Thursday, July 29, 2010

Amazon's Third Generation Kindle



This letter, from Jeff Bezos, Founder and CEO, appeared on the Amazon front page last night.

The bottom line? Get a new third generation Kindle, Wifi only, for $139.00. Or opt for 3G at the price of $189.00, still lower than what the Kindle had originally been selling for earlier this year.

So. . . wow! I'm all in.

Dear Customers,

I believe in the transformative power of reading—the ability of an author to transport you to new worlds, introduce you to new people, and even alter your perspective. Reading is important. Reading is why we build Kindles. Reading is why millions of people use Kindles.

Today, we’re excited to introduce a new, third generation of Kindle. We kept everything readers love about Kindle and made it even better.

Here are some of the highlights:

Books in 60 Seconds: Think of a book and start reading it in 60 seconds. Kindle uses the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones. But unlike cell phones, there are no monthly bills and no annual contracts

All-New, High-Contrast E-Ink Screen: 50% better contrast than any other e-reader

Read Even in Bright Sunlight: No glare

New Sleek Design: 21% smaller body with same 6” size reading area

15% Lighter: Only 8.7 ounces, read comfortably for hours with just one hand

Battery Life of One Month: A single charge lasts up to one month

Double the Storage: Carry up to 3,500 books wherever you go

Buy Once, Read Everywhere: Read your Kindle books on all your devices

Worry-Free Archive: Delete with abandon. We automatically keep an
archival copy of your Kindle books—re-download for free, anytime

Global 3G Wireless: At home or abroad, wireless works in over 100
countries

Built-In Wi-Fi: In addition to the 3G wireless, you can connect to Wi-Fi
hotspots

This latest generation Kindle is $189—you can pre-order now, and it will ship on August 27.

That’s half the news. We’re also excited to introduce a new Kindle family member—Kindle with Wi-Fi only. Kindle Wi-Fi is only $139. Kindle Wi-Fi is identical to our new $189 Kindle, except it doesn’t have our go-anywhere 3G wireless. If you’re going to use your Kindle primarily in locations where you have access to a Wi-Fi hotspot–like at home–then Kindle Wi-Fi is a good choice. At $139, we expect many people will buy multiple Kindles for the home and family.

You can pre-order the $139 Kindle Wi-Fi now, and it will ship on August 27.

Both new generation Kindles have access to the same Kindle Store with the largest selection of books people want to read—over 630,000 titles including 109 of 112 New York Times Best Sellers, plus top newspapers and magazines. Over 510,000 of these books are $9.99 or less, including 80 of the New York Times Best Sellers. Our vision is to have every book, ever written, in any language, all available in under 60 seconds.

Readers have made Kindle the #1 bestselling, most-gifted, most-wished-for product on Amazon for two years running. Kindle also has the most five-star reviews of any product on Amazon. We’re excited and energized by this
reception. We hope you enjoy our most advanced Kindles yet.

Thank you for being a customer.

Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO

 Kindle Wi-Fi for $139 Kindle Free 3G + Wi-Fi for $189  Kindle Wi-Fi for $139  Kindle Wi-Fi for $139 Kindle Free 3G + Wi-Fi for $189  Kindle Wi-Fi for $139 Amazon Kindle Free 3G + Wi-Fi for $189 and Amazon Kindle Wi-Fi for $139
I have to physically strap myself to the chair to keep from plunging in and buying it now. 

Then again, what the hell. . . 


No comments: