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Kindle
3:24 PM EST 11/20/07
Anybody want to discuss Amazon's new e-book reader ... and possible consequences?
Here's one article: http://www.thebookstandard.com/bookstandard/news/retail/article_display.jsp?vnu_content_id=1003674644
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Re: Kindle
8:36 AM EST 11/21/07
as a reply to Bob Watson.
Of course, I want to see one to see how the display really is.
Did you watch the video? I wonder if they are charging for reading blogs. That was unclear to me.
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Re: Kindle
9:27 AM EST 11/21/07
as a reply to Jen Maney.
I saw the video hosted at Newsweek.
There's a lot that's still unclear, but (apparently and only so far as I know) the available internet access needed to download stuff is free. Amazon pays for it out of what you pay for downloads.
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Re: Kindle
11:51 AM EST 11/26/07
as a reply to Bob Watson.
Here are a couple of blog posts that may be of interest:
"Amazon Kindle: Hands-on first impressions" -- http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9820070-1.html
"Unboxing Amazon's Kindle" -- http://crave.cnet.com/8301-1_105-9822443-1.html
"Amazon Kindle" -- http://reviews.cnet.com/e-book-readers/amazon-kindle/4505-3508_7-32751890.html
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Re: Kindle
12:02 PM EST 11/26/07
as a reply to Ross Riker.
The sense I'm getting is that this isn't a home run, maybe just a double, but the game's long from being over.
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Re: Kindle
7:25 PM EST 11/26/07
as a reply to Bob Watson.
The promise of this device, and whatever comes of it, excites me. You mean I can subscribe to newspapers and have them delivered to me overnight electronically? And to magazines? And to blogs, white papers, and in the future who knows what else?
Anyone else see a benefit to getting these materials in their library in this format? Can you say, amazing space savings? Once the price on these things comes down, and it will, I can see kiosks built using this technology for the purpose of receiving updated media being a regular feature of libraries.
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Re: Kindle
8:24 AM EST 11/27/07
as a reply to Geoff Fitzpatrick.
Would be a great new way to get your NetLibrary or OverDrive -type ebooks delivered. No reason to carry around the laptop.
I'm all for anything that comes to me. I wish we'd mail stuff to our customers. I know some libraries already do, but we aren't there yet.
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Re: Kindle
11:17 AM EST 11/27/07
as a reply to Jen Maney.
I tend to think each public library will need several ... *not* for new books but rather as substitutes for interlibrary loans. Why spend several dollars (including staff time) when a rare out-of-copyright item can be downloaded for relatively little?
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Re: Kindle
1:42 PM EDT 4/2/08
as a reply to Bob Watson.
The promise of the Kindle isn't new.
The REB, ne RCA 1100 and 1200 also promised to deliver subscription content. I have the January 14, 2002 issue of Time in color with Steve Jobs smiling on the screen of an iMac loaded on a 1200 on my desk. That is the only image in the entire magazine. Is Time without all the photos and graphics really "Time"? How are the magazines and newspapers handled on the Kindle? Text only, or with late '90s style Wall Street Journal black and white etchings?
I've loaned Rocket eBooks to patrons. The locked hardware model doesn't work well for Libraries, and the Kindle apparently isn't any different. Until Overdrive or netLibrary can cut some kind of deal with Amazon, they won't be able to help us deliver "library" content to the device.
It remains to be seen how Libraries will fit into the handheld device eBook market. I think we've got a long way to go.
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Re: Kindle
3:59 PM EDT 5/9/08
as a reply to Mike Williams.
Nice discussion of Kindle on <i>Slashdot</i>:
http://ask.slashdot.org/article.pl?no_d2=1&sid=08/05/08/2317250
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RE: Kindle
10:33 AM EST 12/4/08
as a reply to Bob Watson.
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RE: Kindle
12:41 PM EST 12/4/08
as a reply to Ross Riker.
Has it been a year already? Wow. A couple of things jumped out at me. First of all, the 10 percent of sales stat is amazing. If this is really the case I wonder why Amazon doesn't drop the price to something like $99. If 250k Kindles drive 10 percent of their sales, what would a million do? The other point is the bit about author's blocking electronic distribution of their work: "Blockbuster writers such as J.K. Rowling, author of the "Harry Potter" series, have said they'll never allow their books to appear on the market in electronic form." Uh, JK? Have you heard of usenet? BitTorrent? Your works are already out there whether like it or not. You may as well be compensated for it.
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RE: Kindle
2:32 PM EST 12/4/08
as a reply to Tim King.
I remember reading, a few weeks ago, how Kindle (version 2) may be a mistake ... do people who read from Kindles want to be kept in an expensive technology spiral?
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RE: Kindle
2:36 PM EST 12/4/08
as a reply to Bob Watson.
I would think you are right ... The kindle is something you buy and use for a few years. Maybe you replace it when drop it in the bathtub but otherwise I'd expect it to hold me for a few years (at which point I'd want a dramtic step -- like flexible screens).
Instead of niftying up what is already pretty solid technology I think they'd do better to get more people on their platform -- and it seems like price point is the way to do it.
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RE: Kindle
2:02 PM EST 12/23/08
as a reply to Tim King.
One clarification: "10% of sales" only refers to sales of those books that are available for the Kindle--not 10% of all Amazon book sales.
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RE: Kindle
2:05 PM EST 12/23/08
as a reply to Walt Crawford.
That's a great point, Walt. There is a myriad of small presses that won't be involved with the "Kindle universe" for years, if ever.
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RE: Kindle
2:23 PM EST 12/23/08
as a reply to Bob Watson.
Thanks for the clarification. I guess I won't be seeing a $59 Kindle for Christmas!
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RE: Kindle
4:40 PM EST 12/23/08
as a reply to Tim King.
I see that an applications developer for iPhone and iPod touch is getting into the e-book business: http://www.lisnews.org/app_developer_strikes_e_book_deals_major_publishers
That vastly enlarges the potential market!
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RE: Kindle
3:44 PM EST 12/24/08
as a reply to Bob Watson.
For years we've been hearing grand pronouncements that "this" will be the year of the ebook. I think instead we're going to be seeing more of the stuff Bob mentions -- new devices+new application developers who then sign on more publishers (specialty and general). This cycle is just going to keep happening over and again until one day we look up and realize that everything we _want_ on ebook is already there and has been for a while.
I think it will sort of the way email came on. There was no great email "push" but all of a "sudden," everyone had it. Email hasn't replaced a nice thank you letter, Christmas cards, or my bills from the dentist, but it's there -- everywhere and with everyone I need it to using it with.
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RE: Kindle
3:10 PM EST 12/26/08
as a reply to Tim King.
I agree, Tim. Some of that is going to present some absolutely awful form factors to deal with ... like the iPhone, for book reading.
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