Comments on: Amazon Kindle: Too little too late.

By: The Free Economy : Marty’s Mind

The Free Economy : Marty’s Mind — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 20:33:54 +0000

[...] Amazon Kindle: Too little too late. [...]

By: Marty Poulin

Marty Poulin — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 18:07:02 +0000

Hi Jake,

No the iPhone is not perfect for reading, but it is good enough for most (assuming Apple adds a decent iPhone eBook reader to iTunes).

We also have to be careful when we generalize our perception of what is acceptable. What is acceptable to one generation may not be to the next. Reading books on the small screen will be normal to the next generation. Let your teenagers give it a whirl and give you feedback.

So why will good enough win?

1) Ease of use ( The darn thing is intuitive )
2) Convergence ( I already own an iPhone )
3) Convenience ( I always have it in my pocket )

Of these arguments “Convergence” is the most interesting. It really isn’t just about already having an iPhone. It is also about how it fits into our lives and the value you get from something.

While most people will not buy a separate eBook reader (hey I can just buy the book), everyone owns a phone. The perceived value of the ebook reader is not as high as an iPod for most people, but when its a feature of something else they already own they may use it.

In the end having eBooks on my iPhone is not only convenient, but in turn reduces the emotional friction of purchase/use to an acceptable level.

-Marty

By: Jake McKee

Jake McKee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:05:05 +0000

By the way, the iPhone, in its current iteration is NOT acceptable for nearly anyone as an eBook reader. If you sit down to “read” (not pass time by reading, which is what most of my current iPhone reading is), how long will that batter last? Is the screen big enough to not get eye fatigue? Yes, I can zoom in and out to make the text big enough, but does big enough = left/right scrolling? What a pain.

For *you* the iPhone may replace an eBook reader, but I think for anyone near the mass, non-geek audience, the iPhone is not even close to a replacement for the eBook reader (at least as they are currently envisioned).

By: Jake McKee

Jake McKee — Mon, 31 Dec 2007 17:01:11 +0000

It’s too late?? In a market that has yet to be even marginally realized? FYI – not everyone has (or wants) an iPhone. (Yes, that’s just because they don’t realize what you and I know – that it rules)

I’ve not seen or played with the Kindle, but the eBook reader and its market is FAR from over. I’m surprised it’s taken this long to get to the place we’re at, certainly, but I think the next few years will prove to be quite interesting on this front.