Audio By Carbonatix
Black Friday is a vicious “holiday.” It’s a wretched display of hyper-consumerism, and anyone–who isn’t homeless–that spends the night outside of a big-box retailer deserves to choke on a wishbone. Saving a few bucks on a 42-inch LCD television is rad, but not if you risk giving passers a migraine. Thankfully, there’s something called Amazon.
“Amazon? Like a jungle?” asked one homeless man we found near a Best Buy parking lot in Hialeah.
“Not quite, but very impressive, sir.”
Yesterday, Amazon announced on Facebook that its second-generation Kindle would go on sale at 9 a.m. Pacific (noon for Miami) on November 26 for just $89 as part of a Black Friday deal. The catch is, the second-generation Kindle has been out since early 2009 and a third-generation, Wi-Fi-enabled Kindle was released a few months back. In other words, $89 will get you–or the person receiving it as a gift–an old product. But does the Kindle need any more upgrading?
We’ve been using a first generation Amazon e-reader for a while now, and can’t find a reason to upgrade. Sure the contrast of the screen is crisper on a new version, and no we can’t listen to MP3s on our Kindle, but so what? We didn’t buy into the concept of Kindle as just another electronic device or watered-down replacement for our iPod. We were genuinely excited about its lack of high-tech features and simple-to-use interface. It’s always felt like we’re reading a thin book, not a computer.
And while other companies like Barnes and Noble, Sony, and Apple also have e-readers on the market, we think $89 is a tough price to beat. Furthermore, Amazon recommendations have yet to disappoint.
When news happens, Miami New Times is there —
Your support strengthens our coverage.
We’re aiming to raise $30,000 by December 31, so we can continue covering what matters most to you. If Miami New Times matters to you, please take action and contribute today, so when news happens, our reporters can be there.
