Amazon Releasing Software Development Kit to Bring Apps to Kindle

[DaveGee]

Can there be an app that will convert other ebook formats into kindle format?

I'm quite sure that thanks to the US congress any such program would be highly ILLEGAL punishable by fines and/or jail time. Gotta love what DMCA has done to the once free nation many of us call home.

But if you jump the border to Mexico or Canada I'm guessing you'd be fine to use such a heinous application if one ever came into existence.

Provided of course that the US authorities don't try to extrodite the author of said program to be put on trial for such terrible crimes against humanity... Well okay maybe not crimes against humanity so much as to copywrite holders and mega corporations who paid the government to make federal laws to fatten their bottom line and to put in jail anyone that they felt were getting in their way.

Oh yea thats right we don't say they 'payed the government' its so SLEAZY sounding... thats right these companies lobbied the government and there's certainly nothing underhanded about THAT.

 

[HarryPot]

I
Amazon, I simply don't understand why it took you so long. Apple is going to change the game once again with a better product, end-to-end user experience, ease of use, and content resulting in an overall better platform relative to the Kindle.

I don't know if you have a Kindle, but in my point of view, the Kindle and the rumored Apple Tablet aren't direct competitors.

Amazon is not late in the game, they were one of the first ones to come up with a decent and functional e-book reader. Which now, in it's 2nd generation, is excellent. I'm sure the Apple Tablet is going to be great, but I rather read in a Kindle or a device with e-ink technology than in an LCD screen with fingerprints allover it.

The Kindle is extremely easy to use, has an excellent user-friendly store and has a lot of content. Most current owners of a Kindle won't trade it for the Apple Tablet, because what they want to do is read and enjoy the process of doing it.

In my view, the beginning of the end for the Kindle is now underway.

What I said above, and also add the factor of price. The kindle starts at $250, a LOT less than the rumored price for the Apple Tablet.

 

[HarryPot]

if i was trying to decide between an amazingly functional peice of hardware that supported e-books/mags (apple tablet) among many other things for around $1000, or a crippled POS (kindle,sony) for $300ish....i would either get the apple, or by a paper copy of whatever book i wanted to read.

But why crippled?

What Amazon tells you the Kindle does, it does it perfectly. It's a device for reading books, and only that. And in this, it surpasses any tablet to date, and would surely be the same with the new Apple Tablet.

 

[HarryPot]

Even without the rumored tablet, Apple already has long had two Kindle-killers, the iPhone and iPod touch.

SNIP

Apple will sell upwards of 20 million iPhone and iPod touch devices in the holiday quarter alone. This is around 40 times the Kindle sales estimated by analysts. Adding in the holiday quarter estimates, Apple has sold roughly 75 million iPhones and iPod touches combined allof which (you need OS 2.0) are capable of using Amazon's Kindle app, plus a huge selection of other e-reader apps. 3 million Kindles vs. 75 million iPhones and iPod touche.

But the iPhone or iPod Touch are not even close competitors with the Kindle, completely different devices.

For quite a while now, the far and away number one electronic reading device in the world is from Apple, not Amazon.

Yet, how many iPhone users read books in their phone? And how many books? I have read some books in my iPod Touch, and many more in the Kindle, and the Kindle offers an extremely and much better experience. Not even comparable.

 

[AdamH52683]

I'll take that bet.

So will I... As a huge Apple fan, an avid reader, and a Kindle owner, I would not use an Apple tablet to read novels unless it had something comparable to an E Ink screen. FWIW, my Kindle has already paid for itself in hardcover savings.

 

[HarryPot]

Unless you have an ability to transport yourself to next Wed today that is all ill-informed conjecture.

There is no technology to use E-ink with color yet, and even then the refresh rates are far from being good for games. So Apple will have to stick with LCD screens, which consume much more battery than a E-ink screens.

So, I guess it's a safe bet to say the Apple Tablet won't have the same quality screen than the Kindle for reading books, and that the battery life is going to be very short in comparison with the Kindle battery. Also, the price difference is very probable to be considerable.

These two characteristics of the Kindle are enough to make many choose the Kindle from the rumored Apple Tablet.

 

[iphones4evry1]

Cool idea for Zagat - if we can get restaurant menus!

 

[HiRez]

As if applications on mobile electronics platforms were an Apple invention. Please.

No, just usable ones that don't suck.

 

[HiRez]

Man, amazon are really freaking out!

They are scared, and should be. Not only will an Apple device be far more capable than a Kindle (which is a nifty thing, but too limited and overpriced), but what must really scare them about Apple particularly is Apple's prowess in online sales and distribution through the iTunes Store and App Store. Plus the clout and experience to deal with big content providers.

 

[iphones4evry1]

They are scared, and should be. Not only will an Apple device be far more capable than a Kindle (which is a nifty thing, but too limited and overpriced), but what must really scare them about Apple particularly is Apple's prowess in online sales and distribution through the iTunes Store and App Store. Plus the clout and experience to deal with big content providers.

What people need to realize - they say e-ink is easier on our eyes and more like printed material, BUT our society already looks at computer screens all day long - we're used to LCD screens. We don't need "e-ink is easier on your eyes." Give me an LCD screen already! I already look at one all day long.

 

[cmaier]

They are scared, and should be. Not only will an Apple device be far more capable than a Kindle (which is a nifty thing, but too limited and overpriced), but what must really scare them about Apple particularly is Apple's prowess in online sales and distribution through the iTunes Store and App Store. Plus the clout and experience to deal with big content providers.

They want to sell books, not kindles. They would be happy if everyone ran a kindle app on their iphone and itablet. The problem for them is that Apple is going to compete with them on book sales, and will likely do so quite successfully - it may be a reprise of iTunes store vs. Amazon mp3 store.

 

[Stella]

No, just usable ones that don't suck.

99.9% of all apps on the appStore suck!

 

[cmaier]

99.9% of all apps on the appStore suck!

You've tried them all, have you?

 

[ChazUK]

99.9% of all apps on the appStore suck!

87.4% of statistics are pulled from peoples arses too.

 

[Stella]

You've tried them all, have you?

87.4% of statistics are pulled from peoples arses too.

I think its generally common knowledge and agreed upon that the vast majority of apps on the AppStore suck... even on these forums. Shovelware.

Of course, there are some absolute gems.

 

[cmaier]

I think its generally common knowledge and agreed upon that the vast majority of apps on the AppStore suck... even on these forums.

Of course, there are some absolute gems.

"Common knowledge" is neither common nor knowledge. Your proposition that 99.9% of appstore apps suck is astoundingly unlikely from a statistical point of view, so the question remains - what's your actual evidence?

 

[ChazUK]

I think its generally common knowledge and agreed upon that the vast majority of apps on the AppStore suck... even on these forums.

Of course, there are some absolute gems.

I care not for the App store but saying things like "99.9% of all apps on the appStore suck!" is a huge sweeping generaisation that will only induce a negative response from people here.

Anyway even if "the vast majority of apps on the AppStore suck", is there an app store that isn't full of shovelware out there? If so, please direct me to which platform it's on and I'll adopt it right now!

Personally, I love the Android Market but that has its fair share of ***** too.

 

[strike1555]

Even without the rumored tablet, Apple already has long had two Kindle-killers, the iPhone and iPod touch.

These already offer e-reader functions, including Amazon's Kindle app itself. Amazon has sold a paltry 2.5 million of these, hoping to add maybe a couple hundred thousand this holiday quarter. It hasn't taken off. And once everyone else follows Apple's tablet lead and begins to make tablets that aren't junk (won't take long), these e-readers and Kindles will be relics on eBay. The decision to add app functionality is an attempt to get the Kindle moving and get it competitive. But as it stands, this move is worth about as much as thermal underwear in Death Valley at high noon.

Apple will sell upwards of 20 million iPhone and iPod touch devices in the holiday quarter alone. This is around 40 times the Kindle sales estimated by analysts. Adding in the holiday quarter estimates, Apple has sold roughly 75 million iPhones and iPod touches combined allof which (you need OS 2.0) are capable of using Amazon's Kindle app, plus a huge selection of other e-reader apps. 3 million Kindles vs. 75 million iPhones and iPod touche. For quite a while now, the far and away number one electronic reading device in the world is from Apple, not Amazon.

Amazon trying to pull an Apple = fail.

Hopefully Amazon has a tablet in the works. LOL.

Wrong again. The iPhone or the iPod touch has not impacted Amazon's kindle sales in any shape, way or form.

Your ability to compare apples and oranges in desperation is remarkable.

"Common knowledge" is neither common nor knowledge. Your proposition that 99.9% of appstore apps suck is astoundingly unlikely from a statistical point of view, so the question remains - what's your actual evidence?

If you had even a shred of common sense you would know that he is metaphorically speaking. It is no ancient Chinese secret that the vast majority of apps are complete junk.

 

[CactusHawk]

Why not both...

I own an iPhone, a Kindle, a MBAir, and an iMac. I do read books on my iPhone. To be honest I read more often on my iPhone than I do my Kindle because I always have my iPhone on me. But when I sit down to do some real reading I go to the Kindle. The e-ink is just easier on my eyes. My wife can take one look at my eyes and know if I have been reading on my iPhone for any length of time. E-ink (for me and some others I have talked to) is better than LCD for reading.

If the rumored devise is as sweet as iHope then I will probably be buying one of those as well but...it will not replace my Kindle. It might replace my iPhone though...

 

[LagunaSol]

While strike1555 is on my Ignore list, unfortunately his postings still show up in my email inbox. (I wish MacRumors would fix that little detail.) So I did see this silly nugget of his:

The iPhone or the iPod touch has not impacted Amazon's kindle sales in any shape, way or form.​

which is hilarious in the fact that he has no idea what Kindle sales actually are nor what may or may not be impacting them.

And I assume Apple's new iDevice will have no impact on Kindle sales in any shape, way or form either.

 

[Stella]

I care not for the App store but saying things like "99.9% of all apps on the appStore suck!" is a huge sweeping generaisation that will only induce a negative response from people here.

Anyway even if "the vast majority of apps on the AppStore suck", is there an app store that isn't full of shovelware out there? If so, please direct me to which platform it's on and I'll adopt it right now!

Personally, I love the Android Market but that has its fair share of ***** too.

Sure, thats a fair point. We could only wish for a store full of gems, with no crap!

 

[RawBert]

<sarcasm>OMG What? I can't wait for this! So excited!</sarcasm>

But seriously, Kindle is a good product (I guess), for a niche market. I think it hardly compares to Apple's products which are far more versatile - and COOL. Their App Store (or whatever) will not even compare.

 

[cmaier]

If you had even a shred of common sense you would know that he is metaphorically speaking. It is no ancient Chinese secret that the vast majority of apps are complete junk.

So you've replaced "common knowledge" with "it is no ... secret." You are making naked assertions without a shred of evidence.

I maintain that the vast majority of apps in the appstore are quite good, and admirably perform their jobs, even if only a few people need that specific functionality.

 

[*LTD*]

Wrong again. The iPhone or the iPod touch has not impacted Amazon's kindle sales in any shape, way or form.

What Kindle sales?

If you had even a shred of common sense you would know that he is metaphorically speaking. It is no ancient Chinese secret that the vast majority of apps are complete junk.

It's no ancient Chinese secret that the App Store has:

1) The most apps
2) The best apps

The App Store has categories and filters. It's dead-easy to find the best apps that everyone loves, categorized and reviewed. No other implementation even comes close. Anyone who says otherwise is either trolling or lying.

 

[DMann]

What Kindle sales?




It's no ancient Chinese secret that the App Store has:

1) The most apps
2) The best apps

The App Store has categories and filters. It's dead-easy to find the best apps that everyone loves, categorized and reviewed. No other implementation even comes close. Anyone who says otherwise is either trolling or lying.

Strike!