IF you could add one function to your Kindle...

[carld]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

More options = more electronics and more R&D = more expensive.

I bought a Kindle, not an ipad wannabe

I have to disagree with that really, there's no indication that small addon apps, like Amazon is already publishing, will increase the price of the Kindle.

Plus, options and additional features have increased a lot since the K1 was introduced 2 years ago, and prices have dropped anyway.

[mike_bike_kite]

Originally Posted by Zanshin

More options = more electronics and more R&D = more expensive.

I bought a Kindle, not an ipad wannabe

Practically all the suggestions above don't require any change to the electronics. All changes would be in software and software costs are practically zero compared to Kindle (and associated ebook) sales.

Getting the software right means people will buy more Kindles and come away with a happy experience that radiates to other potential buyers. More products sold means cheaper prices. Not improving the software leaves users feeling cheated or disappointed and the company will loose sales and they'll end up out of business.

Imagine if Barnes and Noble didn't upgrade the original software on the Nook - would anyone be buying Nooks now? Out of curiosity have you turned off the automatic firmware updates on your Kindle?

[Digital Ink]

None.

[mattbiernat]

Originally Posted by captkjaneway

Carl, I don't believe the suggestion is that they detract from the reading experience, for me it would be the cost they would add to the equipment, thereby pricing the unit out of my range for what purpose other than to make it more like a tablet that you can read off.

optional applications don't make an electronic device more expansive.

[mattbiernat]

Originally Posted by DRichard

I DIDN'T BUY A KINDLE TO HAVE ANOTHER MULTIFUNCTIONAL DEVICE!!!

ok. you have a right to do whatever you want to do with your kindle. just please don't disallow other people to extend the capabilities of their kindles. i'd like to see office applications such as mail, notepad and spreadsheet. many people would like to get an alarm clock and a file manager. if you don't want to do any of these simply don't download such software.
whether you like it or not kindle is a computer and has a potential to do millions of tasks. we just want to develop it more and nobody wants to take away a nice pleasurable reading experience out of it.
somebody mentioned the following alternatives:
1) buy an ipad - i don't like apple
2) use a cell phone - 2 inch screen is too small
3) use a netbook - i can't read books on it
kindle fits perfectly into my pocket, its light and has a free 3G. cell phone 3G internet cost money, costs even more money when you go overseas and there is no way that you can read your book on a cell phone.

[captkjaneway]

Originally Posted by mattbiernat

optional applications don't make an electronic device more expansive.

I'm sorry but they do - the extra processing power required, the addition of RAM and additional flash memory plus the development of the applications themselves all add to the cost.

As I said I don't mind applications that enhance the basic functionality of the Kindle, for example a better library system but to add email, word processing etc is taking the Kindle out of it's natural place and into the realms of a tablet or netbook.

I personally do not mind carrying different tools for my needs - I have a MP3 player rather than use my phone, I carry a laptop for serious emailing/office/web functions and I will carry the Kindle to read on.

But each to there own and if I came across badly, I apologise I am just tired of people trying to make one piece of equipment a jack of all trades casuing it to fail at its basic use or make it too expensive to be worthwhile.

[gca3020]

Originally Posted by mattbiernat

kindle fits perfectly into my pocket, its light and has a free 3G. cell phone 3G internet cost money, costs even more money when you go overseas and there is no way that you can read your book on a cell phone.

Here's my biggest flaw with your logic. By adding all these features to your kindle (calendar, e-mail, reminder, etc...) you will be increasing your data consumption. Data is not free. Amazon subsidizes the cost of it because right now, it's (primarily) only used for downloading books. As soon as you start adding more features that use the data, Amazon will be forced to pass that cost on to us.

Now in a fair and just world, they could just charge you for the amount of data you use (Or rig up something like "each book you buy gets you an extra 20MB").

However, they sold the Kindle with the promise of free 3G access to books. So to cover their increased data costs from people using it for non-book-purchasing reasons, what will they end up doing? Raise the cost of books for everyone!

I certainly don't want to see this happen.

[6charlong]

Interestingly in this whole long thread I don't see people longing for color screens. You know that is going to be the next big thing. We're going to be told soon that color screens are what everyone needs in an eBook reader.

What do you say, color screens anyone?

[carld]

Originally Posted by gca3020

Here's my biggest flaw with your logic. By adding all these features to your kindle (calendar, e-mail, reminder, etc...) you will be increasing your data consumption. Data is not free. Amazon subsidizes the cost of it because right now, it's (primarily) only used for downloading books. As soon as you start adding more features that use the data, Amazon will be forced to pass that cost on to us.

Actually that's not true. If you sell or give away an app that allows data access over 3G then you the developer pay for 3G access by the app's users. Amazon does not cover the cost of 3G access from apps Edit: above 100KB/month. This is spelled out as far as charges, and levels of access and so on the Software Development Kit Beta site.

Here's the relevant part of the page, Amazon clearly has thought this through and taken the costs of 3G into consideration. I wouldn't worry about apps killing off free 3G.

Active content will be available to customers in the Kindle Store later this year. Your active content can be priced three ways:

* Free – Active content applications that are smaller than 1MB and use less than 100KB/user/month of wireless data may be offered at no charge to customers. Amazon will pay the wireless costs associated with delivery and maintenance.
* One-time Purchase - Customers will be charged once when purchasing active content. Content must have nominal (less than 100KB/user/month) ongoing wireless usage.
* Monthly Subscription - Customers will be charged once per month for active content.

Active content applications have an upper size limit of 100MB. Applications larger than 10MB will not be delivered wireless but can be downloaded from the Kindle Store to a computer and transferred to the user’s Kindle via USB.

[carld]

Originally Posted by captkjaneway

I'm sorry but they do - the extra processing power required, the addition of RAM and additional flash memory plus the development of the applications themselves all add to the cost.

I'm not going to go back through and check every suggestion, but I don't remember seeing any apps mentioned that the Kindle isn't already capable of through, at least through web apps. I could be wrong, but I don't see any need for any of those additional costs you mention, not for the mostly simple apps listed.

[Ben Thornton]

Bezos was pretty plain in his Charlie Rose interview that they were aiming for the best possible reader, with no compromises to benefit other functionality. So I don't think that we need to worry too much about the reading functionality being traded out for other apps.

Having said that, the device is capable of doing other things, but I'm not sure that there is a compelling argument for most users to do so - and it makes the device less reliable etc.

[mattbiernat]

Originally Posted by captkjaneway

I'm sorry but they do - the extra processing power required, the addition of RAM and additional flash memory plus the development of the applications themselves all add to the cost.

- basic notepad with spellchecker will not need extra ram or processing power, they already have games on Kindle which don't require extra processing power
- the cost of making applications is turned into a profit by selling it
- an email program that downloads emails without attachments will not break the 3G costs because it will download only text and will probably use less bytes than current option of logging into gmail via its mobile web browser

Originally Posted by captkjaneway

I am just tired of people trying to make one piece of equipment a jack of all trades casuing it to fail at its basic use or make it too expensive to be worthwhile.

I agree, why not keep Kindle specialized for reading but give it options to do whatever people want to do with it. If you just want it for read than don't add any apps that will be available soon at the Amazon store. Again no body will be changing anything about your kindle. Everything will be optional.

[mattbiernat]

Originally Posted by mike_bike_kite

Practically all the suggestions above don't require any change to the electronics. All changes would be in software and software costs are practically zero compared to Kindle (and associated ebook) sales.

Getting the software right means people will buy more Kindles and come away with a happy experience that radiates to other potential buyers. More products sold means cheaper prices. Not improving the software leaves users feeling cheated or disappointed and the company will loose sales and they'll end up out of business.

Imagine if Barnes and Noble didn't upgrade the original software on the Nook - would anyone be buying Nooks now? Out of curiosity have you turned off the automatic firmware updates on your Kindle?

+1 to this post.

[Ben Thornton]

What I'd like is a simple email client on the dishwasher.

[mattbiernat]

Originally Posted by Ben Thornton

What I'd like is a simple email client on the dishwasher.

how about a logical argument against such idea rather than an obscure statement.