Virtual Pants

Jim Dalrymple writing for the The Loop on reports of Amazon selling the Kindle e-reader at cost:

That’s one way to do it I suppose. Or you could just design great products and make money on all of it.

While there’s no problem with championing Apple’s business model, as Jim often does, this implies that Kindle e-readers aren’t great products. And that’s incorrect. Amazon’s latest Kindle, the Paperwhite, is one of the most highly reviewed consumer electronics products in recent memory, both by professional reviewers and consumers.

In fact, according to Shawn King on The Loop earlier this month, the Kindle Paperwhite really shines:

While I prefer the iPad, Amazon is doing a great job with the Kindle line. The reviews for the Kindle Paperwhite have all been quite complimentary. I’ve recommended various Kindles to any number of people who don’t need the full feature set or functionality of the iPad.

It’s fine if Jim sincerely believes that Kindle e-readers are not great products, but that view is both inconsistent with his own site and most others. Just because Amazon’s business model differs from Apple’s does not necessarily mean that the products being sold are any less “great.” The Kindle Paperwhite is a perfect example.