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Fallout from Kindle software for iPhone/Touch? $150 used Kindles soon—but NO Mobi app for iPhone/Touch? And less chance of ePub for Kindle?
March 4, 2009 | 6:05 am
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By David Rothman
Update: My quick look at Kindle iPhone software. – D.R.
If you own an iPhone or iPod Touch, you can now read more than 240,000 books from the Kindle store—thanks to Amazon’s release of Kindle-format software for the iPhone and iPod Touch.
You can pick up Kindle for iPhone for free at the U.S. iPhone App Store. How about app stores elsewhere? I’d welcome information.
In any event, you can’t download newly purchased Kindle books with the iPhone or Touch from the iPhone app directly. You’ll need to use your desktop browser or the iPhone’s built-in Safari browser, according to a review in Treo Today. Also see Chris Meadows’ news from this morning in the TeleBlog, based on a Wall Street Journal report. Chris himself notes the download limitation. In addition, you might check out the Amazon press release and round-ups from Techmeme and Google News.
Despite the negatives, this is a Good Thing all in all. Consider:
–Use of Apple’s multi-touch interface, combined with Amazon’s Whispersynch, so you can sync your bookmarks with any Kindle you own. Keep your place in War and Peace. You can synch up to six devices at once.
–The ability to read books already bought for the Kindle. But, no, you don’t have to own the K machine to buy books originally intended for it. To the right, by the way, you can see Treo Today’s screenshot from a Kindle book.
–Enjoyment of your iPhone or Touch’s LCD display if you’re not an E Ink fan.
–Used Kindles available soon, perhaps, for just $150 if you do love E Ink. Current prices are as low as $200 or so.
Major negatives? I suspect there’s less chance than ever of DRMed Mobipocket for being available for the iPhone. Talk about format-herding, as I’d call it! And meanwhile, as Chris notes, you can’t read "pre-existing DRM-locked MobiPocket libraries" on the iPhone via the new software. Amazon wants you to use the latest and great. See why you can’t trust eBabel, long term? You’re just leasing books. Theoretically the seller can force you to buy them all over again if you want to stay technically current.
A related negative is that Amazon’s continuing emphasis on the Kindle format, a proprietary one, could make the company less open to ePub, the e-book standard from the International Digital Publishing Forum—a format which major publishers are adopting, and which the Sony Reader and other machines use at the consumer level. Amazon might argue, "Who needs it, when we’ve graciously given you some cross-platform capability?" Similarly Kindle defenders might cite the cross-platform factor in defense of DRM.
But remember, the iPhone/Touch is just one platform, and that new gizmos are now popping up. One issue is if/when Amazon will do a Kindle version for Android phones. And what about the issue of the Sony Reader, which, by the way, in the case of "protected" books, works with Adobe DRM? Will Amazon let Sony, Bookeen, iRex and other makers of dedicated e-readers use Kindle software on their machines, and will all of them want to?
Meanwhile Ian Freed, an Amazon VP, is saying that he isn’t worried about people not buying Kindles because they can read the same books now on their iPhones and Touches. He says they’ll get eye strain, when reading for long stretches, and also will suffer shorter battery life than with the Kindle. Depends, Ian. It’s a highly individual decision. I use my Touch on the go and, at home, can just plug it into an AC adapter. Other people might think the same, the reason why the new software could reduce the the value of used Kindles and maybe even new Kindles despite the synching feature. If nothing else, the iPhone and Touch can display covers and illustrations in color, a nice advantage for online viewing of newspapers as well as books. Has Apple disabled the color capabilities? I’d hope not! So that’s one advantage that Kindle books on the iPhone might have over K books on the K machine.
Even though the release of Kindle software has its long-term negatives—once again, I’m worried this will be an excuse for Amazon not to do ePub and hang on to its DRM fixation—it is still a positive overall. Short term at least, this should do exactly what Amazon says: expand interest in e-books. I just hope Amazon in time will offer ePub capabilities in hardware and software and also be less fixated on DRM. Significantly, Mobipocket softwatre can at least import nonDRMed ePub. Can the new Kindle software for the iPhone and iPod Touch?
Another question is how other companies will respond. If I were Google, I’d get out ePub-capable reader ASAP for a wide range of machine and really play up the ePub format. I’d also try to encourage publishers to avoid DRM. If Google wants to live up to its ballyhoo about its dedication to openness, this would be a great way to do it. While a cloud approach has a place in Google’s future, I hope the company will not ignore the opportunities available by selling truly ownable books—the downloadable nonDRMed variety.
Related: Amazon press release, MobileRead, iPhone blog (source of App store screenshot) and of course Treo Today.
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Comments:
So – if I get an iPod Touch and the software, I can read Kindle books on the iPod Touch, but not any ebooks from another source? Since I have well over 1000 Mobipocket format ebooks, I’m not going to switch to something that won’t let me read them.
But – with just an iPod Touch and the software, is it still possible to download the Kindle books to a desktop machine, or are they only available through the software on the iPod Touch?
Excellent points, Paul. Even before seeing your note, I picked it up from Chris’s piece, at least as far as DRMed Mobi. Totally agree this is NOT an optimized solution for eBabel! Still very Amazon-centric.
To address your second question, I’m not sure about desktop reading capability (different from download capability, given the sync factor) if that’s what you mean. Chris or I can update that.
Thanks,
David
I told you that you should upload your book to Amazon for the Kindle. If you’d done so, it would be available for purchase now on both Kindles and iPhones, hassle-free for both you and your readership.
You can use other apps like Stanza or Bookshelf to read Mobi non-DRM books on the iPhone/iPod Touch.
And not to forget that this is USA only. Vanishingly small chance of this appearing in UK/EU any time soon.
It might also increase the number of ebooks appearing in Mobipocket only format, which would be bad (for me). I have an ever growing list of titles I want to read that are Mobipoocket only, and no sign of them appearing in eReader. Are Amazon freezing out Fictionwise?
Roland and Christo:
R. Great point about Stanza, etc., but then you need to mess with different apps and diff libraries. Still a hassle.
Christo: Amen! The international e-book community really needs to wise up about ePub if it doesn’t want such rude treatment. Amazon is too American centric. Let me add this all-important fact to the top of the post!
Thanks,
David
I think the non-appearance of Kindle in the UK has as much to do with the intransigence of the cellular operators with whom Amazon would have to negotiate their Whispernet agreements.
As for geographical restrictions on ebooks – they are absurd, and surely meaningless? Some publishers enforce them though.
True, Christo. I hate geo restrictions since they make the e-book marketplace less of a meritocracy—ultimately hurting the business. I’m fine with local editions. But let ‘em sell on the basis on merit.
As for the the Kindle HARDWARE not being in the U.K., that’s in some ways a separate issue. Why can’t the Kindle app be available in the U.K. app store? Or IS it? My impression from others’ posts is, no. But I’d welcome absolute confirmation. Until then I’ll just say “apparently not.”
Thanks,
David
It does seem to be an extremely astute move from Amazon’s point of view. Tying people even more closely to the Kindle ebook store than the Kindle did itself, and the synchronisation via the on-line bookshelf is inspired.
I can certainly see lots of people with an iPhone/iPod Touch getting the application, buyinh some Kindle books, and then deciding that the Kindle itself would be a good buy. And never even considering other hardware options or ebook stores.
I wouldn’t be so concerned about Amazon’s obvious intent to become the dominant player in ebook retail if it wasn’t that they offered ebook publishers such bad terms. For paper books, Amazon will list and sell books given just 20% of the retail price (POD books through Lightning Source/Ingram). So demanding 65% of the retail price from ebook publishers doesn’t seem justifiable.
The iPhone Kindle app is definitely not available on the UK iTunes App Store!
And all the Mac blogs are full of the same old tired arguments about not being able to read on such a tiny screen, blah, blah…
This is called one up for Bezos. Steve Jobs made comments last year that nobody reads anymore. And now Jeff has beat him to the market. I don’t think it makes too much difference that there are geographic or DRM issues involved. And that many ebook stores contribute to the eBabel that David fondly writes about. Maybe Jobs will fire back now with access through iTunes or a larger iPod Touch that many of us have advocated. The marketplace is controlled by access to the product one wishes to buy. I’ve spent thousands of dollars purchasing “stuff” from Amazon over the past few years. Now I have another reason to spend my money there.
Don Smith – retired librarian and Apple Distinguished Educator
Apple could try for a whole world approach, I suppose. Slow to e, overpriced UK publishers doing a bit of swearing today?
Right on the money, Don–except I myself will first look for books elsewhere, because of the eBabel/DRM problem that won’t let me own Amazon e-books for real. My favorite format from Amazon? Used p-books. No DRM there! Of course maybe publishers and Amazon will someday sell p-books that you can’t read without special eyeglasses. David (who meant to answer your helful correspondence and apologizes for for being behind!).
First, good for Amazon. I’m sure there are mid-level Kindle product managers who were angry about possible canibalization. I think, though, that this’ll be good for both Amazon and, long term, Kindle.
I am mystified on why Amazon hasn’t involved its Mobipocket siblings more. As Paul points out, there are people with Mobi libraries they’d love to convert. If you’ve got a Mobi library, aren’t you the person Amazon would love to bring into the Kindle world? I can’t believe the revenue from selling repeat books justifies the annoyance.
I’ll keep you posted on whether I see a huge surge of BooksForABuck.com Kindle sales coincident with this new product. I hope so. I also hope Fictionwise and other competitors continue swinging.
Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com
I don’t see the kindle app in the Canadian app store
Never mind – they let you do everything *but* buy. The Amazon Mobile App must be updated to support purchases.
Sorry for the misinformation!
I have to second your comment about the percentage Amazon takes, Paul. 65% is ridiculous. That is a huge ripoff for publishers and authors, as usual.
Rob: I posted some thoughts on that in my most recent TR post.
(By the way, I had to rescue your post from the spam bin. I suspect our spam filter may not like the “buck” in the name of your website. If you post a comment and it doesn’t show up, please let us know so we can check.)
I’ve posted pictures of all three Kindle devices, open to the same book, comparing fonts and graphics between them:
http://booksontheknob.blogspot.com/2009/03/kindle-iphone-pictures.html
iPhone Kindle is not available in the Singapore Apps Store. I imagine this is a function of territory restrictions on the licenses that publishers give Amazon for their Kindle editions. So if Kindle wants to go international it will require airtime deals *and* negotiating new rights from publishers for each territory. It’s likely to be very complicated.
I downloaded the Kindle app using my US iTunes account. When I try and download Kindle books however from my PC or iPhone Safari however, Amazon tells me that my Kindle book selections are not available in my country. Amazon knows where I live. Or at least its knows 1) where my IP maps to, or 2) where I pay my credit cards from.
Still, Amazon on my PC lets me download the free samples direct to my iPhone. Works a charm. The Amazon iPhone App just tells me the books are unavailable, and doesn’t give me the free sample option.