With the recent launch of a new entry-level kindle as well as the announcements of two new kindle versions (the new kindle touch and touch 3g) and the “Kindle Fire” tablet, Amazon has generated a palpable tension in the E-reader and 7” tablet markets. While most people focused on the “Fire” tablet, the standout point of Amazon’s media announcement was it’s inclusion of a simple, $79.00 entry. Sure, the tablet is exciting, but I believe the incredibly low price point on the newest kindle will be the real game changer, because it may prompt the physical book stalwarts to try out E-readers for the first time, and/or current E-reader customers may decide that the new device is cheap enough to get their children into the habit. Furthermore, $79.00 puts this device in the low to mid-range gift category in time for this year’s winter holiday season.
So how does the new kindle stack up? Well, let’s start with the specifications of the device:
Display: 6” diagonal, 600×800 pixel resolution (167 ppi), 16-level greyscale
Size: 6.5″ x 4.5″ x 0.34″ (166 mm x 114 mm x 8.7 mm)
Weight: 5.98 ounces (170)
Storage: 2GB internal storage, 1.25GB available for content, unlimited cloud storage for Amazon’s content
Battery Life: 1 month at .5 hours of reading a day, with wireless off. 3 weeks at the same reading pace with wireless on
Charge Time: 3 hours for a full charge
Wi-Fi Connectivity: Public/private Wi-Fi networks that us 802.11b, g, or n. Does not support ad-hoc Wi’Fi networks
Ports: (1) USB 2.0 (micro-B)
Supported Formats: AZW, PDF, TXT, non-protected MOBI, PRC, HTML, DOC, DOCX, JPEG, GIF, PNG, BMP (through conversion)
First things first, notice a lack of ports for audio. This is because the $79 kindle does not support any form of audio playback, there are no speakers or headphone jack ports. If you are a fan of audio-books or listening to music on your device, this isn’t the kindle option for you. You may also notice a lack of 3G, a relatively small internal storage, and the continuing lack of support for the EPUB format. While these things are disappointing, they are by no means a deal breaker if you download your books from the computer, don’t need to carry your entire library around at once, and buy most of your books from amazon. The biggest problem with the new kindle for me was the lack of support for the EPUB format, as a certain section of my library are in this format. There is a solution for people in my position though, a free program called “Calibre” will allow you to convert your EPUB’s to a kindle supported MOBI format, and it is very easy to do so (Keep in mind that post conversion, you will be able to modify font size and other options, but paragraph formatting may not be retained perfectly). There is also no physical keyboard, instead a virtual keyboard pops up at the press of a button. Finally, be sure to purchase a USB to wall adapter if you need one, this kindle only comes with the USB cord for charging from a computer (if you already have an adapter the kindle works with almost all of them, including the one I have left over from my Nook).
So, there are a few shortcomings right out the gate, but the price point more than makes up for them, especially if the user doesn’t require their presence. This device is made with a certain market in mind, that being the budget minded uni-tasker who only wants to read their books and don’t require any additional frills. For this market, the new kindle can’t be beat. The ads aren’t annoying, are minimally invasive, and in fact advertise some good deals. The advertisements never show up on my device since I never have my Wi-Fi connected, so if that is your scenario too, you can cross the advertisements off as a detractor.
In conclusion, the excellent and crisp screen coupled with the incredibly fast page refresh time (the screen only fully refreshes every 6 pages, instead of every page as many e-reader models do), and unbelievably light weight help make the new kindle device all but disappear in your hand. If you are looking for a no frills device to read your documents, a gift for someone with the same requirements, or as a low cost way to introduce younger family members to E-reader devices, the new kindle is the best option on the market today, hands down.