Really, I don’t want to start a weekly Kindle update, but Oprah forced me to do this week’s addition to the many posts I’ve already done concerning Amazon’s e-reader. For it seems that Ms. Winfrey has decided that the Kindle is her new favorite thing and that we all should have one. Obviously, Amazon agrees with her, so much so, in fact, that by entering the code oprahwinfrey on the Amazon site, you’ll receive $50 off any Kindle purchased by November 1st.
Oprah says that she knows the Kindle is expensive in the current economic times but that the books are cheaper so the Kindle will pay for itself, and you’ll be saving trees. It will be interesting to see whether or not all Oprah’s book club members see it that way. Even at $309, that’s a huge stack of paperbacks!
And, as you’ve undoubtedly gathered from all my other Kindle posts, I don’t believe in the idea that the Kindle will pay for itself unless Amazon is willing to give current Kindle owners a massive discount on Kindle2, and Kindle3, and on, and on. Let’s face it: the way Kindle is being sold, it’s nothing but a toy for those who have lots of gadget money. Oprah certainly falls into that category. I hope she has a blast with her new toy.
