Serious readers will have a Kindle. I do. We will also have our iPhones for those times we don't have our Kindle on us.
Amazon gets a cut from every ebook sale. That's the point to the iPhone App.
The best thing is that the two devices work together. When you are in the middle of a book on the Kindle and you pick up your iPhone the Kindle app there knows where you left off and opens the book to that page automatically. And when you go back to your Kindle the same thing happens.
If you are trying to read in a dimly lit area the Kindle is not going to work, but the backlit iPhone will. Also the current iPhone is not as bad a size for reading text as you might suspect. What you get is equivalent to a newspaper column width of text which is ideal for speedreading. It can actually be faster to pound through an article set at the width of a standard newspaper column than one formatted at the width of a paperback novel.
Like I said in the comment area of the Kindle Review:
I think Amazon Put a gun in there mouth and pulled the trigger when they released an iPhone version of the Kindle. So if I can download this app for FREE, and then just pay for my books from Amazon, whats the point of spending $200+ on a Kindle?
The iPhone is basically a kindle. BUT, with a better internet browser, e-mail, an iPod, and a cellphone all in one... and of course no E-ink.
I understand this is Amazons way of getting people to buy a Kindle. But, I think its too soon to put this App out on Apple's app store.
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
The best thing about this app is that if you're stuck somewhere without your Kindle and you have some time to kill, with whispersync at least you'd be able to read some more of your book for a little while.
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
The best thing about this app is that if you're stuck somewhere without your Kindle and you have some time to kill, with whispersync at least you'd be able to read some more of your book for a little while.
Unless your eyes start hurting right away...
Everyone's needs and wants vary. Some people claim they've read entire books on iPhone, like you, I'm nowhere nearly that tenacious. At the moment, the best solution for me is still paper. I think the ebook concept, be it either on a Kindle-like device or iPhone-like device, is still a couple product generations from being relevant to me, so maybe two years. That might be optimistic, because I like higher dpi.
The best thing is that the two devices work together. When you are in the middle of a book on the Kindle and you pick up your iPhone the Kindle app there knows where you left off and opens the book to that page automatically. And when you go back to your Kindle the same thing happens.
If you are trying to read in a dimly lit area the Kindle is not going to work, but the backlit iPhone will. Also the current iPhone is not as bad a size for reading text as you might suspect. What you get is equivalent to a newspaper column width of text which is ideal for speedreading. It can actually be faster to pound through an article set at the width of a standard newspaper column than one formatted at the width of a paperback novel.
It would be cool if the Kindle app could also read the article like the Kindle does without having to whip out the Kindle. That would be great for the subway - listening to the NY Times on the iPhone/Touch after the download. But I am excited to get the NY Times on my Touch now- I really dislike fondling paper on the subway. I plan to get a Kindle for that purpose alone- reading the news on the train.
Exactly right. Amazon stands to make much more money selling books than selling Kindles. Apple makes more money selling iPods than selling music. Both want to make money on both activities, but their priorities are opposite one another.
This is a good move for both Amazon and Apple (and leaves Sony and their cool Reader out in the cold).
Well put. Both Amazon and Apple expand markets for each other. I don't see what the debate in this thread is all about. It sounds a lot like arguments for the sake of arguing.
Well put. Both Amazon and Apple expand markets for each other. I don't see what the debate in this thread is all about. It sounds a lot like arguments for the sake of arguing.
I'm just disappointed because I didn't want to need a Kindle. Now Amazon is sneaking it into my life.
and we all know anything that involves Windows sucks.
And for this particular application, it's the iPhone that sucks. Try it, you'll hate it. Seriously. You can do it for free just by pushing the first chapter for free from any Kindle book you'd like.
...The iPhone is basically a kindle. BUT, with a better internet browser, e-mail, an iPod, and a cellphone all in one... and of course no E-ink.
You forgot that the iPhone comes with a minimum investment of a couple thousand bucks. The Kindle's networking is done for nothing.
Quote:
Originally Posted by God of Biscuits
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
Not to mention finding your battery life gets crapped on, which is pretty bad when it's your phone too.
Quote:
Originally Posted by dan uff
Buying a Kindle from Amazon.com : $400.00
Downloading an iPhone app to read Kindle books : FREE.
Which would you choose?
Dan
You believe consumers make decisions based solely on whatever is the cheapest option? Well, it's cheaper to eat at home, but there are many restaurants out there last I checked. Going to your folks' house for vacation is pretty cheap, but I'm planning to visit Europe... etc etc.
The fact is that the iPhone and Kindle, while sharing functionality, will have very different reading experiences.
Oh, and you forgot:
Downloading an iPhone app to read Kindle books : FREE. (except for the $2000 or so lifetime cost of the phone contract).
Perhaps people who have been reluctant to shell out $359 for a Kindle will try this app. Once they buy books they may decide a bigger screen is what they want and decide to go for the Kindle too.
Does anyone know if Kindle-format books can be bought from anyone other than Amazon?
I agree. I bought my wife a Kindle 1 for her b-day last year. We both use it. Definitely pricey, but convenience-wise it's great (i.e. can't sleep at 1:00 AM and looking for something to read is fixed instantly with it around). The main problem is that we only own 1 and occasionally that means one of us has to wait for the other to be finished with it.
However, we both have Iphones. Suddenly this means we now have effectively 3 kindles in the house, no lines no waiting, and everything synced up (I downloaded it a little while ago and it brought me right to the last page I had been previously reading).
Eye-strain wise I'll definitely choose the Kindle, but for out on the road and/or waiting for the other person to put it down, this is a great thing.
I see this app as nothing but win for Amazon.
you're gonna really appreciate the lighted screen on the iPhone, too, when reading in bed. I know i did.
I can't stand this portrait-only limitation; Stanza lets you rotate into widescreen such that more than 5 words appear per line (without shifting to tiny type). I hope they enable this on the Kindle software too, then I'll jump ship.
Oh, I also hope they somehow figure out a way to let you buy content right on the iPhone. Is this a limitation of the SDK?
Cool that Amazon has put the reader on the App Store. Has anyone tested it out? What do you think of it?
I downloaded "A Christmas Carol" from the App Store in December and it came with it's own reader. What was so cool about it is that instead of having to scroll through the book you could just tilt the iPhone a bit. the more you tipped it, the faster the scroll. With iPhone's screen size this was much more preferable than scrolling with your finger. I'm hoping Amazon's Kindle reader functions similarly. I can't imagine reading on the iPhone any other way.
... The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
Your post just shows how diverse different people's experiences can be. I just finished reading my first book on my iPhone and it was thoroughly enjoyable.
I read on the iPhone for one to two hours a night and never found the text size (which is adjustable, btw) problematic. I had to flip pages more often than i'd turn a page in a physical book, but I quickly stopped noticing that. There was almost no noticeable drain on the battery during those reading sessions. Simply put, i had an entirely different experience than you. No doubt some will react as you did, and some as I did.
I suspect i'll end up getting about half my books in physical form, when i'm in a bookstore or airport newsstand. I'll enjoy reading the e-books in bed at night on a lighted screen. On a short trip, I might carry a single physical book. On a three-week road trip this summer, i'll load half a dozen books on the iPhone: Why carry a pound or several pounds of books when i have to pack light? And I'll always keep at least one book on the iPhone for those occasions (doctor's office; stuck in traffic; waiting to pick up my daughter; etc) when i suddenly realize i need a diversion, and am glad to have a good book with me in my phone. In all those cases, I'll thoroughly enjoy the reading experience.
yeah. sadly not available on the Canadian iTunes store. likely the dreaded 'content providers' again... seems to me that everybody likes to talk up the 'global market', while in reality everything is run by cartells...
Oh, I also hope they somehow figure out a way to let you buy content right on the iPhone. Is this a limitation of the SDK?
Didn't I read that you could just go to Amazon.com with any browser (such as Safari on an iPhone) to buy books? So you can buy content right on the iPhone, right?
Comments
Very good post.
Serious readers will have a Kindle. I do. We will also have our iPhones for those times we don't have our Kindle on us.
Amazon gets a cut from every ebook sale. That's the point to the iPhone App.
The best thing is that the two devices work together. When you are in the middle of a book on the Kindle and you pick up your iPhone the Kindle app there knows where you left off and opens the book to that page automatically. And when you go back to your Kindle the same thing happens.
If you are trying to read in a dimly lit area the Kindle is not going to work, but the backlit iPhone will. Also the current iPhone is not as bad a size for reading text as you might suspect. What you get is equivalent to a newspaper column width of text which is ideal for speedreading. It can actually be faster to pound through an article set at the width of a standard newspaper column than one formatted at the width of a paperback novel.
Like I said in the comment area of the Kindle Review:
I think Amazon Put a gun in there mouth and pulled the trigger when they released an iPhone version of the Kindle. So if I can download this app for FREE, and then just pay for my books from Amazon, whats the point of spending $200+ on a Kindle?
The iPhone is basically a kindle. BUT, with a better internet browser, e-mail, an iPod, and a cellphone all in one... and of course no E-ink.
I understand this is Amazons way of getting people to buy a Kindle. But, I think its too soon to put this App out on Apple's app store.
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
The best thing about this app is that if you're stuck somewhere without your Kindle and you have some time to kill, with whispersync at least you'd be able to read some more of your book for a little while.
Unless your eyes start hurting right away...
Buying a Kindle from Amazon.com : $400.00
Downloading an iPhone app to read Kindle books : FREE.
Which would you choose?
Dan
Buying an iPhone for $199
Getting a free phone when you sign up for service.
Which would you choose?
You get what you pay for.
The upsides to Kindle's hardware RELEVANT TO PURPOSE grossly outweigh "Free on iPhone". iPhone hardware sucks for use as a book reader.
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
The best thing about this app is that if you're stuck somewhere without your Kindle and you have some time to kill, with whispersync at least you'd be able to read some more of your book for a little while.
Unless your eyes start hurting right away...
Everyone's needs and wants vary. Some people claim they've read entire books on iPhone, like you, I'm nowhere nearly that tenacious. At the moment, the best solution for me is still paper. I think the ebook concept, be it either on a Kindle-like device or iPhone-like device, is still a couple product generations from being relevant to me, so maybe two years. That might be optimistic, because I like higher dpi.
The best thing is that the two devices work together. When you are in the middle of a book on the Kindle and you pick up your iPhone the Kindle app there knows where you left off and opens the book to that page automatically. And when you go back to your Kindle the same thing happens.
If you are trying to read in a dimly lit area the Kindle is not going to work, but the backlit iPhone will. Also the current iPhone is not as bad a size for reading text as you might suspect. What you get is equivalent to a newspaper column width of text which is ideal for speedreading. It can actually be faster to pound through an article set at the width of a standard newspaper column than one formatted at the width of a paperback novel.
It would be cool if the Kindle app could also read the article like the Kindle does without having to whip out the Kindle. That would be great for the subway - listening to the NY Times on the iPhone/Touch after the download. But I am excited to get the NY Times on my Touch now- I really dislike fondling paper on the subway. I plan to get a Kindle for that purpose alone- reading the news on the train.
Exactly right. Amazon stands to make much more money selling books than selling Kindles. Apple makes more money selling iPods than selling music. Both want to make money on both activities, but their priorities are opposite one another.
This is a good move for both Amazon and Apple (and leaves Sony and their cool Reader out in the cold).
Well put. Both Amazon and Apple expand markets for each other. I don't see what the debate in this thread is all about. It sounds a lot like arguments for the sake of arguing.
Well put. Both Amazon and Apple expand markets for each other. I don't see what the debate in this thread is all about. It sounds a lot like arguments for the sake of arguing.
I'm just disappointed because I didn't want to need a Kindle. Now Amazon is sneaking it into my life.
Diabolical.
If you already have an iPhone, then yes, why buy a Kindle?
If not, then "Hey, if I buy an iPhone, I can get this FREE app to read books! What a deal!"
As previously noted, reading a book on either device is a completely diffferent experience.
Buying an iPhone from ATT/Apple : $199 + $70 a month for 24 months = $1879
Buying a Kindle from Amazon.com : $400.00
Different products, different markets.
Which would you choose?
Also depends if I want two products or one. And how big a purse I have
and we all know anything that involves Windows sucks.
And for this particular application, it's the iPhone that sucks. Try it, you'll hate it. Seriously. You can do it for free just by pushing the first chapter for free from any Kindle book you'd like.
...The iPhone is basically a kindle. BUT, with a better internet browser, e-mail, an iPod, and a cellphone all in one... and of course no E-ink.
You forgot that the iPhone comes with a minimum investment of a couple thousand bucks. The Kindle's networking is done for nothing.
I think you're completely wrong. The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
Not to mention finding your battery life gets crapped on, which is pretty bad when it's your phone too.
Buying a Kindle from Amazon.com : $400.00
Downloading an iPhone app to read Kindle books : FREE.
Which would you choose?
Dan
You believe consumers make decisions based solely on whatever is the cheapest option? Well, it's cheaper to eat at home, but there are many restaurants out there last I checked. Going to your folks' house for vacation is pretty cheap, but I'm planning to visit Europe... etc etc.
The fact is that the iPhone and Kindle, while sharing functionality, will have very different reading experiences.
Oh, and you forgot:
Downloading an iPhone app to read Kindle books : FREE. (except for the $2000 or so lifetime cost of the phone contract).
Does anyone know if Kindle-format books can be bought from anyone other than Amazon?
I agree. I bought my wife a Kindle 1 for her b-day last year. We both use it. Definitely pricey, but convenience-wise it's great (i.e. can't sleep at 1:00 AM and looking for something to read is fixed instantly with it around). The main problem is that we only own 1 and occasionally that means one of us has to wait for the other to be finished with it.
However, we both have Iphones. Suddenly this means we now have effectively 3 kindles in the house, no lines no waiting, and everything synced up (I downloaded it a little while ago and it brought me right to the last page I had been previously reading).
Eye-strain wise I'll definitely choose the Kindle, but for out on the road and/or waiting for the other person to put it down, this is a great thing.
I see this app as nothing but win for Amazon.
you're gonna really appreciate the lighted screen on the iPhone, too, when reading in bed. I know i did.
Oh, I also hope they somehow figure out a way to let you buy content right on the iPhone. Is this a limitation of the SDK?
I downloaded "A Christmas Carol" from the App Store in December and it came with it's own reader. What was so cool about it is that instead of having to scroll through the book you could just tilt the iPhone a bit. the more you tipped it, the faster the scroll. With iPhone's screen size this was much more preferable than scrolling with your finger. I'm hoping Amazon's Kindle reader functions similarly. I can't imagine reading on the iPhone any other way.
... The app demonstrates how inadequate an iPhone is for reading books. The screen is waaaay to small, it's too taxing on your eyes to read a single, long-form piece for an hour on a backlit screen.
You'll be BEGGING for paper--or at least something closer to paper, like ePaper?--within 10 minutes.
I know I was.
Your post just shows how diverse different people's experiences can be. I just finished reading my first book on my iPhone and it was thoroughly enjoyable.
I read on the iPhone for one to two hours a night and never found the text size (which is adjustable, btw) problematic. I had to flip pages more often than i'd turn a page in a physical book, but I quickly stopped noticing that. There was almost no noticeable drain on the battery during those reading sessions. Simply put, i had an entirely different experience than you. No doubt some will react as you did, and some as I did.
I suspect i'll end up getting about half my books in physical form, when i'm in a bookstore or airport newsstand. I'll enjoy reading the e-books in bed at night on a lighted screen. On a short trip, I might carry a single physical book. On a three-week road trip this summer, i'll load half a dozen books on the iPhone: Why carry a pound or several pounds of books when i have to pack light? And I'll always keep at least one book on the iPhone for those occasions (doctor's office; stuck in traffic; waiting to pick up my daughter; etc) when i suddenly realize i need a diversion, and am glad to have a good book with me in my phone. In all those cases, I'll thoroughly enjoy the reading experience.
Like I said in the comment area of the Kindle Review:
The iPhone is basically a kindle.
Yeah, right. And you are basically not thinking straight.
U.S. only.
Yeah, that's very sad. Copyright issue or what ?
U.S. only.
yeah. sadly not available on the Canadian iTunes store. likely the dreaded 'content providers' again... seems to me that everybody likes to talk up the 'global market', while in reality everything is run by cartells...
Oh, I also hope they somehow figure out a way to let you buy content right on the iPhone. Is this a limitation of the SDK?
Didn't I read that you could just go to Amazon.com with any browser (such as Safari on an iPhone) to buy books? So you can buy content right on the iPhone, right?