Kindle 2 release: CBS segment and CNET story

Comments:

• Garson O'Toole says:

  February 25, 2009 at 5:22 am

  I was going to write a note about the CNET article when I noticed that TeleRead already had a link to it without comment. One assertion from the CNET story is worth highlighting I think: content for the Kindle is definitely moving to non-Kindle devices. The claim is made while discussing the new Whisper Sync system that will allow a reader to keep track of his or her location within a text while switching between reading on a Kindle and on a cell phone.

  Although (Ian Freed) wouldn’t say just when people will have Kindle content on their cell phones, Freed did confirm that one won’t need to have a Kindle device to read Kindle content, though he suspects some of those who try Kindle on a cell phone will ultimately buy Amazon’s device.

  The cell phone option, like a controversial new text-to-speech feature built into the Kindle 2, is more designed for short bits of content than as the primary mode of reading, Freed said. A cell phone is good for those unexpected times where one has a few minutes to read, while text-to-speech is good for those who are right in the middle of a cliffhanger and have to get in the car or cook dinner.

  Several Apple products already support a proprietary file format that Amazon controls. IPods and iPhones support the “Audible audio format” and its DRM system. Amazon acquired audiobook vendor Audible last year, and perhaps this relationship between Apple and Amazon will facilitate support for Kindle content on iPhones and iPod Touches.

  The article also suggests that Amazon looked askance at using a color screen in the Kindle because it would increase the price, shorten the battery life, and radiate too much heat. Amazon wants a device that is comfortable to hold.