NYT: Kindle books for everyone (not just Kindles)!

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

While mobile phones are good for quick access to reading material, their backlighted screens are “terrible for long-form reading,” said Evan Schnittman, vice president for global business development at Oxford University Press. “It hurts the eyes. The pages of a book are the size they are because of hundreds of years of experience of what works best.”

These statements are getting to be embarrassing. Books are sized the way they are because of years of experience in what sells best and makes the largest profit. Implying anything else is disingenuous of any publisher.

And making assumptions about what is easy and hard to read on, when you consider the fact that there are almost 7 billion people on this planet, none of whom came out of a cookie-cutter, is just sad. Even at Oxford, some people still just don't get it.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

These statements are getting to be embarrassing. Books are sized the way they are because of years of experience in what sells best and makes the largest profit. Implying anything else is disingenuous of any publisher.

And making assumptions about what is easy and hard to read on, when you consider the fact that there are almost 7 billion people on this planet, none of whom came out of a cookie-cutter, is just sad. Even at Oxford, some people still just don't get it.

I still have to agree with at least the first part. Backlit screens make my eyes bleed.

[mtravellerh]

Originally Posted by smee

I have trouble imagining they'd open it up to all devices - if there really is a Kindle 2 coming out it would cut into sales anyway. But, I can imagine them opening it up to iphone/touch.

Why do you think so? Is there any trouble between Apple and Amazon that I am not aware of?

[smee]

Originally Posted by mtravellerh

Why do you think so? Is there any trouble between Apple and Amazon that I am not aware of?

I meant that I don't expect Amazon to announce anytime soon that they will sell Kindle books for Sony, Hanlin, etc., readers.

I will not be surprised if they announce that they are selling Kindle books for iphone/touch.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

I still have to agree with at least the first part. Backlit screens make my eyes bleed.

Ooch! That sucks. But it doesn't change the fact that it ain't so for everyone. I read exclusively on backlit PC and PDA screens... I have for years. And the younger generations are already used to it, they do it all the time.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

Ooch! That sucks. But it doesn't change the fact that it ain't so for everyone. I read exclusively on backlit PC and PDA screens... I have for years. And the younger generations are already used to it, they do it all the time.

But I am the younger generation i have bad eyes though.

[mtravellerh]

I do read on my Acer Aspire One (as my wife uses the Cybook, mostly) and I don't have any problems with doing that except in bright sunlight. Never have I endured any eyestrain afaik.

[Manichean]

Originally Posted by HarryT

For Mobi books, yes, but remember that there are other formats out there .

You're right. I tend to forget.

Originally Posted by HarryT

But let's not get carried away. I can't really see Amazon doing this, much though I'm sure we'd all like them to.

Neither do I.

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

I read exclusively on backlit PC and PDA screens... I have for years. And the younger generations are already used to it, they do it all the time.

Well, being "the younger generation" (although I've seen CRT screens in action ), I have to say that, for working, yes- backlight screens are great. I can sit for about five hours working on a TFT with minimal eyestrain. But in my opinion reading on backlit screens is, after maybe 30 minutes, a strain on the eyes. So I think that even the younger generation would like Eink technology. That is, if they still read.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

Originally Posted by lilac_jive

But I am the younger generation i have bad eyes though.

At (ahem!) almost-50, I qualify as one of the older gens, but I have no problem reading on LCD screens. The point is, everybody's different, so making blanket statements like that is pointless and counter-productive.

(In light of that fact, I withdraw my comment suggesting all of the younger generation are already used to it... )

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

At (ahem!) almost-50, I qualify as one of the older gens, but I have no problem reading on LCD screens. The point is, everybody's different, so making blanket statements like that is pointless and counter-productive.

(In light of that fact, I withdraw my comment suggesting all of the younger generation are already used to it... )

No I agree with you (on the blanket statements).

[tlrowley]

Munsey's blog has a post talking about Mobi support coming to the iphone (I think it was promised before the end of last year). They were talking about how cool it would be to read a few pages while you're stuck in a line and then coming home to read some more on your Kindle - with your page being synced. Could this be a use of the new "advance to last read position" that shows up in Kindle firmware 1.2? (I don't have 1.2 yet, so I'm paraphrasing).

[HarryT]

I read on PDAs with LCD screens for well over 20 years, but I really wouldn't like to go back to that after having read for the last couple of years of eInk screens. My "HTC Touch" Windows Smartphone acts as my "emergency reader", but there's no comparison with eInk (for me personally, at least).

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by smee

This kind of fits in with the discussions about Astak (EZReader) being told that devices in the US that support mobi DRM are not allowed to support any other DRM. If Amazon is going to open up their distribution, they probably want to monopolize it and discourage you from buying from anyone else.

The way I read RobertB's message was the Amazon would not allow them to sell the reader with Mobipocket support on it AT ALL. That they will be reoving Mobipocket support in a future firmware update.

BOb

[Robotech_Master]

Originally Posted by -Thomas-

It would definitely make sense that they offer the books as normal Mobipocket books, especially as they "own" the company that created the format.

It would make more "sense" for them to come out with a new "Kindle reader" that duplicates the Kindle's requirement of having some obscure bit flipped in the normal Mobipocket file to make it work. Thus, the reader would only be compatible with Kindle books, cutting out other bookstores such as Fictionwise or Booksforabuck (unless you did the same jiggery-pokery that you have to do now to get a Fictionwise book onto a Kindle).

They might own Mobipocket, but it seems clear they're only interested in it for using (a modified version of) the format themselves. They don't want to make things easier for the other stores, or they wouldn't have that flipped bit requirement that makes other stores' Mobis not work with Kindle without help.

[-Thomas-]

Originally Posted by Robotech_Master

It would make more "sense" for them to come out with a new "Kindle reader" that duplicates the Kindle's requirement of having some obscure bit flipped in the normal Mobipocket file to make it work.

Re-reading the OP I agree on that point. It would be the easiest way for Amazon as they have all books already in that format and probably don't want to hassle with two different formats.

Thus, the reader would only be compatible with Kindle books, cutting out other bookstores such as Fictionwise or Booksforabuck (unless you did the same jiggery-pokery that you have to do now to get a Fictionwise book onto a Kindle).

The original Mobipocket reader is already available for many mobile platforms, so if I'm after cheaper books I would simply install both applications and buy books wherever I like. If I really want a book that's exclusively available at Amazon I would buy it there.

On my mind locking users in to their mobile reader software is unnecessary for Amazon: They have by far the widest range of e-books available so customers will come to them anyway.