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News & ArtsThursday, January 21, 2010
Tech / Books Amazon Is Running Scared
Posted by Paul Constant on Thu, Jan 21, 2010 at 11:26 AM
Amazon has just announced that they're opening the Kindle platform to developers who want to make "active content," which basically means: Here comes the Kindle Apps Market.
The Kindle Development Kit enables developers to build active content that leverages Kindle's unique combination of seamless and invisible 3G wireless delivery over Amazon Whispernet, high-resolution electronic paper display that looks and reads like real paper, and long battery life of seven days with wireless activated. For example, Handmark is building an active Zagat guide featuring their trusted ratings, reviews and more for restaurants in cities around the world, and Sonic Boom is building word games and puzzles.
I hope they have a Kindle 3.0 waiting in the wings, because the e-ink displays that I've seen on Kindles will be incredibly frustrating to interact with in any way other than a page-turning basis. Clearly, between today's announcement and yesterday's announcement, Amazon is already terrified by the Apple Tablet. But I have to say that making their does-one-thing-really-well device into a shitty tablet computer is not the way to go.
In other Kindle news, the always-amazing Daring Fireball reports that Amazon is offering a money-back guarantee on the Kindle; if you don't like it, you can get a full refund and keep the Kindle. But DF notes:
Funny thing is, the offer expires next week, a day before Apple’s press event.
2
This is probably due to the ignorant journalists who will imply that an e-reader and a tablet computer are the same thing.
Both are a lovely idea. But they're not the same device, they don't serve the same purpose or market, and the biggest risk I see is that confusing the two will lead to a lot of unhappy customers who conclude, based on having bought the wrong device, that both of these technologies are not for them.
Personally I'm in no rush to return my Kindle, which I bought because I was tired of having to choose between huge wastes of paper and reading academic papers on LCDs. Would I like a tablet? Maybe, probably not. Right now I usually travel with my iPhone, Apple laptop, and Kindle, and a tablet would be a partial, mostly inadequate, substitute for all three.
Both are a lovely idea. But they're not the same device, they don't serve the same purpose or market, and the biggest risk I see is that confusing the two will lead to a lot of unhappy customers who conclude, based on having bought the wrong device, that both of these technologies are not for them.
Personally I'm in no rush to return my Kindle, which I bought because I was tired of having to choose between huge wastes of paper and reading academic papers on LCDs. Would I like a tablet? Maybe, probably not. Right now I usually travel with my iPhone, Apple laptop, and Kindle, and a tablet would be a partial, mostly inadequate, substitute for all three.
3
Heard it. Paul hates Amazon, blah, blah, blah. Come back to me when you have some actual insights.
4
Why doesn't Amazon just put a fully operational and powerful browser into the machine, then charge no monthly rate for 3G access? I would pay $1000 for a device that can always get online and charges no monthly fee.
5
@schmacky: Kindle has a rudimentary web browser, but things like flash sites and even scrolling would be tricky, since the refresh rate is slow. This is a limit to the technology that will probably improve somewhat in the years to come. Also, it doesn't have a touch screen, which means navigating to links manually. A lot of people, upon picking up the Kindle, seem to want to interact with a touch screen. This doesn't surprise me, but I'll take battery life over interface in this instance. (The Nook has a tiny little LCD/touchscreen and the battery life appears dramatically diminished for it)
6
Amazon will make even more sales with the Apple Tablet.
Apple will make an open system i.e. people can use any PDF (or other common format) on the Tablet.
Amazon will sell lots of any media that Apple will use.
There is plenty of enough money for everyone.
Apple will make an open system i.e. people can use any PDF (or other common format) on the Tablet.
Amazon will sell lots of any media that Apple will use.
There is plenty of enough money for everyone.
7
Why is it that Slog has to hate everything not made by a team of less than say, 10 people? Paul hates Amazon, and e-readers, but I bet he will buy an Apple tablet when it comes out. That being said, it won't be out for a while and the Kindle will continue to be the best selling product on Amazon.
8
Paul is right on one thing; there's no way in hell my Kindle is going to be a useful app platform as it stands. I haven't seen the Zagat app, of course, but I've tried to use reference books on it, and it's just impossible, because the navigation is so poor. You could literally find any given page in a Zagat book with your feet faster than you could in a Kindle.
Also, @4, @5 is right; it can't browse worth a damn because of how the pages display.
I'm not a Kindle hater (or lover; it is what it is), but I don't think trying to poorly emulate a tablet is going to be the way forward. What it's lacking isn't features (features are NEVER the way forward); what it's lacking, to some degree, is simple functionality. In other words, what the Kindle needs to become better is to "do Kindling" better, not find more things to do poorly.
Also, @4, @5 is right; it can't browse worth a damn because of how the pages display.
I'm not a Kindle hater (or lover; it is what it is), but I don't think trying to poorly emulate a tablet is going to be the way forward. What it's lacking isn't features (features are NEVER the way forward); what it's lacking, to some degree, is simple functionality. In other words, what the Kindle needs to become better is to "do Kindling" better, not find more things to do poorly.
10
"Amazon Is Running Scared" - I'm just not seeing it Paul. Your money is guaranteed on anything you buy through Amazon. Will your do-no-wrong bookstore do that? If I bring a book back after a week, will they refund my money? Paul, your entries are the only thing I don't like about Slog, and I LOVE books (digital or print). That's sad.
11
Anyone try Amazon Fresh? I see the delivery trucks around town but haven't heard anything. If so what do you think?
12
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