Status Conscious Kindles

I feel like there should be a technical solution to this. If we really want to brag about what we read on Kindles, Amazon should install a low-resolution color display on the device's back that will only show the cover of the book currently being read. It won't hurt battery life that much, given that the image won't be changing all that often, and while it'll jack up the price quite a bit at first, displays are getting cheaper fast enough that it should should get down to a reasonable level fast enough. After all, you can get an Eee PC with a ten inch color display for $340, and a Kindle Braggart Edition would need a smaller screen and none of the other components.

Of course, it sounds ridiculous to speculate that people will pay, say, $200 more for a Kindle that can help them burnish their literary cred, but in my experience humans are vain and status-oriented enough that they'll do it. In any case, this is something the good folks at Amazon should look into.

Comments

[Andy]

It seems to me that this is one technological change going in the opposite direction from what we'd expect. The trend has otherwise been towards sharing more of ourselves (twitter, facebook, myspace, etc.) not less.

[Kevin Waterman]

Interesting idea, but one potential problem - I have a Kindle and always keep it in its cover, and I know of at least a few other Kindle owners that do the same. As nice as the egoism of the idea is, in the end I'll privilege protection over that.

That's why I would question if there would be enough of a market for the Braggart Edition to justify the investment. Still an interesting thought all the same though. I'll have to run it by other Kindle owners I know and see what they think.