I know we’re all riveted to our reading chairs just waiting to hear more about Amazon’s new Kindle so wanted to share this link with you about some early details about the upcoming release. The article also says Amazon has inked a deal with the NYTimes to have it be part of a subscriber option with low monthly fee for Kindle users.
Alas, what goes unmentioned is whether or not the new Kindle is waterproof. I’ve found a “trendy waterproof case” for Kindle on Amazon, so I have to assume it’s not.
If you’ve been reading my blog for any long period of time (at least since May 08) you’ll know that I’m still peeved at Amazon for thinking Kindle is just a tech gadget and marketing it for the most part to tech folks. I was in LA at BookExpo when it debuted, and started pondering then why Bezos felt it useful to show a woman using a Kindle in the kitchen to read a recipe for dinner.
I still want them to do a whole marketing campaign to women that would focus around those moments when we sneak into the bathroom, lock the door and do our “Calgon take me away…” bath. If you’re a Mom, you know what I’m talking about when I say sneak – it implies as it should that you have to be sneaky to get a long hour in the bathtub with a thriving family of need.
When I say need, I mean it in the best possible way, like “Mom, I need my socks. Honey, I need you to find my Pilates mat. Mom, the pug ate my mini-Yoda toy from Burger King and I need you to get it back.”
One hour in a bathtub with music, a margarita and double lock on the door does wonders. And if you have a Kindle to read in the bathtub and you know if you drop it (because you will) that it will survive the water immersion, that’s one less worry during the solace of the bath.
I also thought of a new campaign that Amazon could roll out which is completely stolen from the Brooke Shields/Calvin Klein campaign for jeans.
Amazon’s campaign would be a harried Mom, closing the door of her bathroom and as she’s stepping into the bubbly water, holding her Kindle, she would say, “Nothing comes between me and my Kindle, not even water.”
{ 3 comments… read them below or add one }
I enjoyed your post, but bear in mind that Dads need a break sometimes, too. I use the ziplock bag method of waterproofing the Kindle.
Hi Rob!
Absolutely! I actually have a husband who is very active Dad, teacher and reader and you’re right! I should not have left you guys out. A ziploc bag is great idea. I wonder if Amazon can brand those in grocery stores until they tell us whether it’s waterproof or not? :>)
I think one day there will be a device out there that will makes us really feel we are reading a book, but this isn’t it.
I agree: $10/month for some lousy newspaper inside some weirdly design contraption. I know we will all eat our words come Kindle VII but that day has not come yet. This version is a long shot to what it should be. I cannot blame them for trying.