November 26th, 2010 Update – The refurbished Kindle 2 (global version) has been put on sale for $119.
Amazon also occasionally has the refurbished Kindle 2 (US version) available for $139.
September 15th Update – It went on sale for $189 and then quickly was out of stock and was brought back at $219. However, stock should start re-appearing periodically.
Update: Price of the refurbished Kindle 1 is showing up as $329 for some reason. Please get a Kindle 2 instead.
You can now also get the $149 refurbished kindle 1 at Amazon. That is a $50 price drop.
Amazon, in the spirit of the $299 Kindle 2 price-cut, has cut prices of the refurbished Kindle 1 from $249 to $199. This is cool and probably to counter the $200 Sony Reader 505 offers that have been popping up.
$199 Refurbished Kindle 1 – is it worth it?
There are a few distinct advantages (in addition to the price) -
- SD Card Slot – so you can extend the memory.
- Replaceable battery.
- If you’re one of the people who find Kindle 1′s contrast better it’d make sense to get it. For the record, my Kindle 2′s contrast is just as good as the Kindle 1.
- A better keyboard.
- Navigation is clunky.
- Eligible for super saver shipping and prime (if you’re a prime member).
- You do get the same range of books.
- You do get Kindle for iPhone and WhisperSync.
- I think it comes with a 1 year warranty. Can’t find that anywhere.
Will update if any confirmation on whether there’s a warranty can be found. It used to be a 1 year warranty and that probably still exists.
$199 Refurbished Kindle – Things to keep in mind
The Kindle 1 was a first generation product and did have some flaws –
- It is a refurbished Kindle.
- Its not as thin or sleek as the Kindle 2. You might in fact find it very unattractive. So do look at the product page.
- Whispernet Coverage for Kindle 1 is somewhat less extensive than for Kindle 2. If you live in Montana or Alaska or in an area of low wireless coverage, call Kindle customer service BEFORE buying a $199 refurbished kindle.
- The page turn buttons cause accidental page-turns if you aren’t careful.
- Its just 4 levels of grayscale.
That being said, the $199 refurbished kindle 1 instantly becomes the best ereader option below $200.
Filed under: availability, kindle Tagged: | refurbished amazon kindle reader
I must be the only person to prefer Kindle 1. Two co workers of mine have Kindle 2′s, and I don’t like the navigation scheme with that. I far prefer the big buttons on Kindle 1.
agree with you on the keys.
i actually prefer the look of the kindle 1 as its more original.
plus you get the sd card and changeable battery.
$199 kindle 1 vs $299 kindle 2 is a pretty tough decision.
[...] this price it should be given serious consideration. The Review has a nice listing of the pros and cons of the 1 vs the 2. Digg us! Slashdot us! Share the [...]
First I’ve heard about a wireless coverage difference. Anybody know what the technical difference is that would cause this?