Only days after its massive launch campaign, Amazon’s e-book reader, the Kindle, has sold out. The book retailer says on its website the next batch will hit the shops next month.
The mega run on the Kindle happened despite mixed reviews of the –relatively simplistic- device. It is not immediately clear just how big the success has been, because Amazon didn’t publish any sales numbers.
The device, which costs USD399, weighs around 300 grams and which stores 200 books a piece has been compared with Sony’s release last year of its Sony Reader. A favorite feature is that the Kindle is wireless. That makes the reader especially flexible for people that are out of the house, traveling or at work.
Another much hyped feature is that it’s relatively unobtrusive, which makes the reading experience no less taxing on the eyes as does normal paper.
The Kindle looks boring though, and that is not what gadget addicts are used to. The reviews highlight this because they focus on the technical aspects of the toy, which Amazon itself states has no ambition to be impressive.
Over 500 potential buyers rated the Kindle at 2.5 stars only on Amazon’s product page. Top score is five. The device is reviewed more positively on blogs, but the reception wasn’t positive through the board; Techcrunch provides a really damning comment, saying that the Kindle’s built-in web browser doesn’t really work all that well. The device wasn’t necessarily made to go web surfing but it’s nevertheless a down side, especially given the fact that Amazon charges you through the nose for magazine content that’s free on the ‘normal’ internet.
Boingboing believes the Kindle is pricey.