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"What makes the Kindle so special that it deserves to be so newsworthy vs all the others? Nothing is the answer."
I must disagree. While there may be spirited discussions about the relative technical merits of the various eBook reader devices, there is no denying that Amazon brings something unique to the party. It is a distribution powerhouse that has been able to engage the publishing industry as no other, and has the potential to bring media-less distribution for print to the mainstream as Apple has done for music. Amazon also has the capacity to support a period of explosive growth should it occur. (And, of course, we are all wishing for a period of explosive growth!)
Each day the Kindle is out of stock, with all its faults and shortcomings, that day is delayed. Adoption is key. But adoption cannot take place without product availability. So, while the other readers out there present immediate value (I own the Sony PRS-505, for example) I recognize that the likely long-term future hinges on the great experiment at Amazon. The future may not rest with Kindle, or Amazon, but I believe that the next big phase in this evolution will depend on the relative success of this initiative over the next couple of years. If it goes well then eMedia will get a big boost of acceptance and availability; if it fails then our corner of the technology world will languish for a while until another brave soul tries again. Further, a failure at Amazon would almost certainly reflect poorly on the long term financial futures for other eMedia distribution channels. But bluntly, I wouldn't want to be looking for financing for a business model that Amazon could not make work.
A kindle outage endangers the immediate future of this business. Let's hope they are back in stock soon, stay in stock, and continue to sell briskly. This rising tide will float all boats.
My two cents (worth much less now after inflation).
-- Scott
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