http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Tue, 14 Feb 2012 20:30:11 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.2.1 http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1145130 Alan Wallcraft Wed, 16 Sep 2009 14:28:41 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/09/15/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/#comment-1145130 B&N has the best multi-device strategy. They have already announced Desktop, iPhone and BlackBerry readers. All based on existing eReader software obviously. If they can get Palm Pre and Android versions out soon, and also get the expected unaffiliated EInk vendors on board (Astak, iRex, etcetera), then they are the only serious competition I see to Amazon. There is already eReader for several other phone O/S's, but these have not been upgraded to B&N and I wonder if some will have to be dropped in the expected switch to ePub. B&N has the best multi-device strategy. They have already announced Desktop, iPhone and BlackBerry readers. All based on existing eReader software obviously. If they can get Palm Pre and Android versions out soon, and also get the expected unaffiliated EInk vendors on board (Astak, iRex, etcetera), then they are the only serious competition I see to Amazon. There is already eReader for several other phone O/S’s, but these have not been upgraded to B&N and I wonder if some will have to be dropped in the expected switch to ePub.

]]> http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1145126 Steve Jordan Wed, 16 Sep 2009 12:40:31 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/09/15/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/#comment-1145126 I agree... Amazon must concentrate on Kindle readers for other devices to be successful in the long run. The Kindle reader should be relegated to a niche market at most, and at best, it should be phased out in favor of other makers' devices that are capable of reading Kindle books. That would get Amazon back out of a hardware market that they're obviously not very good at, and let them concentrate on selling books. I agree… Amazon must concentrate on Kindle readers for other devices to be successful in the long run. The Kindle reader should be relegated to a niche market at most, and at best, it should be phased out in favor of other makers’ devices that are capable of reading Kindle books. That would get Amazon back out of a hardware market that they’re obviously not very good at, and let them concentrate on selling books.

]]> http://www.teleread.com/chris-meadows/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/comment-page-1/#comment-1145116 Spider Mattheson Wed, 16 Sep 2009 06:13:22 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/09/15/does-the-kindle-have-a-problem/#comment-1145116 Sadly, Amazon doesn't seem that interested in bettering the reading experience on the iPhone or other portable devices. They're trying to approach digital reading the same way Apple approached digital music even though the two are not parallels. Digital market places have matured since Apple's iTunes hit the scene and people interested in digital texts make up a more limited consumer base. Amazon can't win this battle for consumers by favoring the Kindle device. They have to improve the software for the iPhone and make more applications for other operating systems (both on mobile devices and otherwise). Amazon recognized its need to expand to a larger audience, hence the iPhone app. They stopped there, however, seemingly because they wanted to emphasize the Kindle even though it's an unjustafiable purchase (both because of its price and being a dedicated device) for most consumers. I think Amazon is getting cocky because they've gotten the most press and hence are the top dog in the e-reading biz right now. However, with Sony and B&N pushing interoperability between multiple devices and Adobe's DRMed ePub format becoming more popular, Amazon may soon find out that the most press doesn't always translate into the most sales. Sadly, Amazon doesn’t seem that interested in bettering the reading experience on the iPhone or other portable devices. They’re trying to approach digital reading the same way Apple approached digital music even though the two are not parallels. Digital market places have matured since Apple’s iTunes hit the scene and people interested in digital texts make up a more limited consumer base. Amazon can’t win this battle for consumers by favoring the Kindle device. They have to improve the software for the iPhone and make more applications for other operating systems (both on mobile devices and otherwise). Amazon recognized its need to expand to a larger audience, hence the iPhone app. They stopped there, however, seemingly because they wanted to emphasize the Kindle even though it’s an unjustafiable purchase (both because of its price and being a dedicated device) for most consumers. I think Amazon is getting cocky because they’ve gotten the most press and hence are the top dog in the e-reading biz right now. However, with Sony and B&N pushing interoperability between multiple devices and Adobe’s DRMed ePub format becoming more popular, Amazon may soon find out that the most press doesn’t always translate into the most sales.

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