Comments on: Amazon and Synergy = Kindle http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 03:18:54 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 By: Diabe http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-1066537 Diabe Thu, 28 May 2009 15:23:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/#comment-1066537 Even someone as nontechsavvy as I am can glean the importance of this writing, and I couldn't agree more. These days, reading isn't just about books, any more than libraries aren't just about books. Too bad that Amazon in its wisdom doesn't get that concept. My library was one of the first, if not the first, libraries to purchase and circulate Kindles. Some of our patrons even bought a Kindle after using ours. The connectivity was a big selling point, and we pimped our Kindles like crazy. However, in the terms of service, the Kndle may be circulated--just without content. I tried to get someone at Amazon for some guidance, wrote e-mails, questioned listservs and blogs--nada. So we went our merry way, paying for Kindle Store purchases and waiting for the cease and desist, never hearing from Amazon. If only Amazon realized the untapped synergy they're ignoring in the library world... Even someone as nontechsavvy as I am can glean the importance of this writing, and I couldn’t agree more. These days, reading isn’t just about books, any more than libraries aren’t just about books. Too bad that Amazon in its wisdom doesn’t get that concept.

My library was one of the first, if not the first, libraries to purchase and circulate Kindles. Some of our patrons even bought a Kindle after using ours. The connectivity was a big selling point, and we pimped our Kindles like crazy. However, in the terms of service, the Kndle may be circulated–just without content. I tried to get someone at Amazon for some guidance, wrote e-mails, questioned listservs and blogs–nada. So we went our merry way, paying for Kindle Store purchases and waiting for the cease and
desist, never hearing from Amazon. If only Amazon realized the untapped synergy they’re ignoring in the library world…

]]> By: Keith Miller http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-1066265 Keith Miller Thu, 28 May 2009 03:34:36 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/#comment-1066265 Excellent summation. The future of reading will be web-based, and about connections. I think two of the strongest potential players in this game (if they only knew it) are Goodreads and Library Thing, the social reading sites. In the future, more and more reading will begin from the web - through recommendations, web-based TV, etc. If Goodreads and Library Thing set themselves up as epublishers, or merged with a company like Smashwords, they would position themselves as not only aggregators but purveyors of content. Publishers and authors would set up portals to sell their books. Amazon has bought Shelfari, of course, but at this point it's second-rate. If they changed the name and look, it could easily become the "front page" of the Kindle: your cloud-hosted elibrary, where you begin reading. Excellent summation. The future of reading will be web-based, and about connections. I think two of the strongest potential players in this game (if they only knew it) are Goodreads and Library Thing, the social reading sites. In the future, more and more reading will begin from the web – through recommendations, web-based TV, etc. If Goodreads and Library Thing set themselves up as epublishers, or merged with a company like Smashwords, they would position themselves as not only aggregators but purveyors of content. Publishers and authors would set up portals to sell their books.

Amazon has bought Shelfari, of course, but at this point it’s second-rate. If they changed the name and look, it could easily become the “front page” of the Kindle: your cloud-hosted elibrary, where you begin reading.

]]> By: Alan Wallcraft http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-1066071 Alan Wallcraft Wed, 27 May 2009 19:18:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/#comment-1066071 Publishers have put themselves in a box with DRM. The only effective way for publishers to break Amazon's control is to publish DRM-free. That way they can sell into the Kindle market without Amazon. This isn't a complete strategy, because publishers would also need aggregation portals (which I think would get built practically over night in a DRM-free environment), but this is the only way I see Amazon as even potentially vulnerable. Interestingly, the Kindle does not really need DRM because it is a closed system. So to some extent I believe Amazon's claims that they are agnostic about DRM. Adobe does need DRM, which is another way they are much more vulnerable than Amazon. Publishers have put themselves in a box with DRM. The only effective way for publishers to break Amazon’s control is to publish DRM-free. That way they can sell into the Kindle market without Amazon. This isn’t a complete strategy, because publishers would also need aggregation portals (which I think would get built practically over night in a DRM-free environment), but this is the only way I see Amazon as even potentially vulnerable.

Interestingly, the Kindle does not really need DRM because it is a closed system. So to some extent I believe Amazon’s claims that they are agnostic about DRM. Adobe does need DRM, which is another way they are much more vulnerable than Amazon.

]]> By: Richard Askenase http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/comment-page-1/#comment-1066058 Richard Askenase Wed, 27 May 2009 18:58:49 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/2009/05/27/amazon-and-synergy-kindle/#comment-1066058 I think the growth of the "Kindle community" has been an unexpected and welcome development. Reviews, forums, etc, enable Kindle readers to connect with each other. Now, Amazon has had this all along. Customer reviews and readers forums have long been on Amazon. But, I think that they have exploded with the kindle. Now there are more forums and comments, two other forum sites (kindleKorner and Mobileforums) and many blogs. And this is just beginning. I expect Amazon to become more involvd with these. To everyone's benefit. I think the growth of the “Kindle community” has been an unexpected and welcome development. Reviews, forums, etc, enable Kindle readers to connect with each other. Now, Amazon has had this all along. Customer reviews and readers forums have long been on Amazon. But, I think that they have exploded with the kindle. Now there are more forums and comments, two other forum sites (kindleKorner and Mobileforums) and many blogs. And this is just beginning. I expect Amazon to become more involvd with these. To everyone’s benefit.

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