I’m something of a gadget man and early adopter, especially when it comes to media and communications.
I can’t get excited about the kindle though. In its current form the electronic reader is just too one dimensional.
Much of the hype is coming from newspapers, which have a vested interest in promoting the platform. In fact the whole of the publishing industry, including books and magazines, is hoping it takes off.
Don’t rush out and buy an early version, is my view.
The kindle needs to be more than just a reader; it needs to be part of an integrated communications device.
Instead of creating hardware to read digital books, software will be developed that works on a range of platforms.
An electronic book or newspaper should be readable on a mobile phone, laptop computer or PC.
The hardware will improve over time and there will be more options in terms of size and capabilities.
I like the size of mini laptops, but they are still a little bulky to carry around and pull out on a crowded train.
I envisage something in the size and shape of a kindle that’s also a computer, phone and webcam with wireless internet connectivity.
In fact, while writing this and searching Google for “kindle Australia” I read that Apple and HTC are tipped to announce highly portable tablet computers in coming weeks.
It makes sense that Google and HTC might produce something like this, using the Chrome operating system. If it includes mobile phone capability I think it will be a real winner.
Digital reading software is already available for mobile phones. I paid US$1.99 for Aldiko, which enables me to download free copies of books that are out of copyright.
It took only a few seconds to obtain Dracula by Bram Stoker. The text is easy to read and the scrolling format involves just a simple tap with a finger.
As for the current kindle, it’s likely to go the way of the Palm handheld devices before they morphed into phones. Remember them?
I had a Palm m100 (pictured below). It’s probably in a box in the shed. It was an organiser that synchronised clumsily with Outlook.
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HP just unveiled a tablet notebook at CES.
Check it out! Apple came in a bit too late on this one.
Twitter: mgorey
says:
Sweet! The price is good too, for a tablet. I still reckon it’s worth waiting 3-6 months to see how this market develops.
Twitter: delmerw
says:
I read most of the books I read off a Palm TX. The reading area is larger than the Palm m100 as it expands to fill the area you’d typically write in at the bottom.
Still, when I thought it was lost I wasn’t about to buy a new one. It cost as much as an iTouch and I’m pretty sure I can do everything I do with a TX on an iTouch.
I have no interest in owning a Kindle — it would be one more thing to carry around and I’m more interested in having all-in-one devices. (Not that I have any now… it’s just that that’s the next move I’ll make as my current gizmos die off.)
Twitter: mgorey
says:
I agree. It’s worth waiting a while too, because there will be a lot of developments in this space over the next 12 months.
With what’s happened recentely with the iPhone, i won’t be rushing out for the first release. I’m gonna wait for the product to improve and and also for the price to drop. Knowing Apple I won’t have to wait too long. I’d luv to know many people had buyers remorse after going to buy the first version
Nice read. I also saw a video on Youtube about a review on new Apple iPad.