Chinese Firm Exhibits Kindle Look-alike
techon.nikkeibp.co.jp
techon.nikkeibp.co.jp
If you've used a Kindle before to get content, it's readily apparent that the killer app is the large library of content you can one-click buy online and instantly appear on your device over its always-on wireless cell connection. Virtually all Kindle books have roughly the first chapter free for download, so you can easily sample everything available pretty much anywhere your Kindle can get a cell connection (you can buy books from the Kindle, no need to use a PC). You can also use the (free) internet access from your Kindle to read webmail, browse, etc.
Given the lack of proper connectivity and presumably no support for Amazon's DRMed books on this clone, it's not really a competitor, per se. At best, it's an e-ink reader, which has an overlapping target market, but lacks pretty much everything that makes Kindle so compelling. And $200 for a 'dumb' reader seems pretty damn steep.
Not at all; I have a Kindle, and I have entirely eschewed the DRM store. You can download unencombered content from third-parties (like feedbooks.com) just as easily as from Amazon itself; in fact the unencumbered content is arguably more convenient since it can be backed up to your PC and read elsewhere. For public-domain (classics) or friendly-licensed books it's awesome.
Plus this would work in any country (just pop in a SIM card) rather than being limited to North America due to the Kindle's unfortunate use of CDMA. If my Kindle had been this much cheaper and worked like this instead of tying in with Amazon's store, I'd be thrilled.
Except for the fact that they completely stole the design, of course.