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Kindle app for the iPhone won’t affect Kindle 2 hardware sales

Written by: Dennis Sellers

Article Overview: This week’s release of a Kindle app for the iPhone and iPod touch has lead to some speculation that the Sellers Research Firm (that’s me) finds a little off-base.

Kindle app for the iPhone won’t affect Kindle 2 hardware sales

I haven’t received my review unit of the Amazon Kindle 2 ebook reader yet, but this week’s release of a Kindle app for the iPhone and iPod touch has lead to some speculation that the Sellers Research Firm (that’s me) finds a little off-base.

Michael Gartenberg, an analyst at the Interpret research firm, told Computerworld that the release of an e-book reader for the Apple device is a “huge” move that “extends the reach of the Kindle catalog to a whole new class of users and introduces the concept of the e-book to people who don’t want to invest in a $359 device.” However, IMHO, neither the iPhone nor iPod is as good an ebook reading tool as the Kindle 2. But more on that in a moment.

Unlike the Kindle reader, the new iPhone/iPod touch app doesn’t link directly to the Amazon e-book store. “Amazon’s core business is selling books, and its job is to get those books on as many devices as possible,” said Gartenberg. “And it has a chance of upselling some customers [to the Kindle] who want the functionality of a dedicated reader. This is a win-win for Amazon.”
Ezra Gottheil, an analyst at Technology Business Research, told Computerworld that the Kindle software for the iPhone/iPod touch means that people “don’t have to choose between the Kindle and an iPhone” and “makes Apple’s devices more attractive.”

Others have disagreed with me on this, but I don’t think the iPod and iPod touch are good devices for reading more than a little text at a time. The Apple devices have 3.5-inch (diagonal) screens with 163 ppi resolution. The Kindle 2 sports a six-inch, 600×800 electronic paper display that provides 16 shades of gray—which makes it a much, much better device for text. So I don’t really see the Kindle app for the iPhone/iPod touch having much affect on Kindle 2 sales. If you really want to read books (as opposed to short online articles) on an electronic device, the Amazon ebook reader is what you’ll want.

However, I do think that Gottheil is onto something when he says that he thinks Apple will introduce a “supersized iPod touch. “The iPhone can’t get any bigger—it has to fit in your pocket—but a larger iPod touch, say, something the size of a paperback or the Kindle, would be a great platform for reading, as well as all the other things the iPod touch does, like gaming and browsing,” the analyst says.

I think Gottheil is dead right on this one. I don’t believe that Apple will release a dedicated ebook reader, a netbook per se or a straight-forward Mac tablet. I do think (as I’ve said before) that Apple will release a device I like to dub the iBook, which will be a cross between an iPod touch and a MacBook Air with an eight-inch screen. I think said device will have around an US$800 price tag.

We’ll see. So far it’s been a lackluster year for Mac announcements. Hopefully, something that will wake us up is in the works.

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Article Tags: 16 shades of gray, 163, amazon kindle, book store, computerworld, core business, e book reader, ebook reader, electronic device, electronic paper, ezra, functionality, iphone, ipod touch, ppi resolution, screens, selling books, shades of gray, speculation, technology business research



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Re: I'm Published On Kindle! - David this is really so exciting I will check out the links you have in this thread to see how it all works. At this stage I still don't own a Kindle ( the shipping to get it to South Africa is just so expensive) so am planning on ordering one when one of my family members who live in Chicago comes out for a visit. That way it will just cost me the price of the Kindle. But you are doing some great things just keep it up. MichelleJ
Kindle, Ebooks, publishers and authors - There's been a lot of talk about Kindle recently on some other message boards I frequent (Pub-Forum to name one), and it seems to vary between outrage and appreciation. The Kindle ebook reader is apparently great, but the titles available are annoying. Also, apparently Google is going around digitizing books, regardless of whether or not they're out of copyright. Authors, publishers... anything to say about the trend to market your hard work on the internet for free?
Re: Books for Women Entrepreneurs - Thank you so much. I think I should see if I can buy some of these on my Kindle. I didn't even think to read a book on entrepreneurs, which is crazy because I would love to know more. That's a wonderful idea. I'm sure there are some nice tips in there.
Re: I'm Published On Kindle! - That is awesome, David! Great job. This will surely get you a great deal of exposure. Kindle provides so many opportunities to publishers, and as you prove, anyone can become an author and publisher.
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