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Amazon Launches a Web-Based iPad Kindle Reader
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Get a real browser
It takes time to write versions for the smaller unusable Web browsers. They said that they would get to the bottom of the pile sooner or later.
It takes time to write versions for the smaller unusable Web browsers. They said that they would get to the bottom of the pile sooner or later.
Kindle app on the iPad
That is why I still use the old Kindle app on my iPad. I like the fact that I can go straight to the Amazon Kindle Store. But then with Apple's Lion leaving everything open from startup to startup the Kindle Store never does go away. But there are times that I run Mac OS 10.6.8 & may have to load the Amazon Kindle Store all by my lonesome self. That's hard to do anymore. There must be an app for that?
That is why I still use the old Kindle app on my iPad. I like the fact that I can go straight to the Amazon Kindle Store. But then with Apple's Lion leaving everything open from startup to startup the Kindle Store never does go away. But there are times that I run Mac OS 10.6.8 & may have to load the Amazon Kindle Store all by my lonesome self. That's hard to do anymore. There must be an app for that?
No one said
... that Dev's had to make Apps for the iPad platform. There are PS3 Exclusive Devs and Xbox Exclusive Devs.... So...
These poor, little, cry for me Devs WILLINGLY signed up for the App Store iOS environment as just another avenue for making $$$$. They could have just programmed a physical Media version and/or online download version and been done with it. But they realized the ease at which just posting to one place both the first App and Subsequent updates was WAY easier than maintaining there own online and store front presence. And for the convenience of hands off Distro they pay 30%. And?!?!?!?
I applaud Amazon for thinking outside the box on how to deliver content to iOS via HTML5 just ingenuiity of a Free Market society when one door shuts bust a hole in the wall and build another or go to another house all together (off iOS) either way thats free market freedom at work
... that Dev's had to make Apps for the iPad platform. There are PS3 Exclusive Devs and Xbox Exclusive Devs.... So...
These poor, little, cry for me Devs WILLINGLY signed up for the App Store iOS environment as just another avenue for making $$$$. They could have just programmed a physical Media version and/or online download version and been done with it. But they realized the ease at which just posting to one place both the first App and Subsequent updates was WAY easier than maintaining there own online and store front presence. And for the convenience of hands off Distro they pay 30%. And?!?!?!?
I applaud Amazon for thinking outside the box on how to deliver content to iOS via HTML5 just ingenuiity of a Free Market society when one door shuts bust a hole in the wall and build another or go to another house all together (off iOS) either way thats free market freedom at work
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Agreed. Let's not forget Apple is a hardware company. They want to sell more iPhones and iPads and computers. Period. To think this is somehow hurting them really misses the point. They really could care less if it's a native or web app. If it's a native app, you just have to follow their rules. That's all.
Not only that, if any new player comes up, guess what? they support it! (think wp7, webOS etc.)
Ive said it before, and ill say it again. Apps will soon be largely commoditized (HTML5 being one reason). Ironically, the thing Jobs got wrong initially is what will be right soon. Also, credit to O'Reilly, the web _is_ the platform.
p.s. the way Apple is treating developers i guess they'll have to pay high premiums for exclusives.
Credit to the above for being first!
I agree with most of what you said, but the bold is way to broad of an assumption. There are numerous ways to price platform participation, and there surely are scenarios when open standards are beneficial*.
But yes, Apple probably loves the idea of Cable-style Internet, or Appernet. A bit too control happy for me to be a comfortable customer.
* e.g. see tipping strategy as described by Cusamano and Gawer, or consider the case of El Goog, working hard on easing your eventual departure from the platform. Of course, monopoly rents trump all, but those are rare = )
Yeah, i mean. Apple should buy all companies in the world and build a giant glass cube and sell all stuff in there. Right?
Think first.
p.s.
Hint: When you have hundreds of thousands of apps in the same store you end up with information overflow. As such, the situation calls for filtering and recommendation. Said things can be implemented in numerous ways, with varying results. For example, a store specializing in apps for X would probably provide a better service on X than a store that does everything from A to Z. And so on, and so forth.
Sure, your point is somewhat valid. There are scenarios where the fragmentation is highly unwanted. But, the same can be said about aspects of the situation were currently in.
Hint 2: Is Android market exactly the same as Apples app store? If not, in what way are they different? Does this difference equate difference in overall quality; i.e., given a choice would you prefer the use of one over the other?
Assuming your answer is -yes-, the fact that Apple doesnt get "everything right by default", and that competition has a good record for finding good solutions to new problems and better solutions to existing ones there are several reasons why one would want more than just one shop.
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Nice for my PowerBook G4 and Linux devices
Nice for my PowerBook G4 and Linux devices where native application does not exists
Nice for my PowerBook G4 and Linux devices where native application does not exists
Two features for now missing
I've tested the cloud reader and missed two features: the dictionary (very helpful for me, as English is not my mother tongue, and I like reading as a learning method) and highlighting. At least I tried the same gestures and nothing happened.
I've tested the cloud reader and missed two features: the dictionary (very helpful for me, as English is not my mother tongue, and I like reading as a learning method) and highlighting. At least I tried the same gestures and nothing happened.
Yes the vibrancy of the Eco-system around the hardware is far important to Apple selling hardware than any so called "Vendor Lock"*. Having something cool that works well everywher is no advantage to an particular hardware vendor but it's not a disadvantage either. Moves like this could well be great for smaller publishers if they get the general public use to the idea of Web Apps being a quality way to deliver content.
* I don't buy the vendor lock thing it seriously hasn't stopped anyone transitioning between any platforms it just makes them more bitter about leaving.
Apple is not "a hardware company". What kind of cheese are you eating?
should be (relatively) easy to implement. patience...
If leaving makes you bitter, it is safe to assume that switching had a cost. The higher the cost, the more locked in you are. I am not sure if its that you just dont understand the concept, but that post of yours was quite... odd.
Second, for Apple it is a disadvantage*, as they have use "theres an app for that" as a selling point. When apps become commoditized, differentiation becomes harder, and justification of high premiums even harder.
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Same reason they disallowed links to external sites for purchases/subscriptions through iOS devices...?
Why are people trying to present this web app as a "lose" for Apple? What have they lost? Revenue? The native app was free. Lock in? Kindle is available on multiple platforms already. Control? They are specifically promoting web apps as a development platform on iOS devices.
Basically, apps can be separated into four categories.
1. Non-Apple compatible apps
2. Open standards-based apps
3. Multiplatform Apple compatible apps
4. Exclusive Apple apps
Obviously, (1) is bad for Apple and (4) is great for Apple. (2) and (3) are good for most platforms.
Basically, apps can be separated into four categories.
1. Non-Apple compatible apps
2. Open standards-based apps
3. Multiplatform Apple compatible apps
4. Exclusive Apple apps
Obviously, (1) is bad for Apple and (4) is great for Apple. (2) and (3) are good for most platforms.
Content providers that are now paying Apple 30% can make a deal with Amazon instead.
If Amazon's web app gets popular then those content providers will still have a big sales window on iOS, and Apple won't get their 30%.
That would be far from as it was before.
Lets then say that Amazon makes it possible to buy and use HTML5 apps/games from their web app, or another web app focused on apps/games. Or music for that matter.
All things that Apple was getting 30% from.
Amazon has always sold kindle books through the web on iOS. What has changed for Apple?
How did you get from books to web apps? (Why would you pay Amazon to distribute a web app?)
Apple operates the iTunes Store a bit over break even. A shift to web apps isn't going to impact their bottom line.
If Amazon's window is big enough and if they want a smaller cut, then that may happen, even more so if Amazon would be able to offer a solution that would make these HTML5 apps/games work on both iOS and Android, something that then would save developing costs.
About the iTunes Store running break even.
hahahahahahahahahahahahahahahahaha!
sorry. i thought for a second you were serious.
you weren't serious, right?
I have no idea what this has to do with a Kindle web app or why Amazon would develop a platform on top of HTML5, since HTML5 would presumably already work on iOS and Android.Yep.
Dead serious. Apple is not a hardware company. Hardware companies sell hardware. Software companies sell software. Which group does Apple belong to? Oh, both? Guess you need to wipe that smile off your face then.
Apple is not a hardware company; Apple is a vertically integrated producer of software based platforms and ICT-artefacts. Why does it matter? Because it has an impact on what business models that are available; e.g., Apple could give away their devices and rely on sales of complements - something a "hardware producer" couldn't do.
Get off the cheese.
The Amazon Kindle 4
The Amazon Kindle 4 (aka Kindle 4th Gen, Kindle Touchless or just plain Kindle) was announced as a sidenote to the colour Kindle Fire and touch-enabled Kindle Touch. But in many ways it was the most significant of the three, because of its extraordinary price.
The UK remains the poor cousin to the US in the world of dedicated ebook readers. While many are on the market, to be a real success they need the vertical integration of being linked with a book seller, both for usability and the subsidy to the initial purchase price.
A stand-alone reader needs to make a profit for the manufacturer from the retail price alone, while a book seller device can make its money from the books and so can afford to be priced cheaply. And Amazon as the biggest book store can subsidise its ereaders the most.
As a result we really only have Amazon's Kindle, missing out on other book seller-tied devices such as the Nook and Kobo.
Worse, we currently only have one of the new generation of Kindles, the others being restricted to the US (presumably for supply reasons). And to add salt to the trans-Atlantic wound, our new Kindle costs £89 compared to $79 (around £50) in the States.
But we do at least have one of the next-gen Amazon Kindles, and it's still very, very cheap. So how does it stack up?
Well, unlike the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire, the plain Kindle is basically a cut down and repackaged version of last year's Kindle 3 - now renamed the Kindle Keyboard - rather than one with new technologies and features added.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the Kindle Keyboard was the best ebook reader on the market in terms of screen, book choice and price.
If you put the price of the US version out of mind, £89 really is cheap as chips for an ebook reader, especially one as accomplished as this.
As well as opening up ereaders to a new market, when the reader is priced this low you're less worried about taking it into environments where you might think twice about using expensive electronics, such as the bathroom or the beach. While not exactly disposable, it's not £500-worth of iPad to wreck either.
Amazon famously sells more books in Kindle ebook format than in print these days, and this price point is only going to accelerate that trend. Check out more information on kindle review on this site.
The Amazon Kindle 4 (aka Kindle 4th Gen, Kindle Touchless or just plain Kindle) was announced as a sidenote to the colour Kindle Fire and touch-enabled Kindle Touch. But in many ways it was the most significant of the three, because of its extraordinary price.
The UK remains the poor cousin to the US in the world of dedicated ebook readers. While many are on the market, to be a real success they need the vertical integration of being linked with a book seller, both for usability and the subsidy to the initial purchase price.
A stand-alone reader needs to make a profit for the manufacturer from the retail price alone, while a book seller device can make its money from the books and so can afford to be priced cheaply. And Amazon as the biggest book store can subsidise its ereaders the most.
As a result we really only have Amazon's Kindle, missing out on other book seller-tied devices such as the Nook and Kobo.
Worse, we currently only have one of the new generation of Kindles, the others being restricted to the US (presumably for supply reasons). And to add salt to the trans-Atlantic wound, our new Kindle costs £89 compared to $79 (around £50) in the States.
But we do at least have one of the next-gen Amazon Kindles, and it's still very, very cheap. So how does it stack up?
Well, unlike the Kindle Touch and Kindle Fire, the plain Kindle is basically a cut down and repackaged version of last year's Kindle 3 - now renamed the Kindle Keyboard - rather than one with new technologies and features added.
That's not necessarily a bad thing, because the Kindle Keyboard was the best ebook reader on the market in terms of screen, book choice and price.
If you put the price of the US version out of mind, £89 really is cheap as chips for an ebook reader, especially one as accomplished as this.
As well as opening up ereaders to a new market, when the reader is priced this low you're less worried about taking it into environments where you might think twice about using expensive electronics, such as the bathroom or the beach. While not exactly disposable, it's not £500-worth of iPad to wreck either.
Amazon famously sells more books in Kindle ebook format than in print these days, and this price point is only going to accelerate that trend. Check out more information on kindle review on this site.
The Kindle Fire is Amazon's first foray into the tablet market. Although it is still technically being promoted as an e-book reader, it can actually do a lot more than that. It is a fully functioning 7" full color touch screen device, capable of delivering not only books, but games, apps, video and a lot more. It's a great crossover between e-book reader and tablet, and at a very low cost. This Kindle Fire review will look at some of the main benefits and features of this wonderful device.
How Does the Kindle Fire Compare with Amazon's Previous Kindles?
The biggest difference between the Fire and previous incarnations of the Kindle is the function. The original Kindles (which are still the best e-book readers on the market) performed one function, and that was to enable the user to read books. They do have secondary functions such as on board mp3 players for audible books or music and a basic web browser, but that is all they are.
The Fire is different because it is more like an all in one mobile entertainment center. It takes book reading one step further, and provides a fantastic screen to enable magazine content reading as well.
So far, this Kindle Fire review has covered the basic specs, reading, videos and music. What else could it possibly offer? The other main use people have for their tablets is of course internet access. The Amazon Silk browser is nothing short of amazing and offers smooth and speedy browsing. It also supports Flash, so while your iPad using friends struggle on flash web sites, you'll be displaying them with no problems at all. For complete information you can read at kindle review
How Does the Kindle Fire Compare with Amazon's Previous Kindles?
The biggest difference between the Fire and previous incarnations of the Kindle is the function. The original Kindles (which are still the best e-book readers on the market) performed one function, and that was to enable the user to read books. They do have secondary functions such as on board mp3 players for audible books or music and a basic web browser, but that is all they are.
The Fire is different because it is more like an all in one mobile entertainment center. It takes book reading one step further, and provides a fantastic screen to enable magazine content reading as well.
So far, this Kindle Fire review has covered the basic specs, reading, videos and music. What else could it possibly offer? The other main use people have for their tablets is of course internet access. The Amazon Silk browser is nothing short of amazing and offers smooth and speedy browsing. It also supports Flash, so while your iPad using friends struggle on flash web sites, you'll be displaying them with no problems at all. For complete information you can read at kindle review
