Kindle rumored to hit Target shelves on April 25th

[Rick]

Despite a tepid release and its fair share of criticism in 2007, the Kindle has managed to establish a successful eBook business for Amazon. According to this scoop by Engadget, Amazon may now be poised to also offer its eReader at brick and mortar Target locations. The rumored release date is next April 25th.

The news come at an interesting time, right on the heels of the recent iPad launch. While the Kindle and iPad are clearly two different kind of devices, Apple will be pushing iBooks which will directly compete with the Kindle’s business model. For this reason and the obvious form factor similitude, it is difficult not to draw comparisons between the two.

Could Amazon be making the right move by offering the Kindle in physical retail channels? For the handful of Kindle users that I imagine will potentially read this, would you abandon your dedicated eReader in favor of the iPad or is there room for both?

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https://www.techspot.com/news/38518-kindle-rumored-to-hit-target-shelves-on-april-25th.html

 

[Timonius]

I'll personally be waiting for the next generation at least. I would want features of both a tablet and e-reader device in one. Good move on Amazon though! If they could sell their devices in say, Wal-mart, they'd probably rule the world!

 

[TomSEA]

I agree with Timonius. Both devices are half-way towards a true functional device. I'll be a lot more interested in what's around as well as pricing in 2-3 years time.

 

[Guest]

I am a Kindle user, I have an iphone and I read books on both devices. When I want to read for an extended period of time I always go to the Kindle because it offers a better reading experience, largely due to the screen. The e-ink is easier on the eyes over an extended period. I also like the fact that it travels well and can go as much as two weeks without charging when I am traveling because it only uses power to change pages, not to maintain the screen, as long as I have the wireless turned off. I use my iphone more for communications and games. Most of my iphone reading is done while I'm waiting in an office or some other occasion when I will only be reading for a short period of time and I don't have my Kindle with me.

 

[Guest]

I have both a Kindle and an iPad (running the made-for-iPad Kindle app). Honestly, I can't imagine using my Kindle much anymore. The Kindle app is pretty sweet, and I don't notice much difference between the iPad screen and e-ink, unless I really put nose up to the screen. And while I know that the backlight of LCD screens bother some people, it doesn't seem to bother me much, even after reading for hours at a time. The only difference I really notice is the weight difference. While the iPad's 1.5lbs isn't much, it's noticeably more than the Kindle's 10.2 ounces. Amazon's selection and prices are still better than Apple's right now, so only time will tell. I'm sure Amazon isn't that concerned because it's on the books that they make money, not the hardware.