iRex welcomes Kindle, puzzled over proprietary e-book format

[Alexander Turcic]

A bouquet of flowers to the fine people at iRex for their courage in embracing Amazon's launch of the Kindle reader. Karel Byloos, Community Manager at iRex:

With the launch, Amazon created a significant hype and wave of interest in the media, and at this stage the first priority and concern for e-reader manufacturers is to develop the market rather than to compete for market share and in that perspective the entry of another big name like Amazon is certainly stimulating the market growth and will benefit all the current active players on the market.

Well, if it wasn't for Amazon's proprietary e-book format, AWZ, which is based on the Mobipocket format but presumably uses a slightly different way to authorize e-books.

Personally, I am bit puzzled by this and the choice of format and I wonder if the world really needs another. The Amazon owned Mobipocket format is already widely available and supported across many platforms including other e-readers like the Cybook and the iLiad. By supporting only a single format unique to Kindle, they have created another closed system.

Read the full statement over at the iRex Blog.

Related discussion: Amazon MobiPocket files and the Iliad

[zartemis]

I bet the other ebook readers have seen an increase in sales with the launch of the Kindle. I, myself, seriously considered the iLiad before purchasing the Kindle.

They're probably especially seeing an increase from non-US buyers who learn about the Kindle, get excited, then find out it's not for them. iRex is there to satisfy that newly minted gadget lust.

[Steven Lyle Jordan]

iRex answered their own question:

The Amazon owned Mobipocket format is already widely available and supported across many platforms including other e-readers like the Cybook and the iLiad. By supporting only a single format unique to Kindle, they have created another closed system.

Amazon is not simply trying to single-handedly kickstart the e-book market... they're looking to take it over. They don't want competition with other readers. They don't want you to buy their books, and not their reader. It's really pretty obvious, capitalism at its best. What's not to understand?

(I'm not saying it's good, mind you... just understandable.)

[TadW]

History repeats itself.

Today, what's the most commonly used digital audio format, even for legal downloads?...

[NatCh]

Is that a rhetorical question?

[azog]

Originally Posted by Steve Jordan

iRex answered their own question:

Amazon is not simply trying to single-handedly kickstart the e-book market... they're looking to take it over. They don't want competition with other readers. They don't want you to buy their books, and not their reader.

I'm sure it's been asked, but I guess I wonder what Amazon will do with Mobi now? They're now in direct competition, yet it's the same company. History shows that always is a bad thing (IBM, Lucent, for two examples).