Where Does Amazon’s Kindle Reader Go From Here?
The Amazon Kindle has established itself as the leader of the e-book reader pack. It has a 60% share of the U.S. e-book reader market – Sony’s PRS reader comes second with 35% – and both the Kindle 2.0 and the Kindle DX are now on sale internationally. The fact that almost every new e-book reader which shows the slightest promise is immediately christened the “Kindle Killer” only serves to underline the fact that the Kindle is not only the market leader but the benchmark against which all new readers will be measured.
Given the current dominance of the Kindle, it’s easy to overlook the fact that it is a very recent addition to the e-book reader scene. The eBookman, by Franklin, was launched in 1999 – over a decade ago. Sony’s PRS reader launched in 2006. The original Kindle wasn’t released until November 2007. February 2009 saw the upgraded Kindle 2.0 released and the larger DX followed in June on the same year.
Meanwhile, Amazon’s competitors have been busy. Sony’s Daily Edition reader and the Nook from Barnes and Noble were launched just before Christmas. The new Apple iPad is also perceived as a threat to the Kindle by many industry watchers. There are numerous other e-book readers available now, and many of the newer ones include features which are absent in the current Kindle version – color screen, touch screen control functionality etc.
How will Amazon respond? Thus far, apart from some firmware updates, Amazon’s main response to higher levels of competition has been to cut the price of the Kindle 2.0 by $ 100 to $ 259. However, there are rumors aplenty that the next Kindle version will be released in the first six months of 2010. Which prompts the question – what enhancements will the new Kindle incorporate?
One of the key factors in the success of the Kindle to date is the fact that it provides a great user experience. It’s very easy to use with one hand, the controls are excellent and the e-ink display is easy to read in a wide range of different lighting conditions. In a way, it would be something of a shame if Amazon were to follow the course of Sony’s Daily Edition reader by introducing touch screen functionality. If your main intent is simply to read books then this may not be regarded as a huge advance. If anything, one handed operation will become more difficult and, because touch screens have a more reflective surface, it may be harder to read in certain lighting conditions.
A color display would definitely be good – but not if it were done in the same way that Barnes and Noble included it in the Nook – which features color in the navigation menu only with the main reader display still being monochrome. In fact, a monochrome display is not a huge disadvantage for most readers – after all, 90% of the books we read consist of black text printed on white paper.
What Amazon may decide to do, and what they have done better than all of their competitors to date, is to provide a superior user experience. Instead of concentrating on gimmicky hardware enhancements, Amazon may decide to introduce options which will be genuinely useful for their customers. Faster page turns with less screen flicker and prolonged battery life may be enhancements which users would find desirable. Similarly, greater choice of e-books, quicker downloads and the potential to share Kindle books may be more important to some users than major hardware mods.
Amazon has assumed the position of market leader due to their ability to meet customer needs. Unsurprisingly they understand what people who read books actually want. As a result, the Kindle is now their number one selling product and, so far, they have not just led the market but pretty well defined it. The next iteration of the Kindle will show exactly which way the market will develop in future. On the balance of probabilities, it seems likely that Amazon will continue to lead the e-book reader market, not follow.
Have a look at the Amazon Kindle reader – and the wide range Kindle accessories available to help you customise and enhance it.
Tags: books, ebook readers, ebooks, electronics, literature, personal technology, technology