Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device "Kindle"

Kindle: Amazon's New Wireless Reading Device - Today Amazon.com released Kindle, what some are of course calling the iPod for eBooks.

Engadget has some good coverage of the release and some initial reactions to the device. Initial reactions to the hardware design seem favorable, and in the 'ugly, but pleasingly functional' category.

Here are some things that seem to stand out immediately...

PROS

• Amazon and books are peas in a pod, the user experience seems carefully crafter to lead to smooth downloading and reading workflow
• The form factor is interesting, the screen similar in size to a book and the e-ink technology looks like it offers a grayscale rendering, and it's light
  
• The eBooks are less expensive is some cases, than buying and shipping the paper counterpart - there's a definite "Green" notion to this.
• The battery is user-replaceable (cough - Apple, get a clue)
• No subscriptions or additional fees, beyond the cost of the device, for wireless access, 1yr warranty
  
• Promised less than 1 min. downloads
• USB 2.0 connectivity for PC and Mac, but does not require a computer
  
• Email documents and images to the device, read blogs and newspapers
  

CONS

• $400 and a Grayscale display? Now that's more Newton than the iPhone. I understand the tradeoffs here, but we are in the age of sexy color touchscreen mobile devices, so this does come across as a bit v1.0
• No back-light, so, how do you read in the dark? Well, one of the few accessories listed at the bottom of the new Kindle product page is a clunky looking $20 reading light with a clip designed more for print books than eBooks. This seems like a careless afterthought, so it's probably safe to assume that Amazon will release or partner for slicker accessories to fill in the feature gaps.
• As clipmarks.com points out, unlike an iPod you can't "rip" the books you already own onto the Kindle. So, it seems to me, since Amazon keeps such great tabs on previous purchases, it would be slick if they offered customers free versions of books previously purchased on Amazon as Kindle eBook 'cross-grades'.
  
• The built in 256MB internal is pretty wimpy. If you really intend to fill it up with books and emailed documents, you'll likely make the additional investment in a SD memory card (supports up to 4GB). So mark that down as a hidden cost.
  
• $9.99+ per book may not be a great savings when you factor in the purchase of the Kindle device itself. These eBooks cannot be shared easily, resold in the aftermarket, or donated to a local library. Seth Godin has an interesting perspective on this. In this sense, Kindle books are far more limited - but that same argument has not deterred online music sales and overpricing.
• I can't seem to find info on the exact dimensions of the screen itself, I'm curious to know just how much bigger it is than an iPod touch / iPhone
  
• All that embossed texture on the backside is going to collect some nasty dirt and buildup from your grubby hands.
  
• Branding nit: with "Book Burning" as an indelible part of history, Kindle certainly seems loaded with irony
• And as an aside, the Kindle introduces techno-lust into the reading equation. Next year's Kindle will be cooler, just like iPods, let the buyers remorse begin. Books don't really do that to you.

While others have tried, Amazon is in a unique position to move this technology forward. It will be interesting to see how the product performs, and to observe the ecosystem that will likely grow around it.

The Virtues of Print in a Web 2.0 World

oreilly.com: "Dale Dougherty, the publisher of Make: Magazine did a brief interview with Publishing Executive Magazine, which included some great thoughts on how print publishers can harness the power of Web 2.0 while also playing to their own strengths...

There's a lot that publishers can and should do with technology, because Web 2.0 is providing many new ways of finding new talent, bringing great material to the top of what used to be called 'the slush pile', and then bringing it to market. But so much does begin just as Dale says, in deep engagement with your audience, which in almost every case is also the source of the content that you will feature."

Interesting article, also includes a video about how O'reilly leverages the web to augment the total customer experience for their publication "MAKE".