Quote:
Originally Posted by Jellby
That sounds like the OpenInkpot project.
|
OpenInkpot is an alternative firmware (or operating system) for devices. It was produced because the existing firmware on some devices was quite poor. I don't believe OpenInkpot allows you to create installable applications other than those that are required to view books or images. Also OpenInkpot is usually installed on a few older ereaders and then only by quite adventurous individuals which doesn't translate to a huge market even if OpenInkpot could run applications. In short I'm not suggesting anything like open inkpot
The current market leaders of ereaders are selling their devices as cheaply as possible at the moment with the aim of recouping profits through book sales - allowing users to install a different firmware like OpenInkpot would loose them future ebook sales so it just won't happen. All this means that OpenInkpot is interesting but it's unlikely to be the way forward.
The idea I'm suggesting of a standard SDK wouldn't harm sales but would instead make their ereaders look more attractive as users can run more applications. Users would benefit because they get a wider choice of applications (if they want them). Developers could also spend more time on producing interesting applications because they know they can sell to a wider market. Win-win-win.