Mar 13, 2008

Amazon Kindle: A Better Way To Read?


Are you seeking better ways to download your favorite blogs, e-books and things of this nature?
I am. And, particularly, I've been really curious about Amazon's Kindle electronic book reader.

I'm surprised Apple hasn't come out with an i-Reader or something like that which would blow Amazon away. But, as it turns out, Apple IS coming out with an i-Reader in July... so stay tuned on that one (I'll review it after it comes out)!

Anyway, if you're interested in downloading AspireNow's own e-books, you can do that, but now you can read them with the Amazon Kindle!
What's great about Amazon's Kindle? Take it on the subway, take it in your car, take it to bed. Whatever is convenient for you. It doesn't run as hot as a laptop computer, plus, it's more convenient to hold in your hand and just scroll through your document, which is what you'll do, anyway. If you're a gadget geek, Amazon Kindle is for you. If you want to learn more about the Amazon Kindle, here's an interesting (and clearly unbiased review):


Although the Amazon Kindle has been backordered quite a bit since release, I do offer it through the AspireNow Amazon Store:

http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/detail/B000FI73MA/002-1778283-8772807

There's also a list of groovy accessories there, too:http://astore.amazon.com/aspirenow-20/002-1778283-8772807?node=6&page=3

Let me know how the Amazon Kindle works for you. I'll be reviewing the i-Reader once it hits the shelves, too. One concern I have is that the Amazon Kindle is outside of Amazon's product focus. Instead of selling other people's products, they're trying to sell their own. That can be risky. Ultimately, I predict this product category may indeed shift to Sony and Apple. But, in the near term, Amazon Kindle is definitely something to check out.
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3 comments:

  1. What is your source for the prediction that Apple is coming out with an i-reader this summer?

    Thanks.
    Gordon Rogers
    Connect2Books.org

    ReplyDelete
  2. Gordon, You may have found my weak spot on this article. I'll dig through several sources on this matter and clarify to help settle the issue of the iPHONE:

    1) GeekWhat - http://geekwhat.com/2007/03/31/apple-ireader-due-in-july/ - this source commented July - however, that was LAST July (07). So, maybe if this device is truly being jointly developed through Amazon, Google, and Apple. Considering he missed his deadline, and considering the proximity of his blog post to April Fool's Day, I believe other sources are required.

    2) Fake Steve Jobs. http://arstechnica.com/articles/culture/fake-steve-jobs-options-review.ars. Alright. This one really is a reach. But, think about it: if Fake Steve Jobs could be printed as a book, why not a DRM-protected book on an iReader? Makes sense, especially at the market-ready $499 (and $699 with the memory capacity you'd really want, right?). It sounded so real hearing fake Steve Jobs describe the new iReader I could hardly help myself.

    3. Engadget reprinted the Robert Scoble story. You mean, it WAS an April Fool's joke. Awww sheezsh.

    4. iAudioize (http://www.gearlog.com/2007/03/turn_the_ipod_into_an_ireader.php) offers this super-cool software that turns your PDF's and other docs and allows you to HEAR them from your iPOD. How cool is that? For anyone with a commute, this is BETTER than an iREADER. This is actually the product I've been looking for, so I'm excited about this route...however, this post does not ratify the Apple iReader, either.

    5.Engadget speculation (http://www.engadget.com/2008/01/16/if-jobs-says-people-dont-read-anymore-does-this-headline-rea/comments/9882721/). Again, Engadget enthusiasts are speculating that Apple has some secret "Area-51" like lab where guys in white jackets are design this dream iReader device for us.

    Can you blame them? Just watch the video (above) and you'll see that the "Amazon Kindle" is *not* exactly what you'd call "SEX-AY".

    6. Figuring maybe Apple might want to weigh in (ehem, cough) we all know how "open" Apple likes to be (yeah, right, about as open as a Raiders training camp), I figured I'd google Apple and even CALL Apple to see if they'd comment. After google, and the phone call, my kind redirects sent me to the iPHONE or the iPOD, with the iPHONE being the most dominant suggestion. Hey, there's an idea. Maybe we can use an iREADER on an iPHONE or iPOD. Makes sense to me. Maybe there really isn't a need for a unique Apple iREADER after all!

    This quote from David Pogue of the NY times just came out YESTERDAY on the topic of Apple SDK (native software for iPHONE): The move will turn iPhone into “an engineering tool, a game console, a free-calls Skype phone, a business tool, a dating service, an e-book reader, a chat room, a database, an Etch-a-Sketch,” and, Pogue predicts “a gigantic success.”

    What's behind this? A lot. Kleiner, Perkins, Caufield, and Byers has announced an iFund of $100,000,000 for iPhone Software Development. That's serious money, folks. (see; http://developer.apple.com/iphone/program/)

    Over 100,000 developers downloaded the SDK platform for the iPhone in the first 4 days. That's buzz. I'm quite certain there will be RSS readers, of various sorts, in that mix, for sure.

    And, there's already applications just announced this week that are allowing RSS transfer without even synching to iTunes, at least for podcasts and videos. (http://iphoneapplicationlist.com/2008/03/05/iphonetouch-rss-converter/)

    So, there you have it. The iREADER already exists. It's called the iPHONE.

    Surprise!

    P.S. - For those of you who are more geeked-up than me, who already have been downloading RSS feeds with your iPOD (http://www.engadget.com/2004/04/16/pts-how-to-fridays-read-rss-feeds-on-your-ipod/) well, what can I say, if you enjoy reading my blog on a 2" x 1" screen, kudos to you... or your eyeballs!

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