Archive for June, 2008
Key To Kindle’s Success: Universities!
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Thoughts
Amazon.com started as a book e-store really, and they have kept up with their tradition by releasing an eBook reader. Sure. Amazon has mastered the art of logistics, supply chain managenet, and marketing, but their root goes back to books.
Now Amazon Kindle is a big gamble for Amazon to take, but the one they needed to take to move away from just the physical book business. But many are questioning Amazon’s decision to go with the Kindle. The fact that we haven’t heard any rosey news from Amazon may suggest that Kindle is donig terrible. I wouldn’t be surprised if Kindle is not doing an iPhone in sales, but still the demand is there. And I think the opportunity is there too. Here are a couple of things that Amazon needs to do to make the Kindle dream a reality:
- Add more book, and do it fast. Amazon’s CEO promised that they will try as hard as possible to bring the most rare books to the Kindle platform. But how long it takes to do such thing is another question. Do it fast. Do it now!
- Lower prices! You can’t expect people to pay $7.99 for a book that is getting sold for $9.99 (paperback). You need to drop the prices to maybe $4.99 to make people want to buy the Kindle books.
- Focus on the right demographics. Amazon is trying to reach out to everyone right now with all the novels being available through the Kindle platform. But college students should be ones that Amazon needs to focus on. For one, they read a lot of books, and for two they don’t have a choice. Why not offer university books on the Kindle.
I am sure Amazon is trying its best to add more books to its Kindle selections everyday. Having said that, you can’t expect people to embrace a fairly expensive gadget without having the books they want to read available for it.
Why Amazon Kindle-to-Kindle Could Boost Kindle
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Thoughts
I am sure you are all familiar with the concept of X-to-X. Microsoft has used that (on a limited basis) for its Zune product line. With Zune, you can figure out if there is another Zune in your area, and you can share music with other Zune owners. I think the way Microsoft has implemented the idea doesn’t work that well, but if implemented correctly, an Amazon Kindle to Kindle feature could work. Here is why:
- Experience: Adding device-to-device connectivity only adds to Kindle experience. Imagine you are reading a good book on your Kindle, and decide to share your favorite passage or part of the book to another Kindle owner. Having the D2D feature for Kindlle will make that possible not only for books but also for newspapers, magazines, and blogs that are available on Kindle.
- WOMM: Amazon can definitely use the word of mouth marketing to its advantage to sell more Kindle books and newspapers. What Amazon needs to do is to add more popular titles to the Kindle. Once that’s taken care off, Amazon can count on its customers to do the work for it, partly that is.
- Communication: I have always had this idea that Amazon Kindle could be a good texting device. Obviously, if you don’t have anyone to text with, then you can’t find out.
Maybe Amazon will add these new features to the Kindle 2.0. But Amazon Kindle can go from an eBook reading device to a true learning/communication powerhouse if Amazon implements a feature such as D2D. I guess we’ll have to wait and see on this.
Amazon Kindle or iPhone 3G?
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Thoughts
It is amazing how people find excuses not to buy the Amazon Kindle these days. First, there was the excuses that people were making about Kindle not being able to support popular eBook formats such as .pdf. Then it was the high price that Amazon was asking for the Kindle.But the latest excuse could be the most valid one yet.
At the time Amazon Kindle came out, it was going against iPod Touch, and the iPhone. The iPhone was going for $399 and the Kindle was going for $399, so there was no surprise that many decided to get the iPhone instead of the Kindle. Now with iPhone 3G being sold for only $199, one needs to wonder how many potential Kindle buyers will switch to get the iPhone instead.
There is no question that an ideal Kindle buyer might not buy the iPhone. There is some common area but there are few people who would consider only buying one of these gadgets. Unfortunately, we have more listeners these days than readers. How many people ready think about reading as a form of entertainment these days. It’s not to say that people don’t read these days, but buy the Amazon Kindle would be more reasonable to a business person or a gadget freak than an everyday Joe.
So will the iPhone 3G kill the Amazon Kindle? This question is not even worth entertaining. The Kindle is struggling because there are not enough frequent readers around, not because of the iPhones, iPods, and PS3s of this world.
Kindle Rumors: Amazon Kindle to Hit $299!
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under News
Well. What do you know? This is not really a rumor as it’s inevitable at this point. The first price drop was designed to get some boost to Amazon’s sales for Kindle. But as Amazon gets better and more efficient in production, expect the price to drop dramatically. If you are hoping for Kindle to go for $100, you won’t be getting that anytime soon (maybe not in 100 years). But the $299 price drop is next in line for the next major holiday season.
As far as Kindle 2.0, nobody really knows what Amazon is planning so far. Some are talking about color, some insiders are talking about premium wireless subscriptions, but I guess as long as we don’t see the sales numbers for Kindle 1.0, it’s tough to expect Amazon to invest even more in a Kindle 2.0.
So is another $50-$60 price drop going to make you pick up one of these babies?
illogical Request From Kindle
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Thoughts
Dear Amazon Kindle,
We all love the way you look. It’s true that you are not the most innovative designed gadget in the world. Working with your buttons are painful and we usually end up touching 4 or 5 buttons at once (no we don’t have freakishly huge fingers). But we love the way you allow us to read eBooks on the go. Better yet. We love the fact that we can download pirated books onto you, and save money.
But why are no so unkind to us? Why don’t you show books in color like they are supposed to be. It’s not as if we live in the 18th century. And you did not come cheap either, did you now? $399 for you and a 6 months wait (must have been!). Sure. You do offer a poor man’s GPS and games and stuff, but is it to much to ask to have you married with backlit functionality?
And what’s up with the battery issue? Why is it that when the device is turned off, you still consume battery? We always hated that about the PDAs, but it wouldn’t be a problem if we could turn you off for a month and you still had battery left for an hour of read. No! You are out after about 7 or 8 days. That’s not fair.
So please. Be kind to us. Don’t freeze up on us frequently, and stop giving us the “wireless not available” sign. You want us to stay friends, don’t you?
Sincerely,
Puzzled Kindle User
Amazon Kindle Tip: Have You Played MineSweep with Kindle?
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Kindle Tips
Well. If you didn’t even know that Kindle has a MineSweep game, then… You do now! Kindle comes with a bunch of hidden features that for some reason were not disclosed by Amazon. To get access to Mine Sweeper, hold your left alt + the button right above it + “M”. Make sure you do this when you are in your home area. So here are the instructions:
Key I: Move Up, Key J: Move left, Key K: Move Down, Key L: Move Right.
You can also use alt to go from columns to rows and so forth. To mark you can use the Key “M,” duh? Finally, to uncover mines, use space.
It’s very entertaining for what it is. I personally don’t get two excited about these games but believe me. When you are waiting for an appointment, interview, or whatever, this could help ease you through the process.
R.I.P Tim Russert
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under Uncategorized
Totally unrelated to anything Kindle, but Tim Russert the God of politics passed away on Friday. He actually has a couple of good books that are now available on the Kindle. This one is a keeper.
Amazon Kindle Still Tops The Best Seller Charts
Posted by P. Rad | Filed under News, Thoughts
Amazon Kindle is still dominating the best sellers charts on Amazon. It is especially impressive for the Kindle to top iPods and Macbook airs of this world. Now I am sure Amazon would not manipulate the list to show that Kindle is doing better it’s actually doing. Obviously, it is exciting to see people support the Kindle project by paying up $359 for the device, but with all the exposure that Amazon is giving to Kindle, it should be doing much better (if we see some numbers like total # of items sold that would definitely help). Here is hoping that Amazon doesn’t just end the Kindle project without coming out with a color Kindle first.
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