Fallout from new Kindle line

[caleb72]

I know U.S. is a big market, but I'm assuming other markets in the world are fairly big as well.

Every time I see somewhere about how Amazon may be able to complete successfully against Apple by matching or even bettering its ecosystem, I always subconsciously insert the "...in the U.S. market...".

From what I can see (admittedly from a position of relative ignorance), Amazon is yet to be able to deliver any significant digital content aside from ebooks anywhere but in the U.S. I see introducing a tablet into the equation as meaningful only within the U.S. market at this point.

Having said all this, I'm hoping that Amazon does manage to extend its digital reach into the Australian market. I believe I'd jump on board from a content perspective even if I'm not so interested in the tablet itself.

[lindsayw]

Also remember that the new Kindle Fire, with a 7" screen, is a real handy size, so will appeal to those who quite rightly criticize the iPad for being too awkward to easily transport. Being basically an oversized Android phone, Kindle Fire users wil be able to download an Android eReader App and READ EPUB FILES. So the Fire might well find its place as an up-market eReader, and not necessarily as a direct competitor in the Tablet market. And owners won't be locked into buying all their eBooks from Amazon, which present Kindle owners are. Amazon-haters could well find this as an acceptable compromise with their conscience.

[HappyMartin]

If you live outside the US it's a case of move along, nothing to see here. If Amazons track record is anything to go by we will see the products roll out to the rest of the world but by then the excitement will be over.

I see that as a good thing for me because I am more likely to make a rational decision. In the meantime my combination of iPad and Kindle 2 keeps me very busy and happy.

[kjk]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I know U.S. is a big market, but I'm assuming other markets in the world are fairly big as well.

Every time I see somewhere about how Amazon may be able to complete successfully against Apple by matching or even bettering its ecosystem, I always subconsciously insert the "...in the U.S. market...".

The majority of Apple's revenues and profits were international in 2010.
(in 2005 the majority of both were from the US)

[Rich_D]

Just last night, 4 guys in Amazon t-shirts burst in my house, converted all my epub files to azw format and smashed my nook with a hammer. They asked for my mp3 player and phone but relaxed when they saw I use Android. As they left, the biggest one grabbed me and told me to "Get with the program" or they'd be back to break my Mr. Coffee.

[ProfCrash]

Originally Posted by pidgeon92

There will always be those people who just won't buy a Kindle because they don't like Amazon, and those who won't like that it doesn't read ePub.

I don't think that there are enough people who have a clue about EPub and Mobi to keep BN and Sony alive on that basis.

What the average person buying an e-reader is going to note is that Amazon has a large book store and can be used at the library. They are going to note that BN has a large store and can be used at the library. They will see the e-readers as being equivalent and not notice the format thing.

While we know EPub means that people can buy books at stores other larger retailers, I doubt that BN loudly advertises that in its stores. They want people buying their books from BN not Sony or Kobo. I am sure that they will tell people that is the case if they are asked but I doubt that they are shouting it from the roof tops.

Most people will see that and then see that Amazon has a similar model out that is a lot less expensive. Some will buy the $99 K4 without knowing about the ads. Some will ask or investigate and see that the ads are not intrusive and will buy the $99 K4 over the NST because it saves them a good amount of money. Some will by the $79 Kindle for their kids because it is less expensive and hence less financial risk and then by a K4 for themselves so that they all have the same device.

BN has to respond with a price break because in a time of economic turmoil, people are going to chose the $79 and $99 models as nice Christmas gifts that meet a need and save them money.

[Sydney's Mom]

Actually, that was me and 3 of my friends.

[luqmaninbmore]

Originally Posted by Bilbo1967

Just as a pedantic point of order, it's "wreak havoc ", not "wreck".

As an equally pedantic point of order, commas and periods go inside quotes.

[anjirlly]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

As an equally pedantic point of order, commas and periods go inside quotes.

Only according to American style guides.

[stonetools]

Originally Posted by ilovejedd

Unfortunately, any WOW factor will probably be more of a gimmick than anything else. As it is, one of my main gripes with iBooks is you can't disable the page turn animations. A lot of ebook reader apps enable display customization (e.g. colors, night mode, background images, etc) and have a host of other features that there's not really much that Apple can do that's totally new. Page syncing, Amazon has had way before Apple and I think that's one of the more useful features. Kobo has all these social stuff on their reader (I think B&N, too) and Amazon has Xray.

If the WOW factor was easy to think of and implement, it would have been done already. Have faith in the fruit, my manga loving colleague, Apple doesn't skate to where the puck is, it skates towards where the puck is going to be.

[twedigteam]

Yet another skirmish in the mobi vs epub battle. I was really hopeful that the Fire would continue to have .mobi support, but also ePub so they eventually wouldn't miss out on ePub3....but go figure.

[fjtorres]

Originally Posted by twedigteam

Yet another skirmish in the mobi vs epub battle. I was really hopeful that the Fire would continue to have .mobi support, but also ePub so they eventually wouldn't miss out on ePub3....but go figure.

1- Amazon can take advantage of epub3 (if it ever amounts to anything) whenever they feel like it. All they have to do is wrap it in their drm and say its an azw3 file.

2- Fire will support sideloaded apks and there are several epub readers in the Amazon Appstore, including Kobo. You want epubs and azw in the same device, Amazon won't mind if you buy a Fire.

[stonetools]

Amazon's push is impressive. But let's not forget that everything in that push is iterative, not innovative.
Kindle 4= last year's Kobo Reader Wireless
Kindle Touch= this year's Kobo Touch
Kindle Fire= Nook Color from last year
Amazon App Store... well, you get the point.

The really innovative thing that Amazon has done is Special Offers (IOW, ad-supported versions of e book readers). Lot of folks HATED the idea when it was first introduced, but the public embraced-to such an extent that it is the "Special Offers " version that is the default , while the no-ads version has become the alternative. It is the "Special Offers" version that is responsible for those eye-popping price points. For example, the no ads version of the KF is $239- just 10 bucks less than the NC at $249. That's not the price being repeated endlessly, though -its the "magical" $199 for the KFSO.
Can the "technical " innovators- B&N and Kobo- counter this? Hard to see how.
The end game-Apple buys B&N, sells off the unprofitable B&M stores,
turns the rest into Apple Stores, and merges the digital division into iBooks. Google absorbs Kobobooks. In five years there will be only three ebookstores- Amazon, Apple, Google

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by caleb72

I'm a bit annoyed that the Kindle Touch won't have dedicated page turn buttons. Other than that it looks pretty good. I don't do "special offers" versions though, so it looks like I'll be set to spend a bit more.

It's rather fortunate for you that the "special offers" Kindles aren't available outside the US, in that case .

[HarryT]

Originally Posted by luqmaninbmore

As an equally pedantic point of order, commas and periods go inside quotes.

Nope - that's a difference between British and American English. In British English, punctuation only goes inside a quote if it forms a part of the quote.