Amazon Kindle: The Gadget of the Year

Dec 18th, 2009 by Nut

First we had Blackberries and then we had iPods and iPhones. Now it’s the Kindle—is this the next gadget that will steal our hearts (and our money)? I certainly think so, and I’m going to tell you why.

Who am I to say what’s going to be the next big thing? First of all, I’m a gadget hound—I love reading and talking about the latest tech toys around. And second, this device just happens to fall in the domain of two of my passions: reading and writing.

This story isn’t about paper book vs. e-book. It isn’t about the inevitable fate of paper books. It’s about why I believe the Kindle is the next “it” gadget.

The Bus Effect

I’ve experienced the bus effect two times in my life: the first was with the Blackberry and the second was with the iPhone. So if I’m right about the Kindle, it’s in some very elite company.

I knew a few people that owned Blackberries, but I didn’t understand why: they were ugly and the screens were lame. But those few people that owned them felt pretty strongly about them, and that stuck in my head.

Then I saw someone on the bus using one. As most Blackberry users, they were in their own world thumbing away at their ugly phone.

Then I saw another person using one on the bus. And another. It happened very gradually until one day it hit me: Wow, look at how many people own these things!

Along Came the iPhone

Same story: only I followed this one from way before it launched. I read everything I could about it because it sounded like a device unlike any other. When it came out, the tech world was in a frenzy.

Here was this cool, expensive, hip phone that had one button. You controlled it by swiping your finger across its screen. It was like magic.

I remember the first time I saw one on the bus—it was like spotting a rare bird in the wild. I almost snuck up on the person to get a good look—I didn’t want to scare it away. It looked awesome. It looked sexy. It made me want one right away (I resisted the urge and got a G1 instead).

Then I saw another person a week later using one. And another. Nowadays, 90% of the phones you see on the bus are iPhones. They’ve become as ubiquitous as the old Motorola RAZRs.

Kindle’s Time is Now

I remember the first time I saw a Kindle too: the white finish and the sleek design. I always thought that e-readers would be a niche product that only nerds like myself found interesting—and even I wouldn’t but one. The general population, I assumed, would stick to regular books.

But Amazon has pumped some major marketing muscle into the Kindle, and by taking a page out of Apple’s book they’ve managed to create demand out of thin air for the Kindle.

Does this mean the Kindle is on its way to outdo the iPhone and Blackberry? I don’t know, but the sales numbers are looking pretty damn good.

The one reservation I have has to do with people: do they really care this much about reading books? I think the answer to that one is “no,” but there are enough people out there that do care to make a huge difference for Amazon.

Do you think the Amazon Kindle belongs in the same conversation as the Blackberry and the iPhone?

What’s your pick for gadget of the year?

(by the way Amazon has free 2-day shipping on the Kindle from now until Christmas!)