Amazon comments on lack of SD card and user-removable battery

[Fuyuko]

Originally Posted by MattEcho

I love definitive comments like this. Can you imagine if several years ago Apple had said there was no need for additional storage? Is this guy a moron or what?

Matt

Why not? Bill Gates told us that 640k ought to be enough for anyone.

[pippin65]

I don't particularly care about the sd slot, but I do not like the idea of $59 for a new battery; plus the aggravation of shipping it in. There are workarounds and hacks for changing ipod batteries.... question is: will I risk my precious kindle?

[Ned]

Yes Amazon are trying to have more control over what you do and how you do it - with the view to getting you dependent on them and giving them easier access to your money.

If you can't bang a few books on to an SD card and read them, then that's one less way you can avoid buying books from Amazon.

I love the Cybook as you can just drag and drop stuff, use the SD card or not, without having to install any pernicious software. Same reason I have an iPod alternative - wouldn't touch iTunes with a long pole.

[Ervserver]

it may be that changing the battery is not difficult...I wonder more about being able purchase the battery

Originally Posted by pippin65

I don't particularly care about the sd slot, but I do not like the idea of $59 for a new battery; plus the aggravation of shipping it in. There are workarounds and hacks for changing ipod batteries.... question is: will I risk my precious kindle?

[tompe]

Originally Posted by pippin65

I don't particularly care about the sd slot, but I do not like the idea of $59 for a new battery; plus the aggravation of shipping it in. There are workarounds and hacks for changing ipod batteries.... question is: will I risk my precious kindle?

Why is people assuming they will have to change battery? If you assume a faulty battery then there is probably some very low probability for that to occur so the expected cost is not $59.

[Red Stapler]

Originally Posted by Dragoro

Ipods have never had replacable batteries, and the vast majority of its users dont know how/dont care to know how to replace them on thier own. And yet there is no public outcry about that....

When my 3G iPod's battery started to lose capacity after 3 years, I found quite a few places selling replacement batteries complete with non-scratching plastic case opening tools and detailed instructions to open it. If the warranty's up, I have no problem with cracking my gadgets open for little things like that, and if it goes out within the warranty, it's Amazon's problem. I'd guess the K2's battery is going to be similar to that iPod's battery, not a self contained module like the K1's, but a group of cells tightly wrapped in plastic with the battery connector coming out. I also predict that within a week of when the K2 starts shipping, there will be several detailed take aparts posted on the web, and within a year, at least one company will start selling battery replacement kits for them, similar to the one I bought for that iPod.

My only real concern is the lack of an SD slot, but I'm going to see how it goes. By the time I fill up 1.4 GB, Kindle 3 will probably be out.

[MonaLS]

Originally Posted by Red Stapler

replacement batteries complete with non-scratching plastic case opening tools and detailed instructions to open it.

I hope that does happen for Kindle 2. I have no problem with opening the case either if the Kindle is out of warranty to change a battery.

[MissDemeanor]

If you buy the extended warranty, does that cover the cost of battery replacement?

[delphidb96]

Originally Posted by Sporadic

http://www.computerworld.com/action/...icleId=9127739

The lack of SD card doesn't really bother me but the $59 charge to replace the battery after a year definitely urks me. I've never been a fan of having to send my device in to have something as simple as a battery replaced.

Wow. Like a reader doesn't swap ebooks in and out as current reading interests change? The thing I really like about having SD capacity is that I can organize my ebooks into specific categories - technical, mystery, thriller, paranormal, business, history, photography/photoshop, SF&F. Why? Because I *have* more than 2,000 ebooks in my collection! Oops! I guess Amazon didn't consider *real* readers might easily exceed their limit.

And the blarney about "needing" a non-replaceable battery in order to have a thinner case? Yep. Right. Just look at the Bookeen Cybook Gen3. Thin case, check. Low weight, (6.13 OUNCES) check. User-replaceable battery, check. Batteries available for around $8, check.

Maybe I need to buy a Kindle 1 before they disappear.

Derek

[BurBunny]

Originally Posted by MissDemeanor

If you buy the extended warranty, does that cover the cost of battery replacement?

Unfortunately no. I contacted the extended warranty company today, and as I posted elsewhere, their response was that it's not covered.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by delphidb96

Oops! I guess Amazon didn't consider *real* readers might easily exceed their limit.

Amazon considered that you would get all your ebooks from the Kindle store. If you did that, they would all be on your Media library and accessible from your content manager in a matter of minutes.

I am still hoping they let me upload my own stuff to my media library. I would even pay for this if I had to. Similar to getting a Flickr pro account.

BOb

[IntegrityWolf]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

Amazon considered that you would get all your ebooks from the Kindle store. If you did that, they would all be on your Media library and accessible from your content manager in a matter of minutes.

I am still hoping they let me upload my own stuff to my media library. I would even pay for this if I had to. Similar to getting a Flickr pro account.

BOb

Now THAT would be awesome. I'd pay for that too.

If they had that sort of a service, then I wouldn't whine about the lack of a memory card.

[Bookloverwv]

Even tho I am not a Kindle owner, I have lusted after one since it first came out -- just have not had the money to make a purchase. However, one of the things that impressed me the most was the idea of being able to load books to SD cards and be able, like you, to keep different genres on different SD cards -- and to be able to keep a fair number of books on multiple SD cards -- I am a person who re-reads favorite books and the fact of being able to have all my favorites on a SD card sounded wonderful. Maybe I can hope to win the Kindle 2 or try to get a used Kindle 1 somewhere so I will be able to use the SD cards
Lynn

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Bookloverwv

and to be able to keep a fair number of books on multiple SD cards

Lynn

The memory in the Kindle 2 will probably hold 2000+ books. Is there really a limiting number? Sure you can't possible keep every book available on it... but still keep a few hundred to-read books and 1000 or so favorites...

Its really more limiting for people that want to have audio books or comics that have graphics for every page.

BOb

[elainevdw]

You know what? I have a couple different generations of iPods, and the ONLY one I use is my 2GB Shuffle, which doesn't even have a screen on it. My Shuffle's 2GB of storage does not go nearly as far as a Kindle 2's 2GB of storage because MP3s are so much bigger than e-books, but I'm perfectly content with it. I would rather do with a Kindle what I do with my iPod -- keep my entire library stored on an external hard drive and use the library to periodically update the device with new or different content -- than have to pay an extra $40 for an SD slot. But then again, I have no interest in using my iPod or Kindle to store and display, say, photos, either.

As far as the battery goes, I got pissed with Apple over their battery issues too. Partly because their batteries were crap and partly because of the attitude they took towards the issue. But a manufacturer eventually made a do-it-yourself kit for $20 that worked totally fine on my iPod, for one, so maybe someday someone will do the same for the Kindle. And secondly, seeing as the Kindle only uses the battery when turning pages or accessing Whispernet, you would hope that the battery lifespan would be more robust. (Any comments from current Kindle owners on that one?)

If the Kindle is a device like my heart rate monitor, which needs a professional to replace the battery in it once every five years or so, I'm not going to be that put out about it. It's when you pay hundreds for a device then have to pay another hundred to ship it back and get a new battery in less than a year after purchasing it that it's a ripoff.