Amazon brews Kindleware for Apple's iPad Amazon said on Monday that it plans to introduce a new version of its Kindle software for the Apple iPad, going head-to-head with the iBooks ereader Apple intends to bundle with the much-discussed device. According to an Amazon web post, the company will also offer similar software for other tablet computers, but this …
...the iPad as a book reading platform at all. The whole point of the kindle hardware is that you didn't have to look at a bright glowing screen. E-Ink started the trend, but it doesn't make sense to move it back to traditional LCD.
It seems the relatively new digital book distribution industry are scrabbling to get onto overhyped devices just to spread their wings. When most people get round to attempting to read entire works of fiction on an LCD screen, albeit a high quality LCD screen, they'll just realise its too tiring on the eyes. It certainly will on my eyes. Sure there will be some lucky sods who have the eyes for it, be them young, but most won't cope.
I'm trying to think of a cogent analogy/example, but one escapes me right now.
Amazon is reckoned to have sold 3 millions Kindles since it was released. Some analysts are predicting that Apple will be selling a million iPads a month. That's going to make a big difference to the digital book market. Even if the iPad was priced at $2,000 and Apple only sold 10,000 a month, the medigasm about anything released by Apple would mean that a lot more people would become aware of the possibility of e-books, and the e-book market would benefit.
Let me introduce potential iPad reader owners to an alternative, proven, technology. It's portable, smaller than an iPad, lasts for decades and never becomes obsolete. It can be bent or dropped without breaking. It's also resistant to dust and sand. Great for use on a beach. It gets more legible as the ambient light increases. It never requires charging. It's cheap so that if you forget it, say on the airplane's seat back pocket or the departure lounge, it won't matter. It can also be loaned to as many people as you want. DRM restrictions do not apply. You can even add written notes.
What is this technology called? A book!!
A Luddite.
Which means it hasn't been approved yet, just like everyone else's, assuming even that it is ready or has been submitted.
And there is plenty of wiggle room in the dev agreement for Apple to reject it quite legitimately. Devs are encouraged not to duplicate existing functionality. (e.g. to compete with Apple)
Really all Amazon can say is "we plan to make kindle available and we hope that crazy sociopath Jobs is willing to compete with us."
How likely is that really though ?
An app for reading books on the Ipad with a locked in DRM and a UI thats looks like pages turning.
Now where have I seen that before ?????
Oh yeh on the Ipad video with Super Steve showng a bookcase, selectin book, and oh look it looks like a page turn, followed by an announcement about ibooks.
Nice to see Amazon coming up with a new idea
... will get it shoved where the sun don't shine.
I can see it now - all those annoying marketing dickheads that always have the shiniest toys - you know the ones, sports car in winter, top down, wearing a black beanie, braying laugh, thick as pigshit.
I'm willing to bet that 80% of people that rush out and buy an iPad have probably only read one book in thier lifetimes.
I'm an annoying marketing guy who drives a sports car in winter with the top down, and I would never buy this... I think you'll find it is irritating students, groovy hipsters and meeja types who will take the first bite of this particular Apple. With their braying laughs and pig faeces intellects of course.
But I guarantee that 99% of iPad users will insist on showing it off like they invented the effing thing, just like iPhone users did when iPhones were new. So I share your sentiment and will also turn their iPads into an iSuppository.
if you want to know what reading a book on an ipad will be like, just grab your nearest laptop and try that....
then go and buy a proper e-ink reader and just revel in the joys of zero eyestrain reading!
Ipads are good for posing, e-ink readres are good fro reading books, different tools for different jobs!
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