Archive for the ‘Kindle 3 – Kindle Keyboard’ Category
Amazon lowers prices of refurbished Kindle 3 no comments
Amazon recently lowered the prices of its refurbished Kindle 3 ereaders to $99.99 for the Wi-Fi only model and $129.99 for the 3G version. There is lots of speculation on the net today that this means Kindle 4 is on the way.
Actually, the lower pricing on the refurbished ereaders has been in place for awhile. I don’t remember exactly when the prices dropped; I think it has been a couple of weeks now. The thing is, it just does not really seem compelling (or newsworthy) to spend $100 or $130 for a refurbished Kindle 3 when you can buy a brand new Kindle with Special Offers for $114 or $139.
I do suspect we will have a Kindle 4 announcement soon; it is about time and Amazon is under a lot of pressure from B&N to release a new model. The lower prices of the refurbished Kindles may well have something to do with this. But I suspect that the price pressure being applied by the Kindle with Special Offers has just as much or more to do with the price drop.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle 3G with Special Offers reduced to $139 no comments
AT&T has begun sponsoring the Kindle 3G with Special Offers, which has enabled Amazon to lower the price by $25 to $139. This is the same ereader as the $189 Kindle 3G but the price is lower thanks to its being partially sponsored by advertising.
The advertising is not really intrusive: Small ads at the bottom of the homescreen and ads as screensavers. There are no ads in the ebooks themselves. This would be my first choice for an ereader with 3G.
Possibly Related Posts:
Amazon releases Kindle 3G with Special Offers no comments
Amazon just announced that it is releasing the Kindle 3G with Special Offers. This is similar to the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers that Amazon introduced last month. The price is partially subsidized by advertisements as wallpaper and small ads on the bottom of the homescreen. In the six weeks since Amazon launched the Kindle Wi-Fi with Special Offers it has become the bestselling Kindle ereader.
Besides advertising, these new versions of the Kindle ereaders also feature special offers, coupons and discounts.
Some of the upcoming special offers announced in Amazon’s press release:
- $10 for a $20 Amazon.com Gift Card – customers loved this offer, so we’re making it available again in time for Father’s Day
- Save up to $500 off Amazon’s already low prices on HDTVs with a unique 20% discount on 200 HDTVs from brands including Sony, Panasonic, LG, and VIZIO
- $1 for a Kindle book, choose from thousands of books including Water for Elephants and the Hunger Games trilogy
- Spend $10 on Kindle books and get a free $10 Amazon.com Gift Card
The new member of the Kindle family is priced at $164 and is available now. Like the Wi-Fi version, the Kindle 3G with Special Offers is $25 less than the version without the ads.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle Mother’s Day promotion no comments
To promote Mother’s Day Amazon has started offering a $25 Amazon.com gift card with the purchase of either the Kindle 3G or Kindle DX ereaders. The promotion will end on May 8, 2011.
To take advantage of this offer you need to put the gift card in your shopping cart by checking the “Add a $25 Amazon.com Gift Card at no extra cost” button located under the buy buttons.
Possibly Related Posts:
Verso Kindle 3 covers 1 comment
Some of the new ereader covers LightWedge had displayed at CES have now been released under the Verso label. The cool lighted cover prototype LightWedge was demonstrating has not yet been released, but hopefully it is on the way — at CES I was told that it might be available around the end of the second quarter.
The new line of Verso covers are primarily marketed for the Kindle 3, but feature a one-size-fits-all design that will also fit other ereaders including the Nook, Kobo, Galaxy Tab and the Sony Daily Reader.
When I examined the demos of these covers at CES, 
I was impressed by the workmanship and quality of the materials used. The Artist Series feel really nice in your hands — like holding an old leather-bound volume.
Verso New York Times Kindle 3 Covers
This is a series of three Kindle 3 covers that feature images from The New York Times photo archives. The interior is lined with a suede-like material and includes a pocket to hold papers. Elastic bands at the corners hold your ereader in place.
The three photos to choose from are the Flatiron Building, View from River House and the Statue of Liberty. Each is priced at $49.99.
Verso Artist Series Kindle 3 Covers
This is a set of leather covers embossed with designs from different artists. So far Verso has three designs, each available in two different colors. 
This is expected to be an ongoing series with new designs to be released in the future.
The covers in the Artist Series are also lined with a suede-like material and use elastic corner straps to secure the ereader. An inner pocket is provided to hold papers.
The three designs currently available are:
- Urban Calligraphy by Sisters Gulassa; available in brown with tan interior or pink/grey.
- Cities by Sharyn Sowell; available in brown/tan or red/grey.
- Typewriter by Molly Rausch; available in sage/tan or pink/tan.
The Artist Series Kindle 3 covers are priced at $39.99 each. The photo below shows the three designs in order of mention.
Possibly Related Posts:
Kindle ereaders will soon be able to borrow library ebooks no comments
Well, this is something I didn’t expect to be writing about any time soon. Amazon has announced that it is indeed working with OverDrive to bring library ebook checkouts to the Kindle ereaders.
The new feature will launch later this year and will work on all models of Kindle ereaders as well as the free Kindle apps. Note taking and highlighting will be supported, and if you borrow the ebook again or buy the Kindle book all of your annotations and bookmarks will be preserved.
Being able to borrow ebooks from public libraries on the Kindle (provided the library is one of the 11,000 plus in the US that are powered by OverDrive) will remove one common complaint about the Kindle and a reason some consumers might have for buying an ereader other than Amazon’s. The Kindle Store seems to get the most free promotional ebooks, and now Kindlers will also have access to public library ebook holdings. At the moment this feature may not seem really important, especially if your local public library does not have many ebooks yet. But in the future the ability to borrow library ebooks will become increasingly valuable as libraries grow their digital collections.
Reading library ebooks may not be a perfect fit for you if your are into the instant gratification of your need to read. There is usually a waiting list, and sometimes it can be quite a long one for popular titles. You have limited time to read the borrowed book and usually can not renew it — if you don’t finish a book in the allotted time you will have to get back in line to check it out again. The maximum checkout period at my library is 21 days. While this is normally plenty of time, it may mean putting down your current read unfinished to accept your requested title when it does become available.
There also appears to be some sort of “When it Rains it Pours” clause written into the fine print on the back of my library card that seems to dictate that all titles on my waiting list shall become available at the same time regardless of whether requested six days or six months prior.
One nice thing about digital books as opposed to the paper books you might borrow from the library — ebooks don’t get stinky, dirty and full of questionable stains. That’s right, you can toss the reading gloves.
Update: OverDrive notes that once the Kindle Library Lending program goes into effect a public library’s existing collection of ebooks will all be Kindle compatible. Libraries will not need to purchase new Kindle versions of their existing ebooks.
Possibly Related Posts:
Amazon announces lower-priced Kindle ereader subsidized by ads no comments
Amazon has just announced a new lower priced Kindle ereader option. 
You can now get the Kindle with Special Offers for $114. This is the Kindle 3 Wi-Fi that is regularly priced at $139, but with sponsored screensavers as well as advertising and special offers at the bottom of the home screen.
The first set of sponsored screensavers are from Buick, Olay (Proctor & Gamble), Visa and the Amazon.com Reward Visa Card (from Chase). Some of the initial Special Offers include:
- $10 for $20 Amazon.com Gift Card
- $6 for 6 Audible Books (normally $68)
- $1 for an album in the Amazon MP3 Store (choose from over 1 million albums)
- $10 for $30 of products in the Amazon Denim Shop or Amazon Swim Shop
- Free $100 Amazon.com Gift Card when you get an Amazon Rewards Visa Card (normally $30)
- Buy one of 30 Kindle bestsellers with your Visa card and get $10 Amazon.com credit
- 50% off Roku Streaming Player (normally $99)
Amazon will be launching “AdMash” — a free Kindle app and website where customers can vote for sponsored screensavers. Screensavers with the most votes qualify to appear on user’s Kindles. You can see previews of some of the ads here.
At first glance I’m not sure if saving $25 is worth having ads on my ereader, but as long as the ads don’t invade the actual ebooks themselves it seems innocuous enough. It’s not like I’ve never seen an ad in something I’ve been reading before, and some of the Special Offers do look good. I wonder if Amazon will offer existing Kindle owners some sort of credit or other incentive to take the advertising.
Possibly Related Posts:
New OCTOVO leather Kindle 3 covers & wool sleeve no comments
OCTOVO has a couple of new leather covers and a wool sleeve for the latest generation Kindle 3 ereaders. OCTOVO ereader covers feature high quality materials and workmanship.
Black Leather Bookcover for Kindle 3
This cover is made of Italian leather panels hand stitched in a diamond check pattern. The lining is microfiber and has a flap to hold papers. Elastic straps are used to hold the Kindle in place and another strap is used to hold the cover closed.
Available for $74.99 at Amazon.
* * *
Vintage Leather Book Cover for Kindle 3
This cover is made of 100 percent natural vegetable tanned leather in a
vintage leather finish. As with the Black Leather Cover, elastic bands are used to hold the ereader in place and to hold the cover closed. The interior is lined with microfiber and has a single flap. Each Vintage Leather Cover will age a little differently due to the finish. Available at Amazon for $74.99.
I have the OCTOVO Vintage Leather Cover for my Kindle DX (see my review) and am very happy with it. Craftsmanship and the materials used are very good — even the microfiber lining is much better quality than I’ve seen on other covers.
* * *
OCTOVO Wool Felt Sleeve for Kindle 3
OCTOVO also has a new Wool Felt Sleeve to fit the Kindle 3 ereader. 
The sleeve holds the Kindle snugly and protects from splashes and light shocks. Made from 100 percent natural wool and available in six different colors. Priced at $24.99 at Amazon.
Additionally, OCTOVO makes the Tirim Splash-Proof Case, but this one has been out for awhile. The Tirim is made of felt with a clear plastic window and protects from splashes and small shocks. Priced at $24.99 at Amazon.
Possibly Related Posts:
Amazon Kindle Facebook giveaway no comments
Amazon is giving away 10 Kindle 3G ereaders at its Kindle Facebook page. The sweepstakes will end on Mar. 31, 2011. To enter you need to become a fan — by clicking the “Like” button on the Kindle Facebook page, which will take you to the sweepstakes entry page.
Possibly Related Posts:
A few more Kindle 3 covers and cases no comments
Since my last post on Kindle 3 covers and cases there 
have been a few new covers that have trickled in. I suspect that making ereader covers (or covers for any device that has a new model released periodically) can be a treacherous business. Imagine if your company had a warehouse full of Kindle 2 covers when the Kindle 3 was announced. Your inventory would probably suddenly have halved in value – and even at half price you would have a very difficult time selling it all.
Acase Kindle 3 covers
Acase makes several types of leather covers for the Kindle 3 and iPad.
The Acase Kindle 3 covers hold the ereader in place with corner straps or a leather frame depending on the model. Several colors are available.
Kindle 3 covers from Acase get good reviews and range in price from around $17 to under $30 for a model with a built-in LED light.
TrendyDigital Kindle 3 Covers
TrendyDigital makes several Kindle 3 covers.
Besides the plain brown and black varieties of the Folio Case, there is a version available that comes with a world map on the cover for $25.00. TrendyDigital’s Spring Collection features the same cover with colorful canvas exteriors featuring designs with butterflies, flowers and more. These are priced at $29.99.
Trendy Digital also makes the MaxGuard Plus case which utilizes a leather pocket to hold the ereader in place. This should help with shock protection in the case of a dropped Kindle. Magnetic fasteners are used to close the cover. This faux leather Kindle 3 cover also is available in versions to hold the ereader in either the left or right sides. Priced at $31.99.
The photos below show the Folio Case on the left, MaxGuard Plus in the center and one of the Spring Collection covers on the right.
Piel Frama Kindle 3 Leather Case
Piel Frama is a manufacturer of luxury leather cases for gadgets and is based in Spain. Piel Frama covers and cases are made by hand from the highest quality materials and with very strict quality control. 
Of course all of this does not come cheap – the Piel Frama Kindle 3 Premium Leather Case is priced at $89.00.
Piel Frama uses a leather frame to hold the ereader in place. For added protection a plastic stiffener is sewn inside the cover. There is a single compartment to hold papers and documents. Several colors are available, including red, blue, pink and green. There are also Piel Frama covers
A few more Low-Priced Leather Kindle 3 Covers
The SimpleCase for Kindle 3 is made of genuine leather. A double zipper is used for the closure and elastic corner straps are used to secure the ereader in place. Pockets for cards and documents are built in. Priced at $26.99.
The Bundle Monster Kindle 3 cover is also made of real leather. This cover uses elastic bands at the corners to hold the ereader and a magnetic clasp on a strap for closure. Document compartments are included. This cover is $21.99 and comes in six different color choices.
The Kindle 3 Leather Executive Folio Cover from Kiwi Cases is also made of real leather and is reasonably priced at $24.95. Features include elastic corner bands to hold the ereader in place; magnetic snap closure; slots for business cards, papers and ID. Available in either tan or black. This cover is also made for the Nook Color ereader.
The photos below show the above covers in order of mention — left to right.
