But the ebook market is different, in that there are not the same barriers to entry – huge warehouses and shipping challenges. So, its quite possible a new ebook ’superstore’ could challenge Amazon’s dominance. I think all this has been touched on in various Teleread posts, so I don’t claim this is a very original viewpoint.

What does seem new is the clarity with which it appears Amazon is actively maneuvering to close off the avenues a competitor might take, which is a sure sign they see the writing on the wall themselves, and are working to prevent this scenario from happening. Which, if you think about it, means that it probably will happen.

As for Amazon alternatives, I’m delighted that Pan Mac and some other houses are making deals with Lexcycle/Stanza. But I’d like to see still more. And not just with Lexcycle!

By the way, the issue isn’t simply alternative tech but also a genuine willingness to take a stand against Amazon’s monopolistic ambitions, in other respects. At least a few publishers are far, far more tolerant of Amazon’s dominance than you’d think. They’re so worried about piracy that they love the idea of Amazon locking up books in DRM.

Oh, and I also can recall reading that Amazon is still insisting on DRMing of publishers’ Kindle books (same for Mobi in the case of the Amazon-owned store). Not a good sign. If publishers value their independence, this forced DRM needs to stop. Publishers should speak up. Amazon is using DRM is a way to enforce its format clout—as a tool to try to control the industry.

Thanks,
David

Thanks,
David

I don’t think there’s a publisher in America who doesn’t agree with you. We love Amazon, but fear the idea of any monopoly–whether it’s Barnes and Noble in the physical bookstore world or Amazon in the on-line world.

Supporting multiple formats does have its costs–especially for small publishers without sophisticated change management software. But I don’t see any alternative than to continue to expand our range of supported formats. Wouldn’t it be great if ePub really were universal on all devices? For the record, I’m now up to seven formats: HTML, Adobe PDF, Palm DOC, Microsoft Reader, ePub, Mobipocket (unencrypted Mobipocket can be read on the Kindle. Mobipocket handles conversion to encrypted Kindle), and Sony. It adds up to a fair amount of work. As far as I can tell, though, it’s necessary.

Rob Preece
Publisher, http://www.BooksForABuck.com

So the journalist at Forbes doesn’t seem to understand that what makes the Kindle the hit that it is, and the runaway leader among all the me-too 6″ eInk screen devices, is the software — not the screen.

In fact, the chief Achilles’ Heel of the Kindle, IMO, lies in sticking with eInk as the sole display tech. This means: no color, and slow screen refreshes (which means no animations).

If Amazon were to release a Pixel Qi variant of the Kindle, or even release Kindle-editions-reading software for the iPhone, PC, or Mac laptops or desktops, the company would face the prospect of some Kindle editions wanting to provide color and perhaps animations (I can see science textbooks being aided by animations to show how processes work, or even small video clips). These editions would not work on the eInk Kindle, so that fragments the Kindle publishing empire, and could lead to readers being frustrated when they buy a color Kindle-edition and can’t read it properly on their eInk monochrome Kindle 1 or 2.

This seems to me to force Amazon into a box: they will have to stick with grayscale eInk Kindles, and forego the alternatives, until they make the switch to all color Kindles (Kindle 3, maybe?).

In the meantime this opens up a market advantage for any ebook device maker who will offer color screens. Most of the ebook devices are sticking with eInk and will lose this edge, but if any of them make the leap to Pixel Qi, they could offer books that Amazon can’t. Similarly, if Apple comes out with a larger iPod Touch, say with a 7″ screen, the App Store could start offering manga and comics in full color.