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Why the Kindle Will Fail with Business Book Readers
As I reviewed the specs of the Kindle (Amazon's new ebook reader), I've come away wondering who the heck this product would be valuable for. Frankly, I can't figure out who the target market for it is, which leads me to believe that the Kindle will fail. I've tried to narrow down why I think it will fail to once sentence:
It solves problems that don't really exist.
Admittedly, this list is based around how business people consume books. Things may be quite different for Harlequin fans, students, or retirees. If the market for this is something other than techie business people, let me know.
Let's go through a few of the specs to illustrate this point:
1. Electronic Paper: The Kindle's screen uses e-ink technology that's designed to be easier on your eyes than a typical computer (or PDA) screen. Amazon has to convince people who spends hours every day staring at their computers, iPhones or Treos that they're better off carrying a third device to consume the same content.
2. Size: It's slightly smaller than a paperback book, so it does save a bit of room, but who can honestly say that they don't have room for a paperback but would have room for a Kindle in their briefcase? I imagine the counter to that is, Yeah, but I can carry MANY books in my Kindle." to which I'd response, "have you ever honestly had to leave paper books at home due to space or weight concerns?"
3. Wireless book buying: I'm sure people will use this functionality, but it's only a slight step above walking two gates down the concourse to pick up the same book. Did you save time or energy here? How long would it be before before you save money? Don't forget to use always-discounted hardcover prices when running your calculations.
And here's what you give up in exchange for those questionably beneficial features:
1. Social interactions: Say goodbye to conversations being struck up based on the book cover a fellow traveler noticed you holding.
2. Speaking Props: Ever held a book up on stage when giving a presentation?
3. Bookshelf Conversations: Ever had a great conversation with someone in your home or theirs based on a book on a shelf?
4. Sharing: Have you ever given someone a book to read after you were done with it? Have one given to you? Perhaps with markups of things you found particularly interesting?
When I weight the Kindle's questionable benefits against the trade-offs, I have a hard time seeing how this will take off with business people. Why give up the social interactions and conversations that revolve around physical books for the questionable benefits of a book reading device?
Last night I set an over/under on Twitter of March 8, 2008 for the Kindle to appear on Woot.com. What will an underwhelming holiday season for the latest eBook attempt have on that prediction?
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2. Posted by: Ed Kohler on November 21, 2007 9:24 AM:
Marc, good point about conversations around the product itself. The novelty will certainly get noticed.
If my assumptions are incorrect, the analysis could be too. I based my assumptions on how I - and people I know - use books.
3. Posted by: Mike Cane on November 25, 2007 9:47 AM:
>>>I based my assumptions on how I - and people I know - use books.
And how you -- and apparentky people you know -- interact with other people and with books.
>>>1. Social interactions: Say goodbye to conversations being struck up based on the book cover a fellow traveler noticed you holding.
Instead, it will be even worse intrusions: What's *that* you're holding? Ebooks? What's that? Can I try it? How much does it cost? Do they have other colors? Show me how to buy a book.
Hello, when I have a book open, I'm doing something that's called *reading*. It's a solitary endeavor.
>>>2. Speaking Props: Ever held a book up on stage when giving a presentation?
To distract from the poor presentation itself? Or just to posture (like an old guy buying a sleek new car)?
>>>3. Bookshelf Conversations: Ever had a great conversation with someone in your home or theirs based on a book on a shelf?
Oh please. What percentage of those conversations are really about *sports*. (Well, maybe you have many sports books...)
>>>4. Sharing: Have you ever given someone a book to read after you were done with it? Have one given to you? Perhaps with markups of things you found particularly interesting?
When was the last time you used a public library? The books are now filled with such "notes." That's called vandalism. If you think you have something better to say, write your own damned book.
>>>Why give up the social interactions and conversations that revolve around physical books for the questionable benefits of a book reading device?
Uh, because I want to *read*? What a concept!
And here is what you gain from ebooks:
1) You can carry your entire library on a DVD (or a few of them)
2) You don't have to box them and lug them for moving
3) If you store them on a server, your library is now *everywhere*
4) Since the Kindle announcement, some ebooks are now *less expensive* than their paperback editions (and I'm talking major publishers here)
5) You don't get to ask WTF book I'm reading. That makes me happy. Very.
4. Posted by: Ed Kohler on November 25, 2007 12:12 PM:
Mike, I get the impression that you don't fit the profile I outlined above. :-)
Maybe the Kindle is a good fit for you?
5. Posted by: Cat Faber on December 2, 2007 3:28 PM:
You write "It solves problems that don't really exist."
regarding point 1) looking at a laptop or PDA screen for a long time (I can get lost in a good book for hours---perhaps this isn't true for business people, though) makes my eyes ache. If it doesn't make your eyes ache, that's great, but it doesn't help me.
regarding point 2) I have to make hard choices about which books to take pretty much every single time I fly. They're heavy, and packing them in a suitcase so they don't chew on each other takes time and thought.
regarding point 3) walking down the concourse will get you access to a very limited collection of books, sold at premium prices. The Kindle (or pretty much any e-reader, which doesn't speak well for the concourse bookstore) already has a bigger selection *and* the Kindle has better prices.
The previous response dealt with the cons you bring up pretty thoroughly, except the issue of loaning books, which I like to do also. While I would like to see Amazon do better on this front, the Kindle will display unsecured e-books (bought other places than Amazon--Baen Webscriptions pops to mind), and those can be loaned to your heart's content.
And finally I'll point out that I don't know about business people, but I have, at a very conservative estimate, a thousand pounds of books. Every time I have to move, they all have to be packed up and moved, and all their shelves have to be moved with them.
A library on a chip the size of a postage stamp? Yeah, that has my attention.
6. Posted by: Teresa Blankmeyer Burke on September 11, 2008 10:43 PM:
I'm an academic who works in three cities (Philadelphia, Washington DC, Albuquerque) and every 5-10 days I'm either on a train or a plane. The Kindle has changed my life - I now can carry my research library with me, and I find it especially useful on long transcontinental or trans-Atlantic flights.
In the past week I have shown my Kindle to about a dozen colleagues - each has immediately grasped the implications of not having to travel with 2 bags for books and articles. Only one has not been enthusiastic - she very much values the experience of having paper pages to touch and turn. (I enjoy this too - but not so the extent of lugging around 30 pounds of books when I travel!)
It is also nice for backpacking trips!
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1. Posted by: Marc Orchant on November 21, 2007 8:25 AM:
Hey Ed - guess what? In one day (less actually - one afternoon) with the Kindle I've already struck up a number of conversations with people about not only what I'm reading but how I'm reading it. Always-on push content, light weight, and long battery life are all big plusses for me. I travel a lot and yes, there have been countless occasions when I've had to make concessions about how much reading/reference material I can take with me and access quickly. By my calculations, I will pay for the Kindle in about 7 months and then enjoy significant ongoing savings compared to the way I used to buy books.
I've tried using a Tablet PC, Plam, Nokia, Psion, and Apple devices (Newton and iPhone as well as laptops) as portable readers. Kindle is better than any of them when I evaluate ease of access and use, performance, and functionality. I have many gadgets but this is a welcome addition to the kit one I fully expect will get more use than most.