Amazon Kindle: Hands-on first impressions
The slow drip of rumors and leaks about the Amazon Kindle e-book reader exploded into a full-blown flood over the weekend, once it was revealed as this week's Newsweek cover story. Amazon founder and CEO Jeff Bezos filled in all of the remaining blanks (or most of them, anyway) at this morning's New York press conference that officially introduced the product to the world. Some relevant details, finally confirmed:Measurements: The Kindle weighs 10.3 ounces and is about the size of a trade paperback book. It's both taller and thicker than the Sony Reader.Connectivity: The Kindle connects to the Web via the "Amazon Whispernet," a free high-speed cellular wireless network (Sprint EVDO). Books and other content are available for direct download, without the need for connecting to a PC (though a USB port does provide PC connectivity for transferring files). The Kindle's internal memory can store up to 200 books, and it's expandable via an SD slot (which can also be used to load additional media).Books: Once you're online via EVDO, electronic books are available directly from Amazon for up to $10--just click on the title you want, and it's downloaded (and you're charged) in about a minute's time. Amazon is currently offering more than 90,000 titles, including 90 percent of the current New York Times bestsellers. The first chapter of most books can be previewed on the Kindle for free. Amazon keeps track of your purchases, so you can delete the file on the Kindle (to make space for more content) and then download it again later for no additional charge. Newspapers and magazines: The Kindle can also be used to subscribe to a variety of periodicals, including The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Time, Le Monde, and Forbes. Newspaper subscriptions are $6 to $15 a month, and magazines are $1.25 to $3.49. Dailies are automatically delivered to the Kindle overnight, and each periodical includes a free two-week trial. (There appears to be no discount for existing subscribers of these periodicals.)Blogs: The Kindle also offers more than 300 blogs, including Slashdot, The Onion, BoingBoing, and Techcrunch--but these are customized Kindle versions that cost at least $1 a month. Moreover, unlike your RSS feeds, you can't add your favorite blog--if it's not on Amazon's list, you can't subscribe to it.Web browsing: The Kindle can also browse the Web at large (it has its own QWERTY keyboard directly below the screen), but--unlike the Kindle-ized premium content listed above--most standard Web pages are something of a disaster. The CNET home page, for instance, was rendered as 18 separate pages. Likewise, don't expect support for any plug-ins such as Flash. Notation and bookmarks: You can bookmark key passages of what you're reading, and (using the keyboard), make, edit, and export notes. The Kindle also saves your place when reading anything, so you can always pick up where you left off. Price and availability: The Kindle reader is now available from Amazon.com for $400. CNET got one of the first review samples, and we've gotten a chance to put it through its paces. What do we think so far? Here's a quick and dirty appraisal, based on just a couple of hours of use:The Good: Excellent high-contrast screen does a great job of simulating a printed page; large library of tens of thousands of e-books, newspapers, magazines, and blogs via Amazon's familiar online store; built-in "Whispernet" data network--no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; SD card expansion slot; long battery life.The Bad: Design is ergonomic, but not very elegant; pricing for nearly all the content seems too high, especially considering the periodicals and blogs are available for free online; black-and-white screen is fine for books, but less impressive for periodicals and Web content; lacks a true Web browser; included cover is clumsy and poorly designed; yet another dedicated device you'll need to lug around with you.The Bottom Line: With its built-in wireless capabilities and PC-free operation, Amazon's Kindle is a promising evolution of the electronic book (and newspaper, and magazine)--but overpriced content could be its Achilles' heel.In other words, the Kindle is a very promising gadget that offers the potential to revolutionize how we read books and periodicals--but I just don't see myself buying one (and I read about two books a month). But again, that's a very preliminary evaluation. The full review is coming soon. In the meantime, let us know if you have any questions about the Kindle's capabilities. And, of course, your opinions: is the Kindle the next must-have gadget, or is there a dealbreaker or two that keeps it from missing the mark? And how many of you are just holding out for the iTunes Bookstore on your iPhone or iPod Touch? Or would prefer to spend your $400 on an Asus EEE PC instead?Correction: This article initially misstated the Kindle's built-in connectivity options. It connects to the Web via a high-speed wireless network called Amazon Whispernet.
Insiders skeptical of Sony's 'mistake' on Houston music prices
Insiders skeptical of Sony's 'mistake' on Houston music prices
Sony Music Entertainment says the price hike in the United Kingdom on Whitney Houston albums following the singer's death was a "mistake," but some industry insiders are skeptical. On Sunday, a day after Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel, prices for two of her albums: "The Ultimate Collection" and "Greatest Hits" jumped in price in the U.K. iTunes store. In dollars, the prices rose from $7.80 to $12.50. Right away, Sony and Apple came under fire from consumers who believed one or both of the companies were trying to cash in on the singer's death. But not until yesterday did one of the companies respond to the furor. Sony issued a statement yesterday: "Whitney Houston product was mistakenly mispriced on the UK iTunes store on Sunday.When discovered, the mistake was immediately corrected.We apologize for any offense caused."Billboard talked to someone from inside Sony on background who explained the price increase lasted for just a few hours and was due to "employee error." Related storiesSony's rootkit fiasco Bye-bye, physical media? Sony closes CD plantSony's music comeback story needs third act This sounds like the mistake was made by some low-level clerk who keyed in the wrong number. Music industry insiders told me that such a scenario was unlikely. Indeed, that's not what happened. According to sources close to the situation, "the mistake" was made by a Sony Music middle manager who had the authority to change prices. So was it just a math error or a typo? Or did the manager make a decision that led to a controversy and that's what Sony considers a mistake. We'll probably never know. Be that as it may, Sony deserves credit for backing down from the increase. At this point the price hike only appears to have affected one retailer in one area of the world. We should also note that Sony Music did not boost prices on Michael Jackson albums following his death in 2009. As for Sony's slow response and why the company waited two days to respond, some Sony executives were in Los Angeles on Sunday where they attended the Grammy Awards and that may have contributed.That said, if the price increase was a goof, and Sony is sincere about making things right, then why not show good faith and issue refunds to the people who paid the higher price for the Houston albums? My sources say that Sony has yet to do that. If it were truly an isolated mistake, Sony should rectify it by making those people whole. Sony and Apple representatives declined CNET's request to comment. Update at 9:35 a.m. PT: The response of industry insiders has been clarified. They do not believe it likely that a low-level clerk keyed in a wrong number.
Sony Music Entertainment says the price hike in the United Kingdom on Whitney Houston albums following the singer's death was a "mistake," but some industry insiders are skeptical. On Sunday, a day after Houston was found dead in a Beverly Hills hotel, prices for two of her albums: "The Ultimate Collection" and "Greatest Hits" jumped in price in the U.K. iTunes store. In dollars, the prices rose from $7.80 to $12.50. Right away, Sony and Apple came under fire from consumers who believed one or both of the companies were trying to cash in on the singer's death. But not until yesterday did one of the companies respond to the furor. Sony issued a statement yesterday: "Whitney Houston product was mistakenly mispriced on the UK iTunes store on Sunday.When discovered, the mistake was immediately corrected.We apologize for any offense caused."Billboard talked to someone from inside Sony on background who explained the price increase lasted for just a few hours and was due to "employee error." Related storiesSony's rootkit fiasco Bye-bye, physical media? Sony closes CD plantSony's music comeback story needs third act This sounds like the mistake was made by some low-level clerk who keyed in the wrong number. Music industry insiders told me that such a scenario was unlikely. Indeed, that's not what happened. According to sources close to the situation, "the mistake" was made by a Sony Music middle manager who had the authority to change prices. So was it just a math error or a typo? Or did the manager make a decision that led to a controversy and that's what Sony considers a mistake. We'll probably never know. Be that as it may, Sony deserves credit for backing down from the increase. At this point the price hike only appears to have affected one retailer in one area of the world. We should also note that Sony Music did not boost prices on Michael Jackson albums following his death in 2009. As for Sony's slow response and why the company waited two days to respond, some Sony executives were in Los Angeles on Sunday where they attended the Grammy Awards and that may have contributed.That said, if the price increase was a goof, and Sony is sincere about making things right, then why not show good faith and issue refunds to the people who paid the higher price for the Houston albums? My sources say that Sony has yet to do that. If it were truly an isolated mistake, Sony should rectify it by making those people whole. Sony and Apple representatives declined CNET's request to comment. Update at 9:35 a.m. PT: The response of industry insiders has been clarified. They do not believe it likely that a low-level clerk keyed in a wrong number.
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