The "Kindle" iPod of reading - Newsweek scoops - Page 8

Beau · 11-19-2007, 01:34 PM

I hadn't really thought about it, but on another blog, the question was posed: Would Amazon try to have "exclusive rights" to publishing content.

They've contacted some publishers who say "NO". They are implying that Amazon is going to have an Amazon specific DRM though...

http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007...equin-readers/

Don't know if they have any real info to back that up.

NatCh · 11-19-2007, 02:07 PM

That's da_jane's blog -- the reasons she thinks that have been discussed some here too, and I think there may be something to it, it depends on some details we don't have yet.

jgrnt1 · 11-19-2007, 02:36 PM

I went to Amazon and was greeted by a welcome letter describing the Kindle. If you click on the link in the letter, the Kindle shows as in stock and available. There are a bunch of photos, too. Also -- "No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read. Does anybody want to buy an iLiad?

da_jane · 11-19-2007, 02:40 PM

I've contacted Harlequin, S&S, Random House, HarperCollins and Penguin. (not St. Martin or Tor because they don't do ebooks). Oh, I should email Warner. But the first four publishers I listed returned my emails and said no exclusive content for Kindle which makes me happy because I am not buying a Kindle.

nathantw · 11-19-2007, 03:46 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by astra_lestat

I see it as a problem right now.
When I bought my reader, I showed it to 3 full time IT tutors in a college. 2 of them are hardware/networking guys and the third one is lady who is teaching VB.
(snip)
They said: What? So expensive for a device that allows you to read books? And you still have to pay for content? No way. The lady said: when I travel, I

You need to remember these are people who probably have limited funds so everything over $100 is expensive, especially if they see it as a luxury. People who have a lot of disposable income look at the device and say "oh, is it more convenient for me? I'll buy it then." Those that don't watch every penny and will bypass anything that cost money if they can get it for free. They'd sacrifice convenience over spending money any day. I speak with experience.

nathantw · 11-19-2007, 03:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by silvania

Sony is already leaking that they are very dissappointed in their ereader sales so I believe they will dump their reader within 12 to 18 months.

You must be thinking of a different company. Sony has a reputation of supporting their product even if it's been considered "discontinued" for YEARS. For example, I bet you can still buy Beta tapes from Sony. They support their technology longer than some companies stay in business. I don't see them dropping the Reader support any time soon, especially since the new model was just released.

Look at the Playstation 3 for crying out loud. Most companies would have folded by now with their dismal sales. Instead they did whatever they could to get the PS3 business model working. I bet you've seen a commercial for the Playstation 3 on television (if you watch it) at least once.

Steven Lyle Jordan · 11-19-2007, 04:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

I've contacted Harlequin, S&S, Random House, HarperCollins and Penguin. (not St. Martin or Tor because they don't do ebooks). Oh, I should email Warner. But the first four publishers I listed returned my emails and said no exclusive content for Kindle which makes me happy because I am not buying a Kindle.

I can get behind that. I don't have a problem making my books available for the Kindle, but I wouldn't make it an exclusive deal.

Edit: Amazon's agreement does not suggest that you are entering into an exclusive contract with them at all, so you are free to sell your e-books elsewhere. The rest of the agreement is fairly standard:

1. Amazon will do what it wants;
2. Amazon is not liable for anything it does;
3. You can't do anything about it.
4. Etc.

kezza · 11-19-2007, 05:29 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

I've contacted Harlequin, S&S, Random House, HarperCollins and Penguin. (not St. Martin or Tor because they don't do ebooks). Oh, I should email Warner. But the first four publishers I listed returned my emails and said no exclusive content for Kindle which makes me happy because I am not buying a Kindle.

Oh, that is such good news! It affirms my initial hopes, that this would just bring more publishers on board with ebooks, which is good for everybody. Sony has a lot of muscle, so it shouldn't be long before some of these books make it to Connect, and after that Mobi and eReader couldn't be too far behind. Even if the Kindle isn't the next iPod, it's probably going to expand the ebook industry considerably.

da_jane · 11-19-2007, 05:47 PM

One more update, I heard back from Hachette Publishing and they aren't going to be offering exclusive content to Amazon. Apparently, the only publisher so far that has exclusive Amazon content is Wiley.

yvanleterrible · 11-19-2007, 08:13 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by da_jane

One more update, I heard back from Hachette Publishing and they aren't going to be offering exclusive content to Amazon. Apparently, the only publisher so far that has exclusive Amazon content is Wiley.

Hachette is French and so is Mobi. Coincidence?

mogui · 11-19-2007, 11:10 PM

Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons...5529815&sr=1-5
And it is beautiful -- just like the Atari!

They sell a battery for US$19.99. This means you can change it yourself. You can carry a spare!

The EVDO (not WiFi) is free to use for the consumer. No more being tied to your computer!

Best sellers are US$9.99. Top that Sony!

Download newspapers and magazines. Getcher magazines here!

They have a forum. Learn everything here!

Want to know more? The manuals are here!

Kindle will be hard to beat. Is it worth the wait?

Vienna01 · 11-19-2007, 11:45 PM

Seems Amazon created a SYSTEM not just hardware & a store. If I did not have a 500, I would buy a Kindle.
Sony will have to improve if they expect to stay in the game- Pricing,features and access to books in store. Sony might have to drastically reduce reader price to sell against Kindle.If Sony does the deal with Adobe on shared format and DRM so that folks can get book loans through their local library to read on a SONY, that would give them a plus but it could cannibalize book sales.

astra · 11-20-2007, 07:20 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Vienna01

Seems Amazon created a SYSTEM not just hardware & a store. If I did not have a 500, I would buy a Kindle.
Sony will have to improve if they expect to stay in the game- Pricing,features and access to books in store. Sony might have to drastically reduce reader price to sell against Kindle.If Sony does the deal with Adobe on shared format and DRM so that folks can get book loans through their local library to read on a SONY, that would give them a plus but it could cannibalize book sales.

I believe they will ditch reader sooner or...yet more sooner.
I don't believe anyone has a chance to beat amazon with their content prices and availabilyty of content.

nathantw · 11-21-2007, 01:10 PM

You are aware that Sony is partnered with Borders and that Borders is going to part ways with Amazon, right? Why in the world would Sony drop the Reader if they have Borders to help on the book offerings? I know Sony is shortsighted when it comes to some business decisions, but I've never seen them give up the ghost without a fight. They're not going to drop the PRS-505 just because some competitor has a reader. It's not like Sony is some fly-by-night company where all profits are hinged on one product. They can take it to Amazon the same way they ended up taking a huge chunk of the pie on VHS back in the day and more recently LCD televisions once they became committed. Remember, Sony was committed to Beta (and still are) and when they realized they couldn't compete with consumer VHS they brought out their own VHS model and dominated. They weren't committed to LCD flat panel televisions until they found the market for their tube televisions drying up. Once they realized what was going on they grabbed the bull by the horns and now make some of the best LCD televisions on the market. Do you seriously believe that Sony won't do the same with their Reader?

Amazon, on the other hand, has a track record of abandoning their users and their products if it isn't profitable. If the Kindle's interest fades after the initial buzz, let's see how long the unit lasts on the market.

Sit back and watch the battle. It's just beginning.

Zoot · 11-21-2007, 02:13 PM

Sony is a gadget company getting into selling books as a sideline. Amazon is a book company getting into selling gadgets as a sideline. Between the two if what you're worried about is quality and continuity of content then I think I might put my money on Amazon. Not that either's survival in this market is something I'd bet a lot on.

Z.

11-19-2007, 11:45 PM	#117
Vienna01 Old Dog Learns New Tricks Posts: 123 Karma: 142 Join Date: Nov 2006 Location: Maryland USA Device: Sony PRS-500,PocketBook 301, Sony 650	Kindle Roll Out Well Done in my opinion Seems Amazon created a SYSTEM not just hardware & a store. If I did not have a 500, I would buy a Kindle. Sony will have to improve if they expect to stay in the game- Pricing,features and access to books in store. Sony might have to drastically reduce reader price to sell against Kindle.If Sony does the deal with Adobe on shared format and DRM so that folks can get book loans through their local library to read on a SONY, that would give them a plus but it could cannibalize book sales.

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11-19-2007, 01:34 PM	#106
Beau Connoisseur Posts: 77 Karma: 132 Join Date: Jul 2007 Device: Sony 700, ipod Touch, iphone, Galaxy Tab	I hadn't really thought about it, but on another blog, the question was posed: Would Amazon try to have "exclusive rights" to publishing content. They've contacted some publishers who say "NO". They are implying that Amazon is going to have an Amazon specific DRM though... http://dearauthor.com/wordpress/2007...equin-readers/ Don't know if they have any real info to back that up.

11-19-2007, 02:07 PM	#107
NatCh Gizmologist Posts: 11,615 Karma: 929550 Join Date: Jan 2006 Location: Republic of Texas Embassy at Jackson, TN Device: Pocketbook Touch HD3	That's da_jane's blog -- the reasons she thinks that have been discussed some here too, and I think there may be something to it, it depends on some details we don't have yet.

11-19-2007, 02:36 PM	#108
jgrnt1 Member Posts: 10 Karma: 10 Join Date: May 2007 Location: Dallas, TX Device: iPad	I went to Amazon and was greeted by a welcome letter describing the Kindle. If you click on the link in the letter, the Kindle shows as in stock and available. There are a bunch of photos, too. Also -- "No monthly wireless bills, service plans, or commitments—we take care of the wireless delivery so you can simply click, buy, and read. Does anybody want to buy an iLiad?

11-19-2007, 02:40 PM	#109
da_jane Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 692 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 \| Kindle Paperwhite \| iPad Mini	I've contacted Harlequin, S&S, Random House, HarperCollins and Penguin. (not St. Martin or Tor because they don't do ebooks). Oh, I should email Warner. But the first four publishers I listed returned my emails and said no exclusive content for Kindle which makes me happy because I am not buying a Kindle.

11-19-2007, 05:47 PM	#114
da_jane Evangelist Posts: 405 Karma: 692 Join Date: Sep 2006 Device: Samsung Galaxy Note 3 \| Kindle Paperwhite \| iPad Mini	One more update, I heard back from Hachette Publishing and they aren't going to be offering exclusive content to Amazon. Apparently, the only publisher so far that has exclusive Amazon content is Wiley.

11-19-2007, 11:10 PM	#116
mogui eNigma Posts: 503 Karma: 1335 Join Date: Dec 2006 Location: The Philippines Device: HTC G1 Android FBReader	Here it is: http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Amazons...5529815&sr=1-5 And it is beautiful -- just like the Atari! They sell a battery for US$19.99. This means you can change it yourself. You can carry a spare! The EVDO (not WiFi) is free to use for the consumer. No more being tied to your computer! Best sellers are US$9.99. Top that Sony! Download newspapers and magazines. Getcher magazines here! They have a forum. Learn everything here! Want to know more? The manuals are here! Kindle will be hard to beat. Is it worth the wait?

11-21-2007, 01:10 PM	#119
nathantw Zealot Posts: 145 Karma: 230 Join Date: Oct 2007 Device: 505	You are aware that Sony is partnered with Borders and that Borders is going to part ways with Amazon, right? Why in the world would Sony drop the Reader if they have Borders to help on the book offerings? I know Sony is shortsighted when it comes to some business decisions, but I've never seen them give up the ghost without a fight. They're not going to drop the PRS-505 just because some competitor has a reader. It's not like Sony is some fly-by-night company where all profits are hinged on one product. They can take it to Amazon the same way they ended up taking a huge chunk of the pie on VHS back in the day and more recently LCD televisions once they became committed. Remember, Sony was committed to Beta (and still are) and when they realized they couldn't compete with consumer VHS they brought out their own VHS model and dominated. They weren't committed to LCD flat panel televisions until they found the market for their tube televisions drying up. Once they realized what was going on they grabbed the bull by the horns and now make some of the best LCD televisions on the market. Do you seriously believe that Sony won't do the same with their Reader? Amazon, on the other hand, has a track record of abandoning their users and their products if it isn't profitable. If the Kindle's interest fades after the initial buzz, let's see how long the unit lasts on the market. Sit back and watch the battle. It's just beginning.

11-21-2007, 02:13 PM	#120
Zoot Connoisseur Posts: 89 Karma: 34 Join Date: Nov 2006 Device: Amazon Kindle	Sony is a gadget company getting into selling books as a sideline. Amazon is a book company getting into selling gadgets as a sideline. Between the two if what you're worried about is quality and continuity of content then I think I might put my money on Amazon. Not that either's survival in this market is something I'd bet a lot on. Z.

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