Tech
Amazon drops Kindle e-reader price to $299; is it enough?
Amazon today dropped the price of its standard-sized Kindle e-reader to $299. It was formerly $359.
![nusca-techonomy2013-640x465.jpg](https://www.zdnet.com/a/img/resize/52a64e267d32d4f162587ff80ba156c09d021b17/2013/01/22/87a6db64-1175-11e4-9732-00505685119a/nusca-techonomy2013-640x465.jpg?auto=webp&fit=crop&frame=1&height=192&width=192)
The current model of Kindle, which is actually the second generation, was introduced five months ago. It has been criticized for being overly expensive, despite its status as a fairly new electronic invention, the e-Ink e-book reader.
The price drop could be a response to several stimuli:
- The economy has taken a toll on consumers' wallets, slowing demand for the device;
- The Kindle DX has siphoned away a small percentage of those who have disposable income but didn't like the original's smallish form factor;
- Competition from the Sony e-reader and the cheaper Cool-er e-book reader has cut into the kind of consumer that might scrape together cash for such a device.
Though the first reason is the likely culprit, it remains to be seen whether it's enough of a price cut to spur sales. (Me? Call me when it's $199. At least.)