Comments on: Amazon too proprietary to license out Kindle platform? http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 05:51:36 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Chris Meadows http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-886994 Chris Meadows Wed, 27 Aug 2008 20:10:40 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/#comment-886994 But on the other hand, it led to some pretty darned fine PalmOS PDAs—the Visor, the Clié—that were significantly better than what Palm was offering at the time. (If they didn't sell for Sony, well, I guess that was Sony's problem. I had two Cliés and loved 'em.) But on the other hand, it led to some pretty darned fine PalmOS PDAs—the Visor, the Clié—that were significantly better than what Palm was offering at the time. (If they didn’t sell for Sony, well, I guess that was Sony’s problem. I had two Cliés and loved ‘em.)

]]> By: Mike Cane http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-886982 Mike Cane Wed, 27 Aug 2008 19:43:17 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/#comment-886982 Having PalmOS PDAs outside of the Palm brand didn't work out so well. Ask Sony! Having PalmOS PDAs outside of the Palm brand didn’t work out so well. Ask Sony!

]]> By: Paul Biba http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-886955 Paul Biba Wed, 27 Aug 2008 18:47:40 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/#comment-886955 I read the original article and it is rather disappointing that the author of this piece doesn't understand what is going on here. The Kindle, <em>qua</em> Kindle, is not a proprietary platform. There is nothing special about the Amazon hardware that needs to be "opened up". It is essentially duplicated in the Sony Reader, Cybook, Illiad, etc. No big deal. The only thing that makes the hardware special is the Whispernet connection, and anyone can go a Taiwanese manufacturer and have this OEMed with very little trouble. You can make a clone of the Kindle tomorrow if you want, cut a deal with Sprint or someone else for a data connection, and then supply it with Mobipocket books or use your own software to read ePub. The article makes no sense. I read the original article and it is rather disappointing that the author of this piece doesn’t understand what is going on here. The Kindle, qua Kindle, is not a proprietary platform. There is nothing special about the Amazon hardware that needs to be “opened up”. It is essentially duplicated in the Sony Reader, Cybook, Illiad, etc. No big deal. The only thing that makes the hardware special is the Whispernet connection, and anyone can go a Taiwanese manufacturer and have this OEMed with very little trouble. You can make a clone of the Kindle tomorrow if you want, cut a deal with Sprint or someone else for a data connection, and then supply it with Mobipocket books or use your own software to read ePub. The article makes no sense.

]]> By: Chris Meadows http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-886888 Chris Meadows Wed, 27 Aug 2008 16:29:27 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/#comment-886888 Of course, the way it is right now, anybody <i>can</i> sell books to Kindle users, as long as they sell them in a format that can be converted and uploaded. They may not be able to sell them through Amazon's store, but if people aren't afraid of doing a little conversion themselves… Of course, the way it is right now, anybody can sell books to Kindle users, as long as they sell them in a format that can be converted and uploaded. They may not be able to sell them through Amazon’s store, but if people aren’t afraid of doing a little conversion themselves…

]]> By: pond http://www.teleread.org/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/comment-page-1/#comment-886859 pond Wed, 27 Aug 2008 15:28:26 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/blog/2008/08/27/amazon-too-proprietary-to-license-out-kindle-platform/#comment-886859 If I were Jeff Bezos, I would not open up the Kindle platform so anybody and everybody else could sell books to Kindle users, and bypass me. But I would extend out the Kindle platform so that non-Kindle-users could buy Kindle books (from me) and read them on different platforms. The difference here comes down to where Amazon hopes to make the bulk of its money out of the whole Kindle initiative. Do they want to make money off hardware sales? Or do they want to make money off ebook sales? Mr Bezos's comments in the past, fretting over the end of the CD and DVD and wishing to get into selling electrons, indicates that he has his sights set squarely on ebook sales: the Kindle device is a means of delivering those electrons for sale. But since eInk devices are difficult (so far) to manufacture, and are (so far) pretty expensive, it is the device itself that is limiting the electron-sales. Thus, selling an iPhone app (and a Windows app, and a Mac OSX app, and an Android app, etc) that would include kindle-like functionality to buy kindle editions, would ramp up electron sales by a huge margin. So much so, that it makes sense to give the things away --- something Amazon couldn't possibly do for the Kindle devices themselves. Here in my guess of what is on Mr Bezos's mind, 'proprietary' is important, but it governs the software platform, and the Kindle-edition ebooks, and not the reading device itself. If I were Jeff Bezos, I would not open up the Kindle platform so anybody and everybody else could sell books to Kindle users, and bypass me. But I would extend out the Kindle platform so that non-Kindle-users could buy Kindle books (from me) and read them on different platforms.

The difference here comes down to where Amazon hopes to make the bulk of its money out of the whole Kindle initiative. Do they want to make money off hardware sales? Or do they want to make money off ebook sales?

Mr Bezos’s comments in the past, fretting over the end of the CD and DVD and wishing to get into selling electrons, indicates that he has his sights set squarely on ebook sales: the Kindle device is a means of delivering those electrons for sale.

But since eInk devices are difficult (so far) to manufacture, and are (so far) pretty expensive, it is the device itself that is limiting the electron-sales.

Thus, selling an iPhone app (and a Windows app, and a Mac OSX app, and an Android app, etc) that would include kindle-like functionality to buy kindle editions, would ramp up electron sales by a huge margin. So much so, that it makes sense to give the things away — something Amazon couldn’t possibly do for the Kindle devices themselves.

Here in my guess of what is on Mr Bezos’s mind, ‘proprietary’ is important, but it governs the software platform, and the Kindle-edition ebooks, and not the reading device itself.

]]>