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Techies Assess Amazon’s ‘Book Industry iPod’
January 12, 2008 12:01 AM
by
findingDulcinea Staff
With the debut of Kindle, the largest online bookseller enters the race to market the first commercially successful electronic-book reader. Amazon hopes that Kindle will do for e-book publishing what iPods did for mp3 players.
30-Second Summary
Looking like a small computer or an albino Blackberry with an overgrown screen, Kindle went on sale in November.
It was designed to permit the comfortable reading of electronic text and can store over 90,000 books, as well as newspapers and blogs, all of which can be downloaded from a wireless Internet connection.
The content is delivered through Amazon’s WhisperNet, which, as founder and head of Amazon Jeff Bezos explains, “is built on Sprint’s EVDO network … there is no data plan, no multi-year contract, no monthly bill."
According to Amazon, at less than 10.3 ounces, Kindle is lighter than a paperback and is thinner too.
The Wall Street Journal’s technology reviewer Walter S. Mossberg writes that while he loves how easy it is to shop and download with Kindle, he is not too impressed with the device itself. “While it has good readability, battery life and storage capacity, both its hardware design and its software user interface are marred by annoying flaws,” Mossberg writes.
On the other hand, PC Magazine considers how Kindle might affect the publishing world and judges the new gadget to be the “e-books best chance at getting back in the game.” PC Magazine gives Kindle four out of five points in its ranking.
Overall, the consensus among technology wonks seems to be that while the Kindle is the best e-book device so far, it costs too much and is too clunky to become the iPod of the publishing industry.
It was designed to permit the comfortable reading of electronic text and can store over 90,000 books, as well as newspapers and blogs, all of which can be downloaded from a wireless Internet connection.
The content is delivered through Amazon’s WhisperNet, which, as founder and head of Amazon Jeff Bezos explains, “is built on Sprint’s EVDO network … there is no data plan, no multi-year contract, no monthly bill."
According to Amazon, at less than 10.3 ounces, Kindle is lighter than a paperback and is thinner too.
The Wall Street Journal’s technology reviewer Walter S. Mossberg writes that while he loves how easy it is to shop and download with Kindle, he is not too impressed with the device itself. “While it has good readability, battery life and storage capacity, both its hardware design and its software user interface are marred by annoying flaws,” Mossberg writes.
On the other hand, PC Magazine considers how Kindle might affect the publishing world and judges the new gadget to be the “e-books best chance at getting back in the game.” PC Magazine gives Kindle four out of five points in its ranking.
Overall, the consensus among technology wonks seems to be that while the Kindle is the best e-book device so far, it costs too much and is too clunky to become the iPod of the publishing industry.
Headlines: Kindle, the new iPod?
On Nov. 19, TechCrunch writer, Erick Schonfeld, provided a running commentary on his blog during the press conference for the launch of Kindle. Schonfeld wrote, “9:51: Shows the Kindle. 10.3 ounces, less than a paperback, and thinner too. Three years in the making … 9:53 We have 90,000 books you can buy right from the device … Included on are 101 of 112 New York Times bestsellers. And guess what, they are all $9.99? And guess what? They all get delivered wirelessly in less than minute.”
Source: TechCrunch
Kindle costs $399.00, and the price includes free two-day shipping from Amazon. It is available for purchase from Amazon via the findingDulcinea Bookstore.
Source: findingDulcinea Bookstore
Analysis: Publishing’s electronic future
The Daily Telegraph questions whether the rise of electronic readers will mean the old-fashioned book will go the way of cassette players. Jeff Gomez, the senior director for online consumer sales and marketing for the Penguin Group, argues that e-books will help the publishing industry: "Far from causing the book industry's downfall, free access to electronic versions of novels has the potential to be its savior. And to publishers, struggling for relevance in a digital age, that should be music to their ears."
Source: The Daily Telegraph
In his op-ed piece for the Los Angeles Times, media critic William Powers asserts that e-books are a turnoff for readers. “The Kindle may turn out to be a nice convenience for travelers who don't want to lug multiple books around with them,” Powers writes. “But for everyday pleasure reading, the book still has it all over any screen. And you never have to recharge the battery.”
Source: Los Angeles Times
According to Business Week, Kindle will be the iPod of books for five reasons: it solves “real problems” for consumers and readers; it represents good value for money; its smart design changes the existing product landscape; Amazon head Jeff Bezos has a proven track record as a visionary; and lastly, according to Business Week, “It’s cool.”
Source: Business Week
Opinion: The reviews
Walter S. Mossberg, a technology reviewer for The Wall Street Journal, explains that while he loves how easy it is to shop and download with Kindle, he’s not too impressed with the device itself. “While it has good readability, battery life and storage capacity, both its hardware design and its software user interface are marred by annoying flaws,” Mossberg writes. “The Kindle’s six-inch screen can display only monochrome text and gray images, and there’s lag time and a flash of black every time you turn a page.”
Source: All Things Digital
While CNET editors rated Kindle with a 7.5 out of a possible 10, users gave the device only a 5.7 rating. Some of the good qualities identified by CNET include the following: “built-in free wireless ‘WhisperNet’ data network—no PC needed; built-in keyboard for notes; SD card expansion slot; compatible with Windows and Mac machines.” On the downside, CNET notes, “Design is ergonomic, but not very elegant; pricing for nearly all the content seems too high, especially considering the periodicals and blogs are available for free online.”
Source: CNET
PC Magazine considers Kindle’s place in the electronic book industry and concludes that the device is the “e-books best chance at getting back in the game.” Kindle gets a four out of a possible five points with PC Magazine.
Source: PC Magazine
Wired’s blog, Gadget Lab, rounds up eleven opinions and reviews. From Time magazine’s prediction that Kindle will fail because it costs too much, to Newsweek’s evaluation that Kindle is the “high point” in electronic reading thus far, the opinions show a varied response. Yet, overall, the consensus seems to be that while Kindle is the best e-book device yet, it costs too much and is too clunky to be a success.
Source: Wired
Reference Material: Sony Reader reviews, Project Gutenberg and Mobipocket
Sony Reader, an e-book device that was released before Amazon’s Kindle, was rated 6.8 out of a possible 10 by CNET editors and a 6 on the same scale by CNET users.
Source: CNET
Project Gutenberg calls itself the first and largest single collection of free electronic books, whose mission is “to encourage the creation and distribution of e-books.”
Source: Project Gutenberg
Mobipocket, an Amazon company, asserts that it is the leader in the e-book publishing industry, with more than 40,000 titles to choose from including novels, dictionaries and professional titles.
Source: Mobipocket
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