Dear Amazon Kindle,

Why do you get so much media coverage? Why have you had 300,000 sales? Who is buying you? Where are these people? Why hasn't anyone seen them? Are they using you in shame, in a seedy motel room with nothing but their socks on?

Are you heavy to hold? I've never even picked you up.

Are you like the laser disc? An early adopter fad that anyone in their right mind knows is completely worthless? Will there be an Amazon Kindle in a museum someday?

If someone were to publish a book and it were to go straight to Kindle, would that be like a movie skipping the theaters and going straight to DVD?

So many unanswered questions, Amazon Kindle. Write me back.


Regards,
Everyone

N.B. This open letter submitted by K. Baynes


Ed. Note:

Apparently a lot of people are going to buy the Kindle 2:

Amazon expects to sell 800,000 or so of the Kindle 2 devices in 2009, or double the volume of the first generation device.
[Washington Post]

So, I guess if you have some money to burn...

Dear iTunes Variable Pricing,

You are inevitable:

The world's largest music store, Apple's iTunes, plans to boost the price of many hit singles and selected classic tracks to $1.29 on April 7, breaking the psychological barrier of 99 cents in what could be the first big test of how much consumers are willing to pay to download individual songs.

Although the date for higher prices has not been publicly announced, Apple has been notifying record labels it will go into effect on that date, industry executives said.
~ LA Times

Just letting you know, iTunes Variable Pricing, that while you're raising prices Amazon is lowering their prices. Just sayin'

Oh, and Amazon also gives away FREE indie music samplers online.

Sure, maybe you do stuff like that too iTunes, but I'm just reminding you that you're not the end-all, be-all.



Regards,
Everyone

7 April '09 - Update: Well, it happened today!

Rihanna's song "Disturbia" will set you back $1.29, Carrie Underwood's hit "Home Sweet Home" is taking $1.29 out of your pocket. "I'm Yours" by Jason Mraz, "Gotta Be Somebody" by Nickelback and "Don't Stop Believin'" by Journey are all going to cost you over a buck. But you can still get "Womanizer" by Britney Spears and "I Love College" by Asher Roth for $0.99.

Mixed feelings there.


Now, some songs were supposed to be as cheap as $0.69. Where are those tunes? Well, you can get "I Ran (So Far Away)" by Flock of Seagulls for $0.69. A whole bunch of classic R&B/Motown tunes for $0.69. Also, "Rain King" by the Counting Crows, "The Perfect Drug" by Nine Inch Nails and a live version of Cheap Trick's "I Want You To Want Me" is only two quarters, a dime, a nickel and four pennies.

Amazon.com seems to have very similar pricing. We'll see how they react.