After hearing some fairly positive reviews of the new version of the Amazon Kindle, I decided to “bite the bullet” and pay the $359.00 fee for the Amazon Kindle 2. The new version of the Kindle doesn’t come with a protective case, so that will easily add $29.99 to your total. If you want the device to ship in a reasonable amount of time and have it sometime within the next couple of weeks, you’ll probably want to opt for two day shipping. When all was said and done, my total bill was $411.96, ouch! That seems like a bit of a hefty price tag for a product that Amazon bills as a “money saving” device. Will Amazon’s Kindle actually pay for itself?
The Kindle is priced at a whopping $359.00 primarily because it includes lifetime access to its “WhisperNet” wireless network (which actually piggyback’s off Sprint’s cellular network). This is a very high up-front fee, but the average cost per book is lower on the Kindle than comparing to a new paperback or hardcover book. Typically, you can get a new book on the Amazon Kindle for $9.99, whereas a new paper-back will likely go for $14.99 whereas a new hardcover book will run for $24.99.
I would argue that the real figure that people typically pay for a new book is probably a lot less than the $20.00 average between a hard-cover and paperback book because many people tend to buy books used, get them from friends, or from a local library. With the Amazon Kindle, that’s simply not an option. For argument’s sake let’s say that the average new book does cost $19.99, that means you’ll save $10.00 per book that you buy on the Kindle that you didn’t buy in paperback or hardcover form. That means you’ll have to buy 36 books before the Kindle becomes “worth it.”
The typical American reads less than two books per year and one in four Americans don’t read a single book in any given year. For the “average” reader, it would take decades for the Kindle to pay for itself, however most people who but an Amazon Kindle will read much more than what an average reader will consume. A reasonable number would be more on the lines of 10 to 15 books a year for a casual to a moderate reader. This means that the Kindle would pay for itself in 2.5 to 3 years.
The “return on investment” for a Kindle isn’t particularly stunning, but it’s still a fun gadget to get, just don’t persuade yourself that you’re going to be saving a “ton of money” by getting more affordable books. The mathematics really don’t work out, especially if you tend to buy used books or get them for free from friends, family and the local library.
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5 users resposed " How Many Books Do You Need to Read for an Amazon Kindle to Pay For It Self? "
March 1 2009
I think the point that has been missed by a lot of pundits is that since the market has become so large, there ARE many people available that do read a lot. I read a lot of books. Typically dead tree version, but I have started to read them on my HTC. It’s not bad.
March 1 2009
I read, on average, 4 books a month and 1 periodical a week. I don’t expect all the books I’ll read in the next year will be available on the Kindle but certainly half will at least. Between those and the periodicals, I’ll reach break even in just over a year. Better if I’m being pessimistic about the number of new books I buy being on the Kindle.
But in truth, I didn’t buy to save money. I bought for convenience. The convenience of carrying the Kindle instead of two books when I fly. The convenience of being able to buy a book almost anywhere and anytime. The convenience of choosing the size of the type the book is displayed with.
March 2 2009
Just two books when you fly? I usually can’t leave home without four. My Kindle is the awesomest, shiniest companion since my iPod and my hubby.
And yes, when I have a yen for a new book at 1 in the morning, I can now satisfy that craving.
One of my first purchases was 99 cents for Mark Twain’s collected works (300+ stories and essays). Certainly, I could have found those and sent them to myself for nothing but the time I saved was more than worth the dollar. I’m looking forward to taking a browse through some of the other public domain stuff later.
I love the convenience. I love the shape and weight. I love that it is as easy to read in low light and bright light as any book on paper. It actually surpassed my rather high expectations for usability in its basic functions. The web browser on the menu under “Experimental” is not perfectly intuitive but it’s usable. I haven’t tried the other experiments.
Oh, and I frankly adore the author portraits and such that are on the screen when it’s asleep.
March 2 2009
So…I got my Kindle 2 today, I’m reading “Outliers” by Malcom Gladwell, I’m in love with the thing. My girlfriend has some competition… 
August 7 2010
[...] In the digital age, it is likely that soon all kinds of books will be offered in digital form and also that e-ink display will finally be offered in color some day. When those two things happen, I should consider buying a reading device. Then again, the gadgets will be different by that time. Wait to see what kinds of tablet devices come up next. We only have iPad so far. I am not impressed by iPad anyway. An interesting post I found on return on investments is here: How Many Books Do You Need to Read for an Amazon Kindle to Pay For It Self?. [...]
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