Geek.com and Target have put together foreheads and came up with a simple, but elegant strategy to ask the internet users, why they haven’t purchased an e-book yet. The model is beautiful in its simplicity. They are giving away one Kindle (kindly provided by Target) to a randomly chosen user. In order to enter the contest, one has to leave a comment, explaining why he or she has not bought an e-book. Randomly selected comment will be the winner and the future owner of the free Kindle. Users have to leave their comments at http://www.geek.com/articles/gadgets/geek-com-holiday-giveaway-win-a-kindle-20101216/.
The contest ends tomorrow, Tuesday, December 21, 2010.
Some restrictions apply:
- US residents only
- Please use a working email in your comment. It won’t be used for anything aside from contacting the winner.
- Only one comment per e-mail address, if we see more than one, you won’t be included in the draw
- The winner will have 24 hours to respond and after that time we’ll move on to the next person.
- By the way – We’ll ship as soon as possible but no promises that this will arrive before Xmas!
via Geek.com
So far, I can divide the answers into three major categories.
The biggest chunk of the answers is about the price of an e-book. In this category, people cannot find a good justification for paying over $100 for an e-book, and then continue to pay for the books.
Linda explains, “I haven’t yet purchased a Kindle because of the price. It’s not only a large initial outlay, but the cost of purchasing books is also somewhat prohibitive. I download and listen to audiobooks for free through my public library, and the price can’t be beat!”
Also, Gary Blakesley writes, “The price of an e-reader does not make economic sense until the difference in price of the e-book versus printed book is such that you can easily make up for the e-reader price”.
“nascarfan09” says, “If you purchase an e-book you can’t resell or share like you can with a regular book.”
In the second category, people are waiting for certain improvements in the world of e-books, such as color, faster e-ink, better text-book availability, etc.
Ashley Jellen says, “I have not bought a Kindle because I am waiting for the device to be more educational-oriented. Reading books on kindle are great but I want to use it for studying as well. I hope they will offer e-textbook on kindle and give the option to see e-books with page number.”
The third category consists of the real-book-lovers.
User with a nickname “Tacoloft” comments, “I have not purchased an e-book reader because I am so fond of actual books. Also, the idea I could lose all of my digital books due to hardware failure makes me hesitant.”
On one hand, this contest is a good advertisement for Target’s Kindle sales rack – Target sells 3G model for $189 and Wi-Fi model for $139. On another hand, it is a quality outreach towards “e-book-less” internet users. The only problem with the purity of the answers is the fact that those, who participate in this contest, are the ones, who do not have an e-book, but desiring to have it one day. Personally, I would also like to hear the answers of the ardent e-book-haters – those who do not own an e-book and not planning to purchase it at this moment.
I have enjoyed the thought of having a Kindle but the cost, as so many others have stated, is entirely too much for me.
I would consider it if it was 1/3 of the price.
The problem with the price is that a book gets tossed in with so many other things, gets banged around and beaten up. If I were to do that with the Kindle it wouldn’t last long and there I have spent $200 on something that I can’t read my books on any longer. If it were cheaper I could get a new one when the old one died.
Why I haven’t bought one yet?! I’m waiting for my raise from my boss. Oh, I would definitely crave for a Kindle! I travel and it would be an awesome gift to myself.
The biggest reason I haven’t purchased a Kindle (I was planning on doing so this Christmas) is because I have a 3 year old daughter and this Christmas we spent that money on giving her what we simply couldn’t before. While I still wish I could get the Kindle, it’s better and well worth it so that she has her fun and is as happy as a child can be.
Would love to have a Kindle…been paying fees for overdue library books! Having a Kindle available in my purse then taking it out to read while in line or waiting for an appt., traveling, lounging and not having to lug around and take up space in my suitcase or tote with bound books and magazines would give me a chance to get a smaller purse!
I do not want a device that will just do one thing. I really want a tablet, but I also want it to be easy to read books on it without the eyestrain caused by LCD. I am keeping an eye of the Pixel Qi displays, and so far only Notion Ink looks to be shipping a tablet with that screen.
Also, CES is right around the corner, and hopefully some cool new tablets will be announced.
I HAVE NOT PURCHASED THE KINDLE BECAUSE I CAN NOT FIND IT MY HUSBAND WANTS IT FOR XMAS BUT EVERYBODY IS OUT IT HAS BEEN A AWFUL YEAR WITH MUCH LOSS AND READING GIVES HIM SOME PEACE. I WILL KEEP LOOKING BUT HE MAY HAVE TO WAIT UNTIL AFTER XMAS FOR HIS NEW SUPER GADGET.
Who wouldn’t want a free Kindle? It’s free!
But seriously, I’ve hesitated to get a Kindle just because I really like the tactile sensation of reading a book, magazine, or newspaper, and am a bit nostalgic for the tangibility of reading. But, I travel and am on the go often enough that it has become more difficult for me to sit down and read, especially since I can’t cart all my books and magazines around with me all the time. A Kindle would be a great way for me to eliminate excuses for making time to read!
I can’t say that I do not want a kindle, b/c I do. What holds me back has to be both the price and location. It is hard when you live in a small rural town to find a store close by that sells one. Plus the price is a little steep for a rural home owner…..
The Kindle is the future, like it or not, but they’ve got to fix the ability to loan books to others and swap with your friends. Do you own the book or not?
I haven’t purchased a Kindle because I use the free Kindle App on my iPhone. It would be nice to have a full size Kindle to read during my subway commutes though.
I haven’t bought one because of the price. I would LOVE one but always have necessities to buy that keep me from splurging on this. It would be great for traveling though!
I would love to own a kindle, but I just dont have the money right now. The other reason
is they are so hard to find, they are sold out everywhere.