Kindle still has an advantage over the iPad

[maflynn]

While being reported that more publishers are pushing amazon to drop the 9.99 price point for ebooks gizmodo Amazon still has a major advantage and apple has an uphill battle on the ebook front.

People out of habit go to amazon for their books needs. When you think of books, you think of amazon and so the kindle has a great resource that apple does not. While they've signed many of the major publishers, that may not instantly translate into massive ebook sales.

 

[MisterMe]

Huge flaw in your logic. This advantage works only for those books purchased by Kindle owners. So far, Amazon customers have not purchased enough Kindles for the company to release the figures. If an Amazon customer did not buy a Kindle before the iPad hit the market, then why would the customer buy a Kindle after the iPad goes on sale?

 

[clevin]

Huge flaw in your logic. This advantage works only for those books purchased by Kindle owners. So far, Amazon customers have not purchased enough Kindles for the company to release the figures. If an Amazon customer did not buy a Kindle before the iPad hit the market, then why would the customer buy a Kindle after the iPad goes on sale?

err.. $250 price tag? more book like reading experience? 7 times longer battery? and .. more books, like, 400,000 of them?

amazon said it sold "millions" of kindles, I guess that means >1million sales.

although I dont think iPad was ever really targeting the ebook market after all. So the comparison is really not meaningful.

I frankly don't know what iPad target market is, apple stock holders?

 

[sushi]

There's a free Kindle reader for the iPhone/iPod touch.

Expect to see an updated reader to take advantage of the iPad's increased display size and capabilities.

Amazon wins either way.

 

[clevin]

There's a free Kindle reader for the iPhone/iPod touch.

Expect to see an updated reader to take advantage of the iPad's increased display size and capabilities.

i wonder which option makes more $$$ sense to amazon:

pull the app from app store to battle iPad.
or do as you said, and try to sell more books.

 

[Ca$hflow]

I think hardcore book readers will choose the kindle over the iPad. I'm still a huge believer that the e-ink display is far superior than the iPad glass display for reading books for long periods of time. Also the kindle will do audio playback to ebooks as an option which caters towards audio book listeners.

 

[clevin]

the e-ink display is far superior than the iPad glass display for reading books for long periods of time.

i would be surprised if there is anybody, apple stock holder included, would actually question this.

 

[JNB]

I think hardcore book readers will choose the kindle over the iPad. I'm still a huge believer that the e-ink display is far superior than the iPad glass display for reading books for long periods of time. Also the kindle will do audio playback to ebooks as an option which caters towards audio book listeners.

As far as readability, time will tell. I've "borrowed" a couple Kindles on flights, and found them difficult to read. Depending on a generally uneven and unpredictable external light source made it a bit of a pain. Granted, when the light was right it was very nice, but that was actually rare.

I'm of the belief that both e-ink and active displays will have their places, it's not really an either/or deal.

The iPad is a huge iPod; you don't think audiobooks are an option?

 

[clevin]

As far as readability, time will tell. I've "borrowed" a couple Kindles on flights, and found them difficult to read. Depending on a generally uneven and unpredictable external light source made it a bit of a pain. Granted, when the light was right it was very nice, but that was actually rare.

its a ebook, if active display is that good, laptop/desktop/netbook would have taken over books already.

the feeling of "reading a book" is a strange thing, there is few technical advances on paper, but is always important for an ebook reader.

 

[sushi]

i wonder which option makes more $$$ sense to amazon:

pull the app from app store to battle iPad.
or do as you said, and try to sell more books.

Pull the app would be a dumb move business wise in this case. Better to sell more e-books.

Who knows, some iPad users may cross over and get a Kindle for a different style reading experience. Plus those who have Kindles, will probably keep using them due to the reading experience.

As I said before, it's a simple win-win for Amazon to keep selling both Kindles and e-books.

 

[dejo]

amazon said it sold "millions" of kindles, I guess that means >1million sales.

Probably more like > 2 million sales, thus the "millionS".

 

[JNB]

its a ebook, if active display is that good, laptop/desktop/netbook would have taken over books already.

the feeling of "reading a book" is a strange thing, there is few technical advances on paper, but is always important for an ebook reader.

There's the form factor to consider. You can't compare laptop/desktop/netbook to a tablet form. Again, time will tell.

 

[killerrobot]

The iPad is a huge iPod; you don't think audiobooks are an option?

The Kindle has always had the ability to play audio books.
http://www.amazon.com/gp/help/customer/display.html?nodeId=200127500

It will be interesting to see what comes of Amazon's newly acquired Touchco company. If there were a way to switch the screen between e-ink and active display that would be a killer device.

I think that keeping the Kindle app on the iPad would be far more advantageous than pulling it. It's kind of like iTunes, sure Apple made some money on the iPods but the store was the big money maker.

 

[*LTD*]

The iPad has already taken the industry by storm, and it hasn't even hit the shelves.

Everyone is going to want content for their iPad, and if it isn't available for the iPad, content providers will make it available.

These Kindle things are dead in the water come March/April. The nice thing is that they'll be available on eBay for cheap, so we can all get one to put away as an antique.

Amazon has neither the taste, experience, talent or technology to compete successfully with Apple.

The Touchco acquisition is Amazon's last attempt to get them to the point where they'll sell enough Kindles to release numbers that aren't embarrassing - since we've seen none so far. Unfortunately for Amazon, it's a lost cause for one simple reason: Apple is now competing in the same space.

 

[question fear]

The iPad has already taken the industry by storm, and it hasn't even hit the shelves.

Everyone is going to want content for their iPad, and if it isn't available for the iPad, content providers will make it available.

These Kindle things are dead in the water come March/April. The nice thing is that they'll be available on eBay for cheap, so we can all get one to put away as an antique.

Amazon has neither the taste, experience, talent or technology to compete successfully with Apple.

The Touchco acquisition is Amazon's last attempt to get them to the point where they'll sell enough Kindles to release numbers that aren't embarrassing - since we've seen none so far. Unfortunately for Amazon, it's a lost cause for one simple reason: Apple is now competing in the same space.

Clearly you've never used a Kindle...it's a very different experience than a multipurpose tablet.

 

[dejo]

It's kind of like iTunes, sure Apple made some money on the iPods but the store was the big money maker.

I'm pretty sure that for most of the iTunes Store's existence, the exact opposite has been the case.

 

[killerrobot]

LTD - I try to just ignore you dribble, but I've got to just respond to this one.

The iPad has already taken the industry by storm, and it hasn't even hit the shelves.

0 sold. 0 profit. 0 market share.

Everyone is going to want content for their iPad, and if it isn't available for the iPad, content providers will make it available.

Hence the Kindle app, just as it exists on the iPhone, only bigger and better.

These Kindle things are dead in the water come March/April. The nice thing is that they'll be available on eBay for cheap, so we can all get one to put away as an antique.

You couldn't be any more specific on time? That's right because you don't even know when the iPad will be released.

Amazon has neither the taste, experience, talent or technology to compete successfully with Apple.

Where's Apple's e-book reader?

The Touchco acquisition is Amazon's last attempt to get them to the point where they'll sell enough Kindles to release numbers that aren't embarrassing - since we've seen none so far. Unfortunately for Amazon, it's a lost cause for one simple reason: Apple is now competing in the same space.

According to you they'll be dead before anything can be implemented. Looks like you know all - especially since Jobs says they aren't competing in the same space.

Adieu, LTD, hope you can start making genuine, thoughtful comments someday.

 

[*LTD*]

According to you they'll be dead before anything can be implemented.

Correct.

 

[killerrobot]

I'm pretty sure that for most of the iTunes Store's existence, the exact opposite has been the case.

I should say it boosted product sales, which in return boosted music sales, and now with apps and everything it's a huge money maker.
As everyone says, you have to have the content first.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

I don't think the iPad is going to kill the Kindle because some people just want to read books. Plus, the Kindle includes free wireless delivery pretty much anywhere in the world. You have to pay an extra $30/month to get that functionality out of an iPad.

It won't deter some, but it will others.

i wonder which option makes more $$$ sense to amazon:

pull the app from app store to battle iPad.
or do as you said, and try to sell more books.

Amazon is making their money from the content sold, not the hardware. In the end, I doubt they care where their eBooks are being read, just that they're selling them. They will probably enhance the Kindle App and make it an even better reading experience on the iPad in an effort to continue to dominate the eBook market.

We are more likely to see Apple cut Amazon off with the dreaded "duplication of functionality" than we are to see Amazon stop targeting iPhone/iPod/iPad users.

 

[JNB]

The Kindle has always had the ability to play audio books.

I'm aware of that, I was merely responding to Ca$hflow's comment about audiobooks on the Kindle. It read (to me) like he was implying that the iPad lacked this capability.

Also the kindle will do audio playback to ebooks as an option which caters towards audio book listeners.

Plus, the Kindle includes free wireless delivery pretty much anywhere in the world. You have to pay an extra $30/month to get that functionality out of an iPad

Only for 3G. Wifi is fairly ubiquitous and available freely. I've been in more places with wifi and no 3G than the other way around (but I travel to some pretty remote spots). And the 3G on Kindle isn't entirely free; you're just paying for it upfront in the initial purchase price (which I grant is still easier to swallow). Make it subscription-based, and watch the upfront cost of the Kindle drop by half or more.

Don't get me wrong, I like the Kindle, to an extent. I just see comparisons between it and the iPad to be a little silly unless one is looking at the iPad solely as an e-book reader (which is even sillier).

 

[killerrobot]

I'm aware of that, I was merely responding to Ca$hflow's comment about audiobooks on the Kindle. It read (to me) like he was implying that the iPad lacked this capability.

My bad, I skipped a few steps apparently. I'll blame my lightning fast scrolling skills.

 

[IgnatiusTheKing]

Don't get me wrong, I like the Kindle, to an extent. I just see comparisons between it and the iPad to be a little silly unless one is looking at the iPad solely as an e-book reader (which is even sillier).

I agree, I just think the Kindle will probably win as an eBook reader because of the screen, the free (or "free" if you will) wireless and the connection to the Amazon store.

 

[kernkraft]

Not again!

Amazon has neither the taste, experience, talent or technology to compete successfully with Apple.

Amazon still has a matte screen, optimal for ebook reading, while the iPad has a screen that is to be found on cheap laptops, admittedly with a layer of multitouch sensors. If ebook reading would be so good on computers, we wouldn't even have the Kindle. Without a new generation of coloured but matte screen that is still not in any device yet; the iPad will always be an inferior device for reading e-books. The Kindle's primary charm is not to be able to log onto Apple's App Store and download 300.000 apps that you would never want. IT IS JUST AN E-READER AND IT DOES THAT VERY WELL. I wonder, how well the iPad does any of the tasks that Jobs identified on the Keynote.


Despite that I hardly have the stomach for Apple's smugness, arrogance, the way they launched this under-specced device, I can imagine that it will sell millions, even in areas that we will be surprised of. We might see these in hospitals, in the hands of elderly people and employees of public administration. Not cool, but that will generate some revenue for Apple.

*LTD*, I meant to write something for a long time, but I generally don't want to hurt other people's feelings or ruin birthdays. But I realised that you don't care about other people either, nor offending them, so I'll just find a comment of yours and I will say it, when I'll have more time. Hopefully, somebody else will say it, so I don't have to waste my time with it. Now, I have work to do...

 

[belvdr]

I agree, I just think the Kindle will probably win as an eBook reader because of the screen, the free (or "free" if you will) wireless and the connection to the Amazon store.

And also the syncing between books from the Kindle and its computer variants. By this, I mean if I read to page 50 on my Kindle, it syncs to Amazon. When I open the book on Kindle for PC/Mac, it takes me to the last page read. That's a really cool feature so I don't have to pack my Kindle to work just to read over lunch.