Amazon Kindle - What They Got Right

Concluding the Apology for a Kindle series:

There is several things that would have been made the Kindle less attractive to me, or even been deal breakers.  Happily, Kindle knocked these things out of the park.

Replaceable Battery
I never actually bought an iPod.  One was gifted to me.  One of the main reason I never bit into the Apple was the lack of a battery that can be replaced by the user.  Apple has been kicked around quite a lot for that design decision but, to date, has not changed it.  When the Sony reader came out without a replaceable battery, I feared that the Kindle might as well. 

That would have been a serious deal breaker.  All batteries eventually lose their ability to hold a charge.  Forcing customers to mail in their device and charging $80+ dollars to replace a battery is just plain unacceptable.

A new Kindle battery sells for $19.99 and is easily replaced by the customer.

E-Ink Screen
I look at computer screen professionally.  I also spend quite a bit of time looking at them for recreation.  The last thing I need is to spend another hour or two a night looking at another backlit flat screen.  While I haven't used a Kindle, I have used the Sony (which has the same type of display) and it is a wonder of easy to read clarity.

Expandable Memory
I am disinclined to buy media devices without expandable memory, unless they have a large amount of built in internal storage (like a 60gb iPod).  I made an exception for the Flip Video, because it was a great product in every other way... But the limit of 1gb of memory is a constant hassle.  The Kindle allows up to 4gb to be added, in addition to its internal memory.  That stores a lot of text.  :)

Cellular Networking
I would have actually been satisfied with WiFi... but the use of EVDO is outstanding!  More than I thought to ask for.  I can recall many occasions where I was stuck out in the middle of a parking lot, or doctor office, or as a passenger in a car, with unexpected time to kill.  I try to look at those times as a gifted opportunity for some formal prayer.  However there have been many occasions where there was still time left over.  The ability to access my online library from (nearly) any location is going to be great!  Amazon is letting the jinni out of the bottle on this one.  People will begin to expect this ability in other types of devices as well.  It's time to buy stock in cellular bandwidth companies.

No Monthly Fees
Monthly fees or any kind of "membership" to cover bandwidth costs would have been a deal breaker.  Although I would be open to some kind of Audible like membership plan for content.  Something along the lines of $20/month for five book downloads.  Or some kind of point system like Audible uses.  It would provide a more regular income stream for Amazon and publishers, and would give customers a lower price per book.

Free Book Samples
My Kindle isn't scheduled to ship for weeks... but I've already have a dozen sample chapters set to download once the thing is built and turned on.  Being able to take a peek at books is one of the great features of a brink & mortar store... and also of many print books available at Amazon. Being able to do this on the Kindle will save money in books that I erroneously thought I might like, and also introduce me to books that I would not have purchased without being able to read a sample.  Great feature!

In case you couldn't tell... I'm a bit excited about this product. :)

It'll be safely wrapped up under the tree until Christmas, at which point I will come back and post some updates on how it all turns out.