Hacker News Reader

Comment by talison | Hacker News Reader

Looks great but does anyone else think the price is a bit expensive? Not that this is a great comparison, but I can buy a netbook for $299 or less these days.

Why such a up-front hardware cost when Amazon will get recurring revenue from Kindle books? Are they taking a loss on the book sales to boost downloads?

View on HN

I'm so tired of the netbook/iPhone comparison. It's apples and oranges. An ebook reader is a dedicated reading device. A netbook is a multi-function computer that could also be used for reading, but it lacks the ergonomics of an ebook reader and a screen specifically designed to eliminate the eye strain associated with computer screens.

Ebook readers and netbooks serve completely different purposes. You wouldn't want to buy a netbook for the specific purpose of reading ebooks any more than you'd want to buy a pair of rollerskates for transportation. Sure, they'd get the job done, but not nearly as well as a bicycle or car in most situations.

Once you see the e-ink screen in person, the $500 price tag just doesn't matter. It's jaw-dropping. It is considerably better than you might imagine.

(I speak from experience with the Sony PRS-505, but it is my understanding that the kindle e-ink is almost identical.)

How fast are page turns for the big Kindle? (Checked amazon.com but didn't find that information.)

I haven't seen the big Kindle, but I own the Kindle 2. Page turns are faster on a Kindle than they are with a paper book, although it's not as convenient for flipping ahead a few pages when you're quickly scanning for specific information. You notice page turns no more than you would with a paper book when reading novels, but it could be irritating for reference materials or text books.

I thought they all had a search feature to make looking for specific info faster. Is that not the case?

Yes, but it's a pain to use - the keyboard isn't all that good for typing, and the on-screen response time of any interaction is pretty slow (maybe 0.5s)... still, great device for front-to-back reading.

Yes.IIRC even the Kindle 1 had search.

Good question.

This is what has stopped me from even considering an ebook so far.

The e-ink screen is the major cost component.

Not that this is a great comparison, but I can buy a netbook for $299 or less these days.

It's expensive, but it may still be a good value. For example, an iPod costs more than a netbook too.

Um, don't Kindles come with lifetime of wireless access? Factor that in and they're reasonably priced.

The wireless access is only free when buying books I believe, not for general browsing.

(Someone correct me if I'm wrong)

The web browser on the Kindle is limited, but works fine for basic sites (Wikipedia, Google, Twitter, and many other mobile-optimized sites) and absolutely piggy-backs on the onboard (free) cell modem.

News.YC doesn't look terribly on it, either. ;)

Because I believe Amazon is losing money on each ebook sold. They want people to move to their platform so badly that they're willing to accept a loss on each ebook and make it up with the hardware costs.

That makes no sense - the more books they sell, the more money they lose. No business should sell below their marginal cost for any length of time unless they're really desperate for market share. What's more common is selling the hardware at a loss, and reaping the profits on the e-books.

That sounds off. Any sources?

Reply on news.ycombinator.com