Skip to main content

Kindle books now outselling paperbacks

Amazon Kindle
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Online retailing giant Amazon.com has released its financial results for its fourth quarter of 2010, which ended back on December 31. The company is still keeping a tight lip about how many Kindle devices it has sold (using only the term “millions”), but it has divulged another interesting Kindle-related item: sales of Kindle books have now overtaken sales of paperback books on Amazon.com, making the Kindle book the top book format the company sells. Amazon also saw a net 36 percent increase in sales to a whopping $12.95 billing for the fourth quarter, with operating income of $474 million. The overall numbers show Amazon’s business is strong, but the relatively low margin generally failed to impress investors.

The quarter also saw Amazon founder Jeff Bezos reduce his stake in the company from 21.2 percent to 19.5 percent.

“We had our first $10 billion quarter, and after selling millions of third-generation Kindles with the new Pearl e-ink display during the quarter, Kindle books have now overtaken paperback books as the most popular format on Amazon.com,” said Amazon CEO Jeff Bezos, in a statement.

Amazon had previously forecast that Kindle titles might overtake paperback sales in the second quarter of 2011. As surprising as sales of Kindle books surpassing paperback sales more quickly than Amazon estimates is news that Amazon is still seeing growth in paperback sales—apparently, there are circles where reading is still socially acceptable. Since the beginning of 2010, Amazon says it sold 115 Kindle editions for every 100 paperbacks it sold.

Part of the drag on Amazon’s short-term margin are the company’s ongoing activity to bring over a dozen new distribution centers online; Amazon says it plans to launch more distribution centers as well. These costs, in addition to pricing pressures during an aggressive holiday buying season actually means that Amazon’s $474 million profit for the quarter is a slight drop compared to last year.

Editors' Recommendations

Geoff Duncan
Former Digital Trends Contributor
Geoff Duncan writes, programs, edits, plays music, and delights in making software misbehave. He's probably the only member…
Get this Canon all-in-one printer for $69 right now
The Canon PIXMA TS3520 all-in-one printer on a white background.

If you've been planning to buy a printer, then you should take advantage of the Prime Day deals that Amazon brought back for Prime Big Deal Days 2023. Here's an affordable but dependable option -- the Canon PIXMA TS3520 all-in-one printer for just $69, down from its original price of $80. There's no assurance that you'll be able to pocket the $11 in savings if you wait until the last minute of the sale, though, so if you're interested, it's highly recommended that you complete the purchase right now.

 
Why you should buy the Canon PIXMA TS3520 all-in-one printer
If you want your computer peripherals to offer multiple functions so that you can save on desk space, then you can't go wrong with the Canon PIXMA TS3520 all-in-one printer. In addition to printing, the device is also capable of copying and scanning documents, so there's no need to purchase a standalone copier or scanner. Like the best printers, it's easy to operate using the simple button panel and its 1.5-inch LCD screen. The Canon PIXMA TS3520 is also a wireless printer, so you can use a Wi-Fi connection to print from your computer or mobile devices, though you also have the option of using a USB connection if you're fine with cables.

Read more
This great Prime Day MacBook Air deal probably won’t last long
A MacBook Air on a desk with an open book in front of it.

With the Amazon Prime Big Deals Day event now underway, this is the perfect time to buy a MacBook Air M1 at a fantastic price. It's just one of the many Prime Day deals going on right now to mark the start of the sales event. Buy the Apple MacBook Air M1 today and you'll pay just $750 so you save $249 or 25% off the regular price of $999. It's one of the more affordable ways of buying a MacBook although we have plenty of other Prime Day MacBook deals to check out too if you want to invest more in your new laptop. The Apple MacBook Air M1 may not be the latest tech any more but it's still more than powerful enough for most people to use it and enjoy it. Read on while we take you through what else you need to know about it before you tap the buy button this sales season.

Why you should buy the Apple MacBook Air M1
Back when it was first launched, we described the Apple MacBook Air M1 as "fast, fanless, and absolutely fantastic". It remains all of those things. We've broken down the differences between the M2 and M1 and while the newer chip is better, it's less of a substantial difference than you'd think.

Read more
Get an Amazon Eero Mesh Wi-Fi router for $45 right now
Amazon eero mesh router with someone plugging it in.

Even though it's October, Prime Day deals are in full swing, thanks to Amazon's Prime Day Big Deal Days event. So now is the perfect time to boost your home's wireless network and upgrade to an Amazon eero mesh WiFi router for just $45, saving you $25 off the regular price of $70. Able to help provide more reliable Wi-Fi around your home, it takes minutes to set up and is a great option for the majority of homes. It's also possible to buy an

including three units for $127 so you save a little more doing it this way. Whichever works best for you, here's what else you need to know about one of the best Prime Day smart home deals around today.

Read more