Kindle2 for Online Ordering? Why not?

Amazon announced the new Kindle2 today and from the initial reviews it looks like a worthy follow-up to the original e-reader.

After reading yet again about its free wireless access to the Internet, ability to have relatively large storage (when it comes to books and blogs, anyway), nice display and pondered the possibility of using such device for restaurants to receive online orders.

Takeout Online has been providing online ordering via fax (for vast majority of our clients) and some via computer/printer environment (where Internet connectivity was a must).  The reason vast majority of restaurants we serve do get orders via fax is because most of them don't have computers and Internet connectivity and certainly aren't about to spend the money to have such just to be able to receive online orders.

But Kindle2 offers built-in Internet access from anywhere, as well as a nice display and one could easily set up either a private blog where orders would be shown or just a web site.  Each restaurant would have their own feed of orders.  All of the benefits of Internet access without the monthly fee.

Even though this approach is doable, reasonably simple to implement and should work very well - it does have some drawbacks.  First, the cost of the device, something most restaurants would have a hard time justifying.  Although that could be countered with the monthly Internet access fees, which would make it pay for itself in about 6 months, but still that's one drawback.  The second drawback is employee use of such an expensive device.  That might also be an issue, since so many employees are not very savvy when it comes to technology or taking care of someone else's $359 device.  Then there's the theft issue, it's mighty easy to walk away with one of these or leave on the counter and have someone else walk away with it.  And last, but not least - the lack of print functionality, which many prefer - they want to have a paper in the kitchen from which to make the orders.

Clearly, this device wouldn't be for any restaurant, but I think some better class restaurants might benefit from such an arrangement.  If nothing else - one could always use it for something esoteric like... I don't know... reading books :)