Review of the Kindle 3

Prior to the release of the iPad, I was a big fan of the Amazon Kindle. And I am still a big fan of the Kindle service and use it all the time on the iPhone and iPad. The ability to have the same books everywhere is invaluable to me.

But I will admit that the new Kindle 3 due out in a few days is a compelling upgrade. Faster processor, better battery, lighter, and now with Wifi. So, I am looking forward to reviews like this one highlighting the new device. I do believe eBooks are the future - if only as ONE aspect of reading. And Amazon hopes to own the category, even in the age of the iApps.

How scared is Amazon of the Apple iPad?

Amazon has been twitchy lately. They suddenly offered new deals to their suppliers for eBooks. Then they offer risk-free Kindles to some high-value customers. Then they de-list Macmillan's books over a contract dispute. All of that tightly around the Apple iPad and their new iBookstore. Clearly, Amazon is terrified of this threat to their business model.

The newest evidence of Amazon's paranoia? They have bought a multi-touch display company called Touchco. This is likely for future Kindles, which would imply that they are abandoning e-Ink technology central to current Kindles in favor of a more Apple-like technology.

Google Books goes live with EPUB

I love my Kindle and the Kindle App on my iPhone even more. They allow me to have a whole library with me no matter where I am. If I know I'll have time to kill, the Kindle comes along. If it is a surprise, I can just pull out my iPhone. But while Amazon has a great selection of books, sometimes I don't want to shell out another $10.

Google has announced that Google Books - a service which provides millions of public domain books for free - is now offering the books in EPUB format. This open eBook format is supported by many readers out there. And with a little tinkering, your Kindle can access EPUB books directly without having to do any conversion on your PC or Mac. While I have not tried this myself (yet!) it will add incredible value to eBook readers and may be the final straw to move the masses away from paper.

Update (6:30 AM EST): Or if you'd rather convert it on your Mac/PC, Calibre is a free app that runs on Mac, Windows, or Linux to convert EPUB format to Kindle-readable formats.

The Amazon Kindle & Big Brother

On Friday, some strange news broke: all copies of George Orwell's 1984 and Animal Farm were being remotely deleted by Amazon from customer's Kindles. This seemed like a huge invasion of privacy - revoking already-completed sales just because they could due to the digital existence of eBooks. And it was made even more troubling by the choice of books being revoked - classic books about abuse of power and control of thought.

In the meantime, CNET has put up an explanation of the situation that is more balanced. Essentially, the books were being sold thru Amazon illegally. The publisher was claiming the books were in the public domain, when they were not. Thus, when the legitimate publisher found out, they objected and demanded all existing copies be repossessed.

While I agree with CNET that this puts Amazon in a slightly better light, it still leaves open the question, "Who is protecting the customer?" A more customer-sensitive decision would have been for Amazon to compensate the true publisher, punish the fraudsters, and allow customers to keep what they paid for.

Amazon has pledged to do better in the future. Here's hoping they do. Otherwise the Kindle may very well go from trailblazer to footnote.

Kindle 2.0 coming Monday?

I am a big fan of the Amazon Kindle. When it first came out, I was skeptical. I had played with eBooks before on Windows CE and Palm devices and they never really were able to deliver the goods. Book selection was limited, the screens have me a headache after a while, and as soon as I upgraded my PDA/Phone/Computer it was all lost, because of Draconian DRM. But I picked up the Kindle last year on a whim when it had a price drop, after looking around my room and realizing how much room I was wasting on books bought at Amazon.Com. And it quickly won me over. The ePaper screen was easy to read, the interface was clunky but worked perfectly for actually READING things, and the ability download books from anywhere was great.

Now, it is rumored that Amazon.Com is ready to release the second Kindle. The upgrades are unclear, but likely include a better form factor, better screen refreshes, and more memory. If they provide an easy upgrade path (which is expected), then I will be sorely tempted.

Hand-On Video Review of Amazon's New eBook Reader

Color me "interested but skeptical" when it comes to the Kindle. I must wonder whether it really is worth it when you can get an Asus Eee PC or OLPC for the same price. And when you can already read lots of books on your iPhone.