Kindle sold on eBay for just $275—plus more U.K. rumors about the K-machine
DRM or not, I almost bought a slighted used Kindle—having spotted one on eBay for all of $275 as a Buy It Now. Current BIN bargain is $300 with free shipping, at least in the States. See seller feedback profile before acting.
While Amazon’s Kindle side is keeping its Yankcentric focus for now, overseas interest is growing if the U.K. is representative. The Sunday Times reports: "Such is the sudden success in the United States of the Amazon Kindle, a reading device capable of storing 200 books, that UK buyers are bidding for them on eBay in the hope of shipping them over.
"Although the US versions will not be fully operational in Britain, the Kindle is rapidly taking on the must-have aura of Apple’s iPod. After many false dawns, publishers fear the ebook could finally do to the book trade what the iPod has done to the music industry: turn it upside down."
Contradicting another newspaper report, the Times says that the K-machine is indeed expected to go on sale in the UK later this year."
(Times item spotted by Alex at MobileRead.)
June 8th, 2008 at 2:25 am
I am not surprised at all.
I’ve said it before, no company would want to leave money on the table if they could help it.
The Kindle is selling here in the States, at least enough for it to stay in the news and garner more and more attention.
Once they solve what ever is the hold up for sales outside the US, the Kindle will be world wide.
Sony would be wise to get the Reader out in the UK sooner rather than later.
June 8th, 2008 at 11:11 am
Why is there “fear” from the publishers? If people want books in Kindle format, sell them. Get with the program, you know? I feel no pity. Countless industries have evolved over time. We no longer pay people to be the village water-carrier, for example. And all those hand-crack washing machine manufacturers had to change their format when washing machines came out
The Kindle is GOOD news (once they go international and hit critical mass) because they mean that people still want to read. All the publishers have to do is sell them Kindle books instead of paper ones and they’ll be fine.