"Kindle-Books" to be Supported on Other Devices?

[JuristDoctor]

This article from AppleInsider caught my eye. Looks like Amazon may be planning to offer Kindle-books on other devices? Would they ever consider adding support for the Sony Reader? Of course, this would also require Sony supporting the format wouldn't it?


Google books iPhone-friendly; Amazon Kindle books next?

By Aidan Malley
Published: February 7, 2009, 12:00 AM EST

Google has made its online catalog of books available in an iPhone-optimized web viewer -- but Amazon is dropping hints it will expand its previously exclusive Kindle e-books to support other mobile devices.

On Friday, Google launched a mobile Google Book Search with finger-ready navigation for iPhone and iPod touch devices as well as handsets using its own Android mobile operating system.

The move gives iPhone owners access to about 1.5 million books available in the US (and about 500,000 international books) in the public domain either through expired copyrights or open licenses, all without having to download proprietary apps.

Google's Book Search team says the feat of optimizing the collection was accomplished by using automatic text scanning to reformat the books for the small screens instead of using the raw page images. Some texts produced in difficult-to-scan formats aren't immediately available but should be added as technology improves.

The feature is a challenge to App Store software like Classics and Stanza that also take advantage of the public domain to fill their libraries but which have custom interfaces for bookmarking and navigating texts.

Not to be left out, Amazon also hinted just before the launch that it would expand the Kindle format for e-books beyond its proprietary Kindle reader to a range of different devices.

"We are excited to make Kindle books available on a range of mobile phones," Amazon spokesman Drew Herdener tells the New York Times. "We are working on that now."

Which phones will get the copy-protected books aren't known. However, the format has been built from the ground up for downloads and for viewing on relatively large screens like that of the dedicated Amazon reader, making iPhones and iPods possible (though far from certain) candidates. Paid electronic reading has become more commonplace on the Apple devices but has been curbed partly by a limited range of books to buy; Amazon, in turn, offers about 230,000 tiles, most of which are modern and are more likely to include bestsellers.

When any cellphone-ready version of the Kindle standard would appear is just as much of a mystery -- though the company is slated to hold an event on Monday, February 9th that should introduce the iPod-like second-generation Kindle and may serve as a venue for other book-related announcements.

[dhbailey]

I'd be careful about how to interpret this announcement -- it may well be that Kindle books will be supported on specific phones but the phone owners may need to buy the software to read the books. And the kindle books will remain as kindle format, it's just that the technology will be built into the software on the phone so they can be read, whether the software is licensed by the phone maker or by the individual owner.

I doubt that they will open their format to Sony for use on the reader, but on the other hand it's not all that far-fetched to think they might. It will ensure more sales of kindle-formatted books, which benefits Amazon possibly far more than selling the hardware readers.

[Valloric]

I'm reading this as "We'll support the iPhone but not the Sony Reader". Makes sense, since the Reader is a direct competitor to the Kindle and a far, far better device. The only thing that makes the Kindle barely competitive is Amazon's huge selection of books. Take that advantage away, and you're left with an ugly, unergonomic device few would buy.

[wallcraft]

Since AZW is MOBI, the existing MobiPocket Reader software could be modifed to read most "Kindle" ebooks. However, Amazon might well target only "high end" devices - which will allow them to add features to the basic MOBI Reader without cries of outrage from all the existing MOBI customers with older hardware.

Amazon reportedly prevented MobiPocket from releasing an iPhone Reader recently, and this may be because there will instead be a Kindle iPhone Reader. Similarly there might be a Gphone reader, etcetera.

What Amazon is selling is the Kindle Store and its delivery mechanism. I'm sure they will require: a) their software on the device and b) 3G/WiFi access on the device. This rules out all competitors dedicated reading devices. It will, however, allow many more people to buy from the Kindle Store and may be bad news for competing ebook stores.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Valloric

since the Reader is a direct competitor to the Kindle and a far, far better device.

I disagree with this. The Reader does not support dictionaries, highlighting, searching, annotations, wikipedia, web reader. Granted the 700 adds some of those features but at the cost of screen clarity which seems to me to be the most important part of any reader.

BOb

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I disagree with this. The Reader does not support dictionaries, highlighting, searching, annotations, wikipedia, web reader. Granted the 700 adds some of those features but at the cost of screen clarity which seems to me to be the most important part of any reader.

Agreed on the screen part. The 700 is a failure in my book.

But the Kindle fares no better. I've held it and used it, and found it extremely uncomfortable. So to me it's about as useful as the 700: I'd rather read a pbook.

On the topic of "dictionaries, highlighting, searching, annotations, wikipedia, web reader"... depends entirely on what you want from an electronic reading device. I want two things:

1. The ability to store lots of books.
2. The ability to read those books comfortably.

Those are the basic requirements of any reading device. The Kindle fails on #2. Annotations, highlighting etc are not going to change that. And those features by themselves, while potentially useful, are not really on my wishlist. They're gimmicks. I didn't buy an electronic reader so I can surf the web, annotate my books or use a dictionary.

I bought it to read books.

And you can't say I'm "one of the few" who find the Kindle unergonomic. It's a well known fact, like the PRS 700's unusable screen.

[pilotbob]

Originally Posted by Valloric

But the Kindle fares no better. I've held it and used it, and found it extremely uncomfortable. So to me it's about as useful as the 700: I'd rather read a pbook.

So, we can agree that for you this was the case. But, for many of us it is not. I don't find holding the kindle uncomfortable at all. I feel it is much easier to hold and turn pages than my PRS500 is.

Just because you don't prefer something doesn't make it inferior or unusable... it only makes that so for you.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

BOb

[MickeyC]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, we can agree that for you this was the case. But, for many of us it is not. I don't find holding the kindle uncomfortable at all. I feel it is much easier to hold and turn pages than my PRS500 is.

Just because you don't prefer something doesn't make it inferior or unusable... it only makes that so for you.

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

BOb

Very valid point PilotBob. Lots of people were bothered by the back lighting in the iPaqs and other portable readers but I never had that problem.

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by pilotbob

So, we can agree that for you this was the case. But, for many of us it is not. I don't find holding the kindle uncomfortable at all. I feel it is much easier to hold and turn pages than my PRS500 is.

Just because you don't prefer something doesn't make it inferior or unusable... it only makes that so for you.

Oh don't get me wrong, I'm sure there are a lot of people who find the Kindle very comfortable to use. There are a lot of people who believe the PRS 700 has a great screen, too. Good for them.

But in general, most would agree that the Kindle is somewhat lacking in ergonomics, and that the 700 is lacking in readability.

Originally Posted by pilotbob

I guess we will have to agree to disagree.

I never thought we would agree on this matter.

I'm still amazed at how easily I was dragged into a Reader vs. Kindle debate... it's ridiculous, and I should know better. All we need now is HarryT to come along to show us the error of our ways and teach us the virtues of the Cybook.

[JSWolf]

I cannot say how well the Kindle 2 will be for holding. We'll just have to wait for people who buy it to tell us.

As for the 500, it was a bit heavy and the ergonomics were not great. The 505 is a lot nicer to hold and the ergonomics are quite nice.

[HarryT]

One thing I will predict, given the extreme thinness of the K2, is that there are going to be a whole slew of broken screens as people inadvertently bend the machine.

[Gideon]

It's not the "ergonomics" of the Kindle that are off. It's the "ugly." Not the same. Most people I've heard talk or write about the experiences actually USING the Kindle found that once they got used to it it was an incredibly comfortable way to read.

The Sony Reader on the other hand, while gorgeous, is not particular ergonomic. Pages are more a pain to turn, etc. I've had both.

Both are my takes, and others, of course. But I'd quality the Kindle's problems as "ergonomic."

"Barely competing" is also a bit ridiculous to say. It seems to be doing quite well. By itself it has done a lot to raise the awareness (and thus market, and thus longevity of the tech) of ebook and ebook readers. I'm not saying they were doing it for noble ends, but it has worked out that people are actually talking about such things (aside from rabid book and gadget fans.)

I've had three people ask me about the device this week, two of which not even knowing I had one.

Personally, I think it'd be in Amazon's best interest to be hardware agnostic. Sell things on every platform that is willing. But I can see Amazon not being willing to put up with the complications that selling multiple formats could cause - so we're likely going to be seeing mobi or some variation thereof (azw, tpz).

The DRM issue is... well... it's an issue for another day.

[Valloric]

Originally Posted by Gideon

"Barely competing" is also a bit ridiculous to say. It seems to be doing quite well. By itself it has done a lot to raise the awareness (and thus market, and thus longevity of the tech) of ebook and ebook readers. I'm not saying they were doing it for noble ends, but it has worked out that people are actually talking about such things (aside from rabid book and gadget fans.)

I didn't say "barely competing", I said "barely competitive". Nowhere near the same thing.

A lot of people are going for the Kindle because of the promotion it's getting. Most of them have never heard of the Sony Reader.

[lilac_jive]

Originally Posted by HarryT

One thing I will predict, given the extreme thinness of the K2, is that there are going to be a whole slew of broken screens as people inadvertently bend the machine.

Do you think so? It doesn't look very bendy.

[Gideon]

Sorry for the mistake.

I think the case remains the same. That's really in the eye of the beholder.

For me the most important part of an ebook reader is books and price of those books.

Look, Kindle wins! Sony's barely competitive!

See? Ultimately, not a helpful sort of statement. Either way.