Amazon Kindle (Updated)
Posted by cmdln on November 19th, 2007
The dedicated eBook reader has been still born, to date. Amazon seems to be hoping it can defy this trend with its just announced reader, Kindle.
Details are scant, in particular on the specific file format and the possibility of adding third party titles. All of the details in Amazon’s press release emphasis delivery of content exclusively from Amazon. The emphasis is on the free EVDO access and “WhisperNet” delivery service they have built around the reader. I found it curious that they tout EVDO as superior since you don’t have to find a hot spot. Why not take a page from Apple’s play book and do both? WiFi is definitely faster and if Amazon ever starts charging for the data service, which I think will be likely, then users who do not wish to pay and are fortunate to live in a well saturated area can opt out and still have a usable device.
The physical specs of the device seem worthwhile though the $400 price point seems a bit high. I wonder if that’s to offset Amazon eating the costs of the EVDO. Admittedly, text is not particular bandwidth intensive but no doubt it will add up. Especially since Amazon appears to be offering periodicals and web sites in addition to just books.
Over all, I don’t think the Kindle is worth the price of admission unless it is a lot more open than the initial details make clear. Or imminently hackable like some of is predecessors. If it is either, it still remains to be seen if it will be a game changer. That is certainly not how Amazon is positioning it, really, so I think it already has some net drag to overcome in that role.
Updated: Engadget has more details and it does look like the file format support is better than I expected. But email Word and PDF to Amazon for conversion? Really? Let’s hope that either this is a consequence of a rushed launch or someone else cracks their “Structured HTML” and writes a 3rd part converter. (”Structured HTML”??? Really? I mean, I know some browsers area really lenient, downright lazy even, but HTML by definition is structured. Maybe it is market speak or a tired brain at Engadget that contributed that irksome phrase.)