Amazon's Kindle reader breaks monthly sales record

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A man holds the new Kindle DX electronic reader at a news conference where the device was introduced in New York May 6, 2009. REUTERS/Eric Thayer

A man holds the new Kindle DX electronic reader at a news conference where the device was introduced in New York May 6, 2009.

Credit: Reuters/Eric Thayer

LOS ANGELES | Thu Dec 17, 2009 8:32pm EST

LOS ANGELES (Reuters) - U.S. Internet retailer Amazon.com Inc said on Thursday that its Kindle electronic book reader posted its best sales yet in the month of December, as the battle for the digital reader market heats up.

Without giving figures or comparisons and barely halfway through the month, the online retailer said that the Kindle was the most wanted product across the company during the holiday gift season of December.

Amazon sees the Kindle as a pivotal growth driver and is locked in a heated fight with rivals Sony Corp and Barnes & Noble over who will emerge with the best-selling electronic reading device.

Amazon on Thursday announced it would sell its product with free expedited shipping -- a contrast with its competitor Barnes & Noble, which has suffered delays in getting its Nook electronic reader into customers' hands.

Amazon's statement on the Kindle's success follows news on Thursday that its rival Sony Corp struck a deal with News Corp to make The Wall Street Journal and other publications available on its electric reader.

Shares of Seattle-based Amazon closed down 1 percent at $126.91 on Thursday on the Nasdaq.

(Reporting by Laura Isensee; Editing by Gary Hill)
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Comments (2)
CGGage wrote:
I have a Kindle 2 and love it. The Barnes & Noble Nook is interesting. The Kindle selling points for me include the comfortable form-factor, the content selection, and the wireless download.

Being able to be on the Amazon.com website, click on a sample of the book, and have that automatically sent to the Kindle is a real plus to me. I do not want to search & buy books via the Kindle although having the feature could be handy. I’d rather do it through the website.

I am comfortable with the current Kindle 2 until a larger color screen appears on the market. It will have to retain the features I mentioned previously. I have no desire to connect the unit to a computer and download. The eBook should be self-contained and wireless. If I had to pick one selling feature, the wireless download capability via the website is it.

Dec 18, 2009 5:19pm EST  --  Report as abuse
scottl wrote:
Why won’t Amazon make its books compatible with an industry standard? I really don’t want buy books for a Kindle reader and then be forced to use Amazons reader the rest of my life or lose my library. What if their product is not the best in 5-10 years?

Dec 19, 2009 6:36pm EST  --  Report as abuse
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