Wired has the news today that every book lover, avid reader and tech gadget freak has been waiting to hear: Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos is open to dropping the price on its e-reader Kindle if customers want that.
Hmmm. Let me think. Yes, I want that. Where can I sign that petition?
I read a lot, more than the average bear, so that would be nirvana to me as I can’t yet bring myself to spend $500 on the new DX Kindle with its bigger display, or $350 on the first and second generation devices.
But since I do buy at least 40 to 50 hardcover books (ranging in price from $15 to $22 each) a year, and even more on paperbacks, I’d be saving big bucks and getting terrific technology for my reading passion.
I mean Bezos actually went on record yesterday in New York with tech journalist Steven Levy at Wired’s Disruptive by Design conference stating Amazon could sell the $489 DX for $60 if it used the same subsidy approach that wireless carriers use with smartphones these days.
In this case, Kindle adopters would sign up for an annual contract and promise to buy a certain number of books each year. The kicker is Bezos made it clear Amazon would still make its profit.
That’s a bit of a mind blower you have to admit, as it’s already sold millions of its $359 Kindles and even millions more of its $9.99 e-book offerings.
Now I’m not against profit. Seriously, it’s a good thing and we obviously need companies who can make money.
But I am against keeping a technology down, or limited to a certain echelon of readers (rich ones, in this case) just because of margin.
I mean, come on, Amazon, you’re a tech titan. You proved e-commerce can work.
Just consider the impact you could have on the public educational sector. Affordable Kindles can push e-reading into the classroom — a huge technological innovation that needs to happen before kids stop reading.
Not only would this be a tremendous advancement in boosting literacy levels, but more readers mean more Amazon book buyers. Right?
Think about it. Call Obama’s educational and technology mavericks and make the biggest technology innovation in national literacy happen.