From Spotify to Bookify: how playlists could revolutionize the books market. When reading bold declarations that the Kindle and the Sony Reader are poised to provide the iPod-esque "tipping point" for the book market, it's hard not to cringe. The vague optimism of the statement betrays a fundamental uncertainty about how it might actually be brought about, and the interminable disputes - over appropriate pricing levels for e-books for instance, or digital rights management strategies that don't completely alienate purchasers - fail to inspire. It seems at times that the publishing industry is just muddling along, hoping for the best. One can't help but wonder if the industry, dazzled by the technological potential of e-readers, has lost sight of the most important thing: how readers actually interact with books.
Let's track back for a minute to the optimistic comparisons between the iPod and e-readers. But perhaps there is more to the notion of the playlist than first meets the eye. Not long ago, I was mucking about on Spotify when a thought occurred me.
Kindle readers. Kindlepedia. Hands On With Amazon's Zippy, Alluring Kindle. It didn't take long to realize that this Kindle was unlike any other I'd handled before--including the new Kindle DX (Graphite). Maybe 20 seconds, tops. Never mind the obvious giveaways--smaller size, less wasted real estate around the edges, new button design, new color. As soon as I took it in hand, I knew that this Kindle marked new territory.
The third-generation Kindle comes in two versions: The Kindle Wi-Fi costs $139, while the Kindle (as Amazon calls it) has both Wi-Fi and 3G and costs $189, the same as what the 3G-only Kindle 2 cost previously. For the first time, I could comfortably hold a Kindle e-reader in one hand. At 8.7 ounces, the Kindle is not the lightest such device on the market--the Kobo eReader, which also has a 6-inch display, is nearly one ounce lighter; and the Bookeen Cybook Opus is lighter still, at 5.3 ounces. What's notable is that Amazon achieves its design improvements even while adding features (notably, Wi-Fi) and boosting the screen technology. Advanced Kindle Book Search. KindleMap.net Maps, Directions and Panoramio USA Photos.
Amazon Kindle. Kindle forums.