First, I'd like to thank Amazon for the Android Kindle Ap, I have downloaded it to my Moto Droid (Android 2.2) phone, plus a number of books, works well. I had started a thread over on an Amazon forum asking for it, nice to see that they made it happen, doubtless not because of my request, but since Android is used by Nook and soon other Kindle competitors, nice to see that Amazon did not hold a grudge and skip that platform. I do think Amazon "gets it" in terms of needing their eBooks to be read on multiple platforms. I actually finished off a book the other day using my Moto Droid, amazing how much time you can find to read when the eReader (i.e. Android phone) is just sitting there in your pocket, unexpected delays, or waiting for an appointment, or someone's late, etc. What I have to remember to do is turn on the wireless more for my Kindle, so the bookmarks sync more (when it was just with my PC, I used it less, and different books mostly (technical ones on the PC, fiction on the Kindle)). When you figure to read a few "pages" on the phone, it helps a lot to know where you were.
Amazon, as a company, I think mostly has gotten the eBook/eReader market "right", not surprising for what was initially a web-based book seller. I want to be able to read my eBooks wherever I am, across multiple computers, phones, tablets, etc. Don't get me wrong, I hate the DRM and the BS about turning off audio reading for some of the books, and I feel very sorry about the non-U.S. buyers getting screwed with, but I attribute much of that to the publishers and their Luddite attempts at control. Maybe Amazon too doesn't mind the DRM preventing books being swapped around for free, but I just don't see books as being the hack target that audio is. Ultimately DRM and the other distribution controls are only going to go away when the publishers allow it, or when legislation and/or the courts mandate it's absence. Some might scoff at the latter happening, but it was basically the combination of legislation+courts that allowed printed matter to be the way it is today, i.e. with libraries, and you able to donate or resell a book you no longer need, the publishers obviously fought that, or would if they could. And I cannot totally blame them, they're trying to make money, kind of the American way when you come down to it, but still, a society is conventions and general agreement to social practices of what's allowed and not allowed, there needs to be a balance.
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