Many of us are used to the amazing product launches at Apple computer. We wait for months for the latest i-thing to come out and stand in line for hours to purchase one.
A few weeks ago, Jeff Bezos, the CEO of Amazon.com took the stage in a similar fashion and revealed a new line of Kindle e-readers. While not quite Steve Jobs, Jeff did a great job showing off the next generation of electronic devices from Amazon, the largest retailer of books in the world.
The question is… do you need one?
Will you buy one?
Will you give one as a gift?
I took a look at the line up and was impressed. While the units are very functional, the price points are almost unbelievable. Here is a short list of the new units and their price points.
1. Kindle
- $79 with ads, $99 without
- Weight: 6 ounces
- Screen Size: 6 inches
- Display: Advanced E-Ink
- Network: WiFi
- Controls: Basic 4-way controller.
2. Kindle Touch
- $99 WiFi w/ads, $139 WiFi no ads, $149 3G w/ads, $189 3G no ads
- Weight: 6 ounces
- Screen Size: 6 inches
- Display: Advanced E-Ink
- Network: WiFi and 3G available
- Controls: Touch Screen
- $99 WiFi w/ads, $139 3G w/ads
- Weight: 8.7 ounces
- Screen Size: 6 inches
- Display: Advanced E-Ink
- Network: WiFi and 3G available
- Controls: Keyboard
4. Kindle Fire
- $199 WiFi
- Weight: 14.6 ounces
- Screen Size: 7 inches
- Display: 1024 x 600 color
- Network: WiFi
- Controls: Touch Screen
These are the basic specs. We’ll take a look at each one in the coming days. While the Kindle Fire stole the show, the real story here might be a basic Kindle reader for $79. At 6 ounces it weighs less than a standard paperback and with e-ink it can be read outdoors or indoors. Holding hundreds of books, this may just be the gift for Christmas 2011.
Question: What Kindle Model Do You Like?
