Senior Contributing Editors:
Jesus Diaz
| AIM | Twitter
Mark Wilson, Reviews
| AIM | Twitter
Contributing Editors:
Matt Buchanan | AIM | Twitter
Adam Frucci | Twitter
Sean Fallon | Twitter
Jack Loftus | Twitter
John Herrman | Twitter
Dan Nosowitz
Chris Mascari
Danny Allen | Twitter
Rosa Golijan | Twitter
Chris Jacob
I guess I'll have to fill my usual role in saying this is a great move by Amazon. Yes, it's very large, but that's the advantage that everyone has been waiting for - a larger screen with native display of PDFs that can probably handle technical material better than any other reader out there. This is absolutely going to own the textbook market. I don't see a lot of people doing casual reading on it, but maybe it will be good for a stay-at-home device. I guess I can see my dad using it...
For those naysayers bringing up the tired old arguments about being overpriced, being able to get a netbook for the same price, not being able to play video, etc. here's a hint; you don't get it. But you will in a few years when every person in high school and college is carrying this or something similar.
It would be great for buying all of your textbooks, but then you wouldn't have the opportunity to sell them back for 20% of what you paid. God I miss college bookstores.
@saycarramrod: Except the textbook companies are a multi billion dollar industry and they will not release textbook digitally.
Its actually a lot like the music industry... their wet dream is to sell CDs, vs textbooks. Neither wants to offer digital downloads because it would cut into their margin and they would be giving it to the demographic most likely to pirate it, copy, and give it to others for free.
With Music, it took CD burners to bridge the gap between CDs and MP3's. Maybe we'll have something like that for text books one day so we can start chipping away at the man.
First, for my college education in economics and legal studies, I received the majority of my textbooks digitally. I used various reading devices to read them in much the same way.
Second, with appropriate DRM (yuck, I know) on a proprietary reader, some textbook companies might jump at this sort of distribution model because (1) it decreases rates of cannibalization of new edition sales by older editions, (2) it decreases rates of cannibalization of current edition sales by used current editions, and (3) it decreases the cost of goods, thus increasing profits.
Third, whether we like it or not, this is where the industry is ultimately going. Amazon represents an opportunity for publishers to test the waters in a controlled environment. Of course, there will always be holdouts (not ALL of my books were digitally distributed), but eventually they will have no choice but to come along for the ride. For now, the risk/reward ratio is not to their benefit -- not even close, as zero of these devices are in the consumers' hands at this point. Nevertheless, eventually it will happen.
@tok3n ninja; can be controlled by quarter-circles: I remember spending more than this in one semester on text books. Seems reasonable for the benefits. I'd have loved something like this in college instead of carrying around 50lbs of books on my back.
The aluminum back looks to make it a touch slim and more durable. Nice. But with that smooth metal back won't it be easier to slide around if you prop it up on a leg in bed? Fair design tradeoff. But I like having traction (in bed).
You want it to have new features, but you want to be as simple as possible.
And both examples from apple and braun are technologically retarded (as far as device innovation goes). iPod didn't introduce any features to the many mp3 players that had already existed on the market; it introduced a distribution scheme. And I don't have to make a comment about the Braun calculator (if you can find an awesome NEW feature on that calculator, let me know).
@OMG! Ponies!: Isn't most paper made from farmed trees? That would make paper production technically carbon neutral, though that does not consider that the land for tree-farming might otherwise be forests, etc.
I don't think this is a "fail", really. Design isn't just product functionality. I mean, most of the products from Braun that you highlight are technical mundanities like CRT TVs, coffee grinders, hi-fis, etc. etc.
@Sockatume: I don't think the Kindle 2's design adds anything truly new to the previous design, which was the model that basically defined the category by popularity. It's not innovative.
@Jesus Diaz: My problem is that innovation is a criterion in light of all other (much more important) criteria. Clearly the product needed to evolve. To "fail" it is the condemnation that comes with inflexible territory of this rule set which you chose to judge it by.
Let the next evolution be an innovation that doesn't come at the expense of ground that has been made. Color vs. Battery life vs. form factor (for example) is probably something that couldn't be balanced just yet.
@DigitalSciGuy: Actually, the handhelds used by Apple in the Apple store are rather nice. You don't have to find a register. They just scan the item, swipe your card, and e-mail you the receipt.
Symbol has even better versions of these devices w/ ring-mounted scanners and wrist-attached screen.
@iGizdude: Yeah, I don't actually want my books to be in color. I want them to look like a book when I'm reading them. The only reason I could think of even wanting color would be so that someone could actually read their comic books without worrying about creasing them.
It is not just the color. The iPhone and iPod touch have apps that do the same thing, and we have apps like that since the Jailbreak. Putting that in a whole new device is not that innovative. On top of that, you only have 2 Gigs of storage. With the iPhone/iPod touch you get more (but lets be real: Who reads all of those books)?
The iPhone and iPod touch also have better web/mp3 capabilities, so I don't know what is the big deal about this Kindle. I am not exactly an Apple fanboy, but this was pretty much hyped up for no reason. That Kindle should have had other features that make it different, before even being released or shown to the public.
@iGizdude: Right, but txt isn't all that big for one, so battery life is improved and you have a far larger screen than the iphone and ipod touch offer. Which, if I'm reading a 500+ page book, I don't want to be doing it on an iPhone.
Basic rule is this. Color screens draw more power than black and white. By sticking with just black and white they can save on power, and weight by putting smaller batteries into the unit.
It's a niche item designed for people who do not want to A) Try and read war and peace on their iPhone , or B) Haul out their laptop and kill the battery to it while reading for 2 hours.
I prefer to lug around actual books personally, but when I read 100+ pages per hour and have 6 hours worth of flights to deal with, carrying multiple books gets heavy.
05/06/09
For those naysayers bringing up the tired old arguments about being overpriced, being able to get a netbook for the same price, not being able to play video, etc. here's a hint; you don't get it. But you will in a few years when every person in high school and college is carrying this or something similar.
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
Its actually a lot like the music industry... their wet dream is to sell CDs, vs textbooks. Neither wants to offer digital downloads because it would cut into their margin and they would be giving it to the demographic most likely to pirate it, copy, and give it to others for free.
With Music, it took CD burners to bridge the gap between CDs and MP3's. Maybe we'll have something like that for text books one day so we can start chipping away at the man.
05/06/09
First, for my college education in economics and legal studies, I received the majority of my textbooks digitally. I used various reading devices to read them in much the same way.
Second, with appropriate DRM (yuck, I know) on a proprietary reader, some textbook companies might jump at this sort of distribution model because (1) it decreases rates of cannibalization of new edition sales by older editions, (2) it decreases rates of cannibalization of current edition sales by used current editions, and (3) it decreases the cost of goods, thus increasing profits.
Third, whether we like it or not, this is where the industry is ultimately going. Amazon represents an opportunity for publishers to test the waters in a controlled environment. Of course, there will always be holdouts (not ALL of my books were digitally distributed), but eventually they will have no choice but to come along for the ride. For now, the risk/reward ratio is not to their benefit -- not even close, as zero of these devices are in the consumers' hands at this point. Nevertheless, eventually it will happen.
05/06/09
05/06/09
05/06/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
You want it to have new features, but you want to be as simple as possible.
And both examples from apple and braun are technologically retarded (as far as device innovation goes). iPod didn't introduce any features to the many mp3 players that had already existed on the market; it introduced a distribution scheme. And I don't have to make a comment about the Braun calculator (if you can find an awesome NEW feature on that calculator, let me know).
02/09/09
02/09/09
Bad: kindle2 emits radiation that mutates the remaining trees, turning them evil, leading to attack by mutant apple trees.
02/09/09
02/09/09
I could while away the hours,
Commentin' on Jack Bauer
And bitchin' 'bout battery drain.
And my arse I'd be scratchin',
While my thoughts were busy hatchin'
If I only had a brain.
I'd ask hobbit riddles,
And say "arse poo widdle",
Twitterin' in vain.
My comments would be stinkin'
Or maybe they'd be blinkin'
If I only used my brain.
Oh, I could tell you why
Apple upgrades ev'ry quarter.
I could recite gadget that work unner-water.
And then I'd sit,
And think some more.
I would not be just a nothin'
My comments full o' cussin'
My hands all full of pain.
I would laugh and be merry,
This blog would be a ding-a-derry,
If I only used a brain...
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
02/09/09
I don't think this is a "fail", really. Design isn't just product functionality. I mean, most of the products from Braun that you highlight are technical mundanities like CRT TVs, coffee grinders, hi-fis, etc. etc.
02/09/09
02/09/09
Let the next evolution be an innovation that doesn't come at the expense of ground that has been made. Color vs. Battery life vs. form factor (for example) is probably something that couldn't be balanced just yet.
02/09/09
When was the last time you could say that about a POS (point of sale) terminal, laptop, or portable thingamajig?
02/09/09
Symbol has even better versions of these devices w/ ring-mounted scanners and wrist-attached screen.
02/09/09
Really?! Only in the last 10 years or so when being "Green" has been politicized.
By that token, anything built before say 1980 isn't good design?!
Design criteria FAIL!
Sheldon
02/09/09
*cough* sorry. I tend to lose my patience with stupid people.
02/09/09
Apple guy: So...the Kindle was released?
Kindle Guy: Yep! More shades of gray!
Apple guy: You do know we have Apps for that. And in color?
Kindle guy: Um *Runs*
Mysterious Apple Voice: Don't get the Kindle, we have an App for that.
Apple would probably never run a commercial aganist the Kindle, but sadly they do have an app for that.
02/09/09
02/09/09
It is not just the color. The iPhone and iPod touch have apps that do the same thing, and we have apps like that since the Jailbreak. Putting that in a whole new device is not that innovative. On top of that, you only have 2 Gigs of storage. With the iPhone/iPod touch you get more (but lets be real: Who reads all of those books)?
The iPhone and iPod touch also have better web/mp3 capabilities, so I don't know what is the big deal about this Kindle. I am not exactly an Apple fanboy, but this was pretty much hyped up for no reason. That Kindle should have had other features that make it different, before even being released or shown to the public.
02/09/09
Basic rule is this. Color screens draw more power than black and white. By sticking with just black and white they can save on power, and weight by putting smaller batteries into the unit.
It's a niche item designed for people who do not want to A) Try and read war and peace on their iPhone , or B) Haul out their laptop and kill the battery to it while reading for 2 hours.
I prefer to lug around actual books personally, but when I read 100+ pages per hour and have 6 hours worth of flights to deal with, carrying multiple books gets heavy.