[Vincent Ferrari]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...YQinvcZSNep4awA

"The Seattle, Washington-based online store did not provide a breakdown of sales figures but said online orders reached record levels during the holiday shopping season for the 14th year in a row. It said in a statement that more than 6.3 million items were ordered worldwide and 5.6 million units shipped on its peak day, December 15. Amazon said it shipped items to more than 210 countries between November 14 and December 24 and more than 99 percent of its orders arrived in time for the holidays. Amazon said best-selling holiday items this year included the Samsung 52-inch HDTV, the Apple iPod, the Acer netbook computer and Nintendo Wii."

I'm not surprised by this list at all; the only thing I found surprising about it was that the Kindle wasn't on it.  While they don't say what specific iPod was the top seller, it stands to reason that it was, as it has been for the last few years, the Nano, with the Touch probably right behind.  I don't know about you, but any of those gifts would've been just fine with me!

On a slightly different note, does anyone else find it interesting that Amazon did so well this holiday season while other retailers are acting like they got killed?  It can't be a coincidence; I think people are realizing that holiday shopping stinks and getting your stuff from Amazon is a great way to avoid having to do it.  I learned it two years ago (took me long enough, huh?) and ever since then I've been much happier around Christmas time.

[Vincent Ferrari]

http://www.google.com/hostednews/af...YQinvcZSNep4awA

"The Seattle, Washington-based online store did not provide a breakdown of sales figures but said online orders reached record levels during the holiday shopping season for the 14th year in a row. It said in a statement that more than 6.3 million items were ordered worldwide and 5.6 million units shipped on its peak day, December 15. Amazon said it shipped items to more than 210 countries between November 14 and December 24 and more than 99 percent of its orders arrived in time for the holidays. Amazon said best-selling holiday items this year included the Samsung 52-inch HDTV, the Apple iPod, the Acer netbook computer and Nintendo Wii."

I'm not surprised by this list at all; the only thing I found surprising about it was that the Kindle wasn't on it.  While they don't say what specific iPod was the top seller, it stands to reason that it was, as it has been for the last few years, the Nano, with the Touch probably right behind.  I don't know about you, but any of those gifts would've been just fine with me!

On a slightly different note, does anyone else find it interesting that Amazon did so well this holiday season while other retailers are acting like they got killed?  It can't be a coincidence; I think people are realizing that holiday shopping stinks and getting your stuff from Amazon is a great way to avoid having to do it.  I learned it two years ago (took me long enough, huh?) and ever since then I've been much happier around Christmas time.

[doogald]

The Kindle has been backordered for over a month.

[Janak Parekh]

Originally Posted by doogald

The Kindle has been backordered for over a month.

Exactly. Huge supply disaster for Amazon. They've literally been throwing sales away.

--janak

[Vincent Ferrari]

Originally Posted by Janak Parekh

Exactly. Huge supply disaster for Amazon. They've literally been throwing sales away.

--janak

Yeah. Painful because I think once people are exposed to it, I think they'll love it. I think the Kindle is, along with the iPhone, the best tech product of the last 5 years or so. Adding wireless buying to it was a stroke of genius.

[crimsonsky]

My only gripe with the Kindle (never having actually touched or seen one in person) is that it is so UGLY. Maybe they need to give Jonnie Ives a call!

[Joe Johaneman]

Originally Posted by crimsonsky

My only gripe with the Kindle (never having actually touched or seen one in person) is that it is so UGLY. Maybe they need to give Jonnie Ives a call!

Actually, once you're holding it in your hand, it's not nearly as ugly. It's just not something that can be photographed well. I don't think it's beautiful, but it has changed the way I read forever. I love my Kindle. I still read paper based books, of course, but I always look to see if a book is available in Kindle format before I buy it. If I'm torn between two books and one is available in Kindle format and the other isn't, I'll always buy the Kindle book.

Of course, some books will never be in Kindle format. House of Leaves and Only Revolutions are formatted too weird for the kindle to handle, for example. They both depend on color, and text running in various directions. Stuff like that can only happen on paper, at least for now.