure – it’s like $200, right? Nope. The list price is $359. Ouch. Add to that – it is out of stock until 2009 with no idea on when it will be back in stock. So, I check ebay. Heck, yeah – ebay has the Kindle – 100’s of them – but look at the prices. All of them (at the time I was searching) were over $400 – some used – some refurbished – some actually new.

Sorry sis! No Kindle for you – come back next year! And the Kindle 2.0 is rumored to be in the wings anyways, so I see no reason to pay the premium for a device that might be overshadowed in 2-3 months…



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This entry was posted on Saturday, December 6th, 2008 at 5:55 pm and is filed under Technology. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.

  • The rumors of a 2.x version are so far, just that, rumors. Denied by Amazon (the only official comment: "2009 AT THE EARLIEST". The one site circulating pictures may may have an old prototype (the first mockups had no SD card, as this "leaked" model, plus several features of the current Kindle are missing, not to mention the horrible new, bigger size and flimsy sleeve that doesn't protect the screen). I would not be surprised if it is really a sony reader upgrade that is planned (it would add wireless to their model and is similar in design).

    You can, however, still get a refurbished Kindle by Christmas, direct from Amazon. I got one yesterday (an add-on to my current one, for a family member):

    http://www.tinyurl.com/RefurbKindle

    Dozens have been sold and shipped this week, but go in an out of stock. They won't last, so order one while you can. If you they are out of stock when you check, be sure to read my post about playing Kindle Lotto:

    http://beesontheknob.blogspot.com/2008/12/kindl...

    You too can have a bright shiny Kindle under the tree this year, and without having to pay the exorbitant prices on eBay.
  • Administrator
    @Karen - thanks for the info on the Kindle 2.0. I still think that the Kindle is over priced. The market is saying that I am wrong, so I will defer to the market. I am still wait and see on these book devices.
  • Okay, now the kindle 2 is out and the price is the same at $359. It is on the high side to be sure. However, if you read a lot (I do) then the money that you can save due to the fact that there is no printed product at the end of it, will eventually compensate. The typical kindle book costs just under $10. If you compare that to a printed book you could be saving up to $15 on a hardback - 24 books later you'll be back in the black.
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