# Amazon's $79 Kindle - bargain? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [September 28, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884 "2011-09-28T14:47:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/1 "2011-09-28T14:47:44Z")
I’ve been working my way towards buying a Kindle (they are currently £111 or $174 in the UK), but I see that Amazon have today announced a 6oz non-touch-screen Kindle for $79, which is only £50. They have a few other offerings, including a Kindle Touch at $99 and a Kindle Touch 3g for $149, but the basic Kindle for that money means I will definately snap one up. I don’t really need 3g or touch screens or full-colour displays, just something to read on, and £50 makes it almost a spare change purchase. I don’t think this is an “death of the iPad moment”, as the Kindle Fire looks a bit underwhelming compared to the iPad, but it will get a whole bunch of other users onto Amazon’s cloud platform and that could be a real challenge to iTunes etc. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 2:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/2 "2011-09-28T14:56:21Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > I don’t think this is an “death of the iPad moment”, as the Kindle Fire looks a bit underwhelming compared to the iPad… It’s $199. It will do very well, and will be the iPad’s most serious contender up until now. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 2:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/3 "2011-09-28T14:59:03Z")
It’d definitely be worth it if you want it mainly as an e-reader. Does it include the internet? Amazon simply refuses to let me view their US site today. Bear in mind that, if you order it from Amazon,com to be sent to the UK, you’ll have to pay large customs charges on it; if you’re going on holiday to the US you can buy it there, but it’s really not worth having it sent over. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/4 "2011-09-28T15:01:16Z")
BTW, I didn’t even know a touch-screen Kindle existed. The non-touchscreen ones were a lot more than that when I bought one (in the US) all of six weeks ago. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/5 "2011-09-28T15:12:11Z")
I’m a little skeptical. I think that cloud-based devices can be very, very good - _provided_ they have 3G or 4G connections. I basically use my iPhone as a cloud device, for example - I use Netflix, Spotify and Pandora far more often than I access anything I’ve stored on the device itself. And I don’t care whether I’ve loaded my Kindle books on the thing, because I can grab them from the cloud whenever I wish. Same with my old Kindle 3G. But the thing is, these devices have always-on internet access from _anywhere_ - no hunting for wifi hotspots. With only 8 gigs on onboard memory, storing more than a few movies at a time will be challenging. And streaming over wifi will often range from difficult (crowded coffeeshop) to impossible (Amtrak). I’m not saying “Do not want!” But I’ll be reading the reviews with interest. ---
**Author:** ![BlackKnight](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/eb8c5e/32.png) [@BlackKnight](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BlackKnight)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/6 "2011-09-28T15:12:26Z")
People were predicting that Amazon _might_ go as low as $250ish. A 7’’ tablet for $200, just in time for Christmas? I predict that hotcakes sales will drop as people buy Kindle Fires instead. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/7 "2011-09-28T15:13:48Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > BTW, I didn’t even know a touch-screen Kindle existed. The non-touchscreen ones were a lot more than that when I bought one (in the US) all of six weeks ago. The touchscreen Kindles are new - they were annnounced today, alongside the tablet and the $79 Kindle. Note that the $79 Kindle isn’t a touchscreen - those start at $100 (well, $99) - which is probably still more than you paid for a new keyboad-based Kindle. ---
**Author:** ![sachertorte](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sachertorte/32/3727_2.png) [@sachertorte](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sachertorte)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/8 "2011-09-28T15:15:38Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > BTW, I didn’t even know a touch-screen Kindle existed. The non-touchscreen ones were a lot more than that when I bought one (in the US) all of six weeks ago. It’s new today. I kinda really want one. I have an iPad already though so I can’t justify buying one. But I still want. The lack of touch screen was truly a barrier for using a kindle for me. It really isn’t that bad, but being used to touch screens, using the old kindle interface made me look stupid as I kept tapping the screen. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/9 "2011-09-28T15:17:13Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > I’m a little skeptical. I think that cloud-based devices can be very, very good - _provided_ they have 3G or 4G connections I have a WiFi only kindle. If I need to download a book, I can create a WiFi signal with my phone and go from there. ---
**Author:** ![MobiusStripes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d6d6ee/32.png) [@MobiusStripes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MobiusStripes)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/10 "2011-09-28T15:20:40Z")
Looking at the Amazon site, it looks like the $79 only holds if you get the “with ads” version (they call it “special offers”). It’s $109 without ads. That’s my interpretation anyway. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/11 "2011-09-28T15:32:57Z")
I think the true competitor for the iPad will be when Amazon release the 10" version of the Fire. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 3:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/12 "2011-09-28T15:56:28Z")
> [@Mr.Excellent](#): > > The touchscreen Kindles are new - they were annnounced today, alongside the tablet and the $79 Kindle. Note that the $79 Kindle isn’t a touchscreen - those start at $100 (well, $99) - which is probably still more than you paid for a new keyboad-based Kindle. IIRC, mine was $111 for the wireless version and $139 for the 3G. Both came with ads, but that really isn’t a problem - they’re only visible when you’re not actively using the device; they’re a screensaver, basically. The screen’s smaller, which makes it easier to carry around, but I do like the size of my ordinary Kindle. Coming without a keyboard would be a deal-breaker for me though, so I’m still glad I bought the old version. ---
**Author:** ![Wallenstein](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/b5a626/32.png) [@Wallenstein](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wallenstein)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/13 "2011-09-28T16:20:41Z")
Amazon UK have put the price at £89 ($140) which is OK but not as good as $79! My dad travels to the states every month, so I may ask him to pick one up there. Having said that, we don’t seem to have the ad-enabled “special offers” version here in the UK, so the direct comparison would be the $109 version which is about £70 here. It would probably cost me £20 in effort to arrange shipping to a hotel at the right time for collection, but sub-£100 even without a keyboard still looks like a worthwhile deal for me. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/14 "2011-09-28T16:21:37Z")
> [@BlackKnight](#): > > People were predicting that Amazon _might_ go as low as $250ish. A 7’’ tablet for $200, just in time for Christmas? I predict that hotcakes sales will drop as people buy Kindle Fires instead. Yeah, the timing couldn’t be more perfect for Christmas. And that $79 “old version” is practically a stocking stuffer now! Let those prices wars begin! Of course, as other threads have pointed out - books for Kindle have gone up in price, so there is still that to consider. But still - very clever marketing move and I think Amazon is going to be quite happy this holiday season. ---
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/15 "2011-09-28T16:38:14Z")
I am dissapointed that they have not dropped the price on the old Kindle 3 (with the keyboard). I have wanted to upgrade my K2, and have no desire for a touchscreen. ---
**Author:** ![NineToTheSky](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/b5a626/32.png) [@NineToTheSky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/NineToTheSky)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/16 "2011-09-28T16:40:29Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > … > > Of course, as other threads have pointed out - books for Kindle have gone up in price, so there is still that to consider. But still - very clever marketing move and I think Amazon is going to be quite happy this holiday season. Have the prices for ebooks gone up? I hadn’t noticed; or is this just in the US? ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/17 "2011-09-28T16:42:13Z")
> [@MobiusStripes](#): > > Looking at the Amazon site, it looks like the $79 only holds if you get the “with ads” version (they call it “special offers”). It’s $109 without ads. That’s my interpretation anyway. First thing I noticed on the site, too. Wasn’t there a super cheap computer not too long ago that had the same type of deal? You got the computer for peanuts, got a free web account, but you had to look at an ad every time you clicked the mouse (or something like that). The reviews I looked at then were about 98% negative. If this Adware Kindle gets good reviews, tho, I might just have to try it. ---
**Author:** ![SciFiSam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/47e85d/32.png) [@SciFiSam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SciFiSam)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/18 "2011-09-28T16:50:31Z")
> [@Wallenstein](#): > > Amazon UK have put the price at £89 ($140) which is OK but not as good as $79! > > My dad travels to the states every month, so I may ask him to pick one up there. Having said that, we don’t seem to have the ad-enabled “special offers” version here in the UK, so the direct comparison would be the $109 version which is about £70 here. > > It would probably cost me £20 in effort to arrange shipping to a hotel at the right time for collection, but sub-£100 even without a keyboard still looks like a worthwhile deal for me. Why would you have to pay extra for shipping to a hotel? That’s where I got mine sent to in the US - next day delivery. > [@NoClueBoy](#): > > First thing I noticed on the site, too. > > Wasn’t there a super cheap computer not too long ago that had the same type of deal? You got the computer for peanuts, got a free web account, but you had to look at an ad every time you clicked the mouse (or something like that). The reviews I looked at then were about 98% negative. > > If this Adware Kindle gets good reviews, tho, I might just have to try it. You’d be barely aware the ads are there. It’s an image on the screen when you pick the Kindle up, and a small bar at the bottom while you’re on the page where you choose a book. When you read the book there’s no ad visible - it doesn’t show up every time you turn a page or anything like that. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/19 "2011-09-28T16:56:56Z")
> [@SciFiSam](#): > > Why would you have to pay extra for shipping to a hotel? That’s where I got mine sent to in the US - next day delivery. > > You’d be barely aware the ads are there. It’s an image on the screen when you pick the Kindle up, and a small bar at the bottom while you’re on the page where you choose a book. When you read the book there’s no ad visible - it doesn’t show up every time you turn a page or anything like that. That’s good to know. 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [September 28, 2011, 5:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884/20 "2011-09-28T17:30:57Z")
I was all set to ask for a Kindle for Christmas. But hell, now I can just work a night of overtime and pick one up myself. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazons-79-kindle-bargain/597884.md?page=2)