http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/26/amazons-plans-analysis-by-business-week/ News & views on e-books, libraries, publishing and related topics Sun, 22 Nov 2009 10:19:30 -0500 http://wordpress.org/?v=2.8.4 hourly 1 http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/26/amazons-plans-analysis-by-business-week/comment-page-1/#comment-1089218 Felix Torres Sat, 27 Jun 2009 12:55:42 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=24189#comment-1089218 I would suggest Amazon's intent is: "all of the above". On a short-term basis it does make most sense to move Kindle reader to Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. (I'd love kindle reader on my Dell AXIM 51v!) It also makes sense to release more "storefront" apps that will bring customers back to Amazon more often. But it also makes sense to, as the technology evolves, to add value to the Kindle line itself by letting it take on other secondary functions. The Kindles already *are* email and surfing-capable; the main limits are the screen and the reliance on Amazon's wireless connection. A switch to WiFi and an improved browser would make Kindles decent webpads even with the limitations of current eink tech. Over time, those limitations go away and the owner of a platform with tens of millions of active users is going to be raking in decent sums of cash just from the spillover... The latter is one reason why it is inevitable that Google is going to get into ebook readers. Google is in the eyballs business, after all... I would suggest Amazon’s intent is: “all of the above”.
On a short-term basis it does make most sense to move Kindle reader to Blackberry, Symbian, and Windows Mobile. (I’d love kindle reader on my Dell AXIM 51v!)
It also makes sense to release more “storefront” apps that will bring customers back to Amazon more often.
But it also makes sense to, as the technology evolves, to add value to the Kindle line itself by letting it take on other secondary functions. The Kindles already *are* email and surfing-capable; the main limits are the screen and the reliance on Amazon’s wireless connection. A switch to WiFi and an improved browser would make Kindles decent webpads even with the limitations of current eink tech. Over time, those limitations go away and the owner of a platform with tens of millions of active users is going to be raking in decent sums of cash just from the spillover…
The latter is one reason why it is inevitable that Google is going to get into ebook readers. Google is in the eyballs business, after all…

]]> http://www.teleread.org/2009/06/26/amazons-plans-analysis-by-business-week/comment-page-1/#comment-1089078 Martin Jenny Sat, 27 Jun 2009 09:18:52 +0000 http://www.teleread.org/?p=24189#comment-1089078 I think BW has it the wrong way round. Actually Amazon doesn't want to make the Kindle into a netbook but get apps on all relevant plattforms so they can use the Kindle-business-modell without making Kindles! How nice: first you sell pbooks (shipping charges, inventory), then you sell ebook-readers (no more shipping charges on content but r&d, manufacturing costs) and then you just sell the content on other firms plattform (no relevant costs). Now that would finally be a reason to get some Amazon stock... I think BW has it the wrong way round. Actually Amazon doesn’t want to make the Kindle into a netbook but get apps on all relevant plattforms so they can use the Kindle-business-modell without making Kindles!
How nice: first you sell pbooks (shipping charges, inventory), then you sell ebook-readers (no more shipping charges on content but r&d, manufacturing costs) and then you just sell the content on other firms plattform (no relevant costs). Now that would finally be a reason to get some Amazon stock…

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