More Kindle Burning

I've been thinking about the Kindle more and I've decided why I think this thing is going to go down in flames.

Amazon was too ambitious with the Kindle.

At its core, the Kindle is meant to be used as a book or collection of books and Amazon got away from this. They tried to appeal to the wrong audience: the gadget geek, not the book lover. The device tries to be something that it's clearly not - a browser, a newspaper, an RSS reader, an audio player. It's a jack of all trades and a master of none. Opinions aside of whether you like to read a book digitally or not, the form factor and screen function well as a book - The physical size is similar, the text layouts are identical, and there are some nice features built in to the device that make it an efficient book-reading tool (built in instant dictionary, adjustable text size, no eye strain). This part of the device works well in a simple way. Combined with built in EVDO service (probably the best or at least most intriguing feature of the device) and the ability to use the Kindle without ever connecting it to a computer, it seems like a really good electronic companion to your laptop.

This brings me to what I think is the Kindle's problem. It really tries to be a laptop (and a few other things).

• The newspaper interface (from what I have seen and read about) is clunky as it should be. Try to read a newspaper folded up into a small square and navigate through it without ever opening it up to see all the different material in all the different sections and pages - newspapers are made from large, very thin sheets of paper for a reason.
• The browser on the device is slow and clunky. Most people that buy a Kindle probably have a laptop and would prefer to use it to browse the web.
  
• Pay to read blogs? I understand that the EVDO can deliver instant content, but again, the interface is not optimal and I have to pay to read free content?

I guess it's nice that these things are included in the device....but this is why most computers sold today are laptops, right? They do all of these things (plus a lot of others) much better already. My laptop cannot be a book however, and this is where the Kindle has its place in the market(for a lower price of course). Simplify the Kindle, take out features, make it JUST an ebook, and maybe the price could be lower ($200 maybe). Then possibly, it can start appealing to its main market: book lovers (read: NOT JUST technology geeks).