Why You Can Trust CNET Should you buy the $99 Kindle?
Now's your chance: a third-gen Kindle (Wi-Fi) for under $100! But is this really a good deal?
Quick housekeeping note: I'm on vacation this week. It'll be a few days before my next post.
As CNET's David Carnoy reported last week, Amazon just dropped the price of the refurbished Wi-Fi Kindle to $99.99. And if you want the 3G model, you can snatch it up for just $129.99. These are the non-ad-supported versions, FYI.
Pretty nice deal, right? They may be refurbs, but they carry the same one-year warranty as new Kindles.
But speaking of "new Kindles," it's a poorly kept secret that Amazon will soon unveil one--maybe two. And that begs the question: even at $99.99, is the current Kindle a good deal?
A year ago, I'd have said absolutely. Now, I'm not so sure. The non-touch-screen Kindle is kind of a pain to use, and it's a pretty limited device--especially compared with something like the Nook Color, which is great not just for books, but also for magazines, apps, and even tablet duty.
(Update: The $179 refurbished Nook Color I wrote about last week? Mine arrived from 1 Sale A Day in about three days. And it looks and operates like new. I'm loving it.)
I know there are die-hard Kindle fans out there, and I'm not here to dis the device. Indeed, I've been a rabid e-book fan since PalmPilot days. But I think the days of the monochrome, non-touch-screen e-reader have passed, and I can't see spending money on one.
What are your thoughts? Are you jumping at the chance to score a Kindle for less than $100? Or do you agree that this is, in a way, throwing good money after bad? Let's hear from you in the comments!
Bonus deal No. 1: Sony is once again offering the refurbished BDP-S270 Blu-ray player for $59.99 shipped. Among other things, the player can stream Netflix, Pandora, and the like. I bought one a few months back, and it's been great.
Bonus deal No. 2: You know I love a good Wi-Fi laser printer. OfficeMax has the Samsung ML-1865W Wi-Fi laser printer for $49.99, plus sales tax in most states. Add a box of paper clips or something to pad your cart to more than $50, in which case shipping is free.