Posts Tagged ‘gadgets’
Looking for Construction Books? Then Look No farther than Builders Books site! The leading seller of books on construction and builders books for skill levels from do it yourself to Professional Builders.
Games Are Starting To Become Available For The Amazon Kindle Reader
October 2, 2010
The Amazon Kindle reader has been a tremendous success for Amazon since it was first introduced in November of 2007. The updated Kindle 2.0, released in February 2009 was a huge influence in the rapid growth and development of the e-book reader market and the new Kindle 3 reader, unveiled at the end of July 2010, has been selling like hot cakes.
Amazon have advised that the new Kindle 3 has been selling faster than any earlier Kindle did during the equivalent post launch time slot. It’s a very different scenario to the widely forecast demise of the Kindle that a lot of industry analysts anticipated in the wake of Apple’s iPad launch.
In a way, it’s a compliment to the Kindle that, up until now at least, its only real competition comes in the form of a versatile tablet computer which costs over three times the price of the Kindle. It seems reasonable to assume that, were Amazon to treble the Kindle price, some extra features could be added.
However, that seems to be an unlikely course of events. The Kindle is a specialist, intended to be the best e-book reader available on the market. The iPad is specifically designed to be a multi-functional device. They are two very different pieces of kit aimed at different market sectors. A side by side technical comparison is likely to be a fruitless endeavour.
Even so, it’s interesting to see that there are now games being made available for the Kindle. Obviously the iPad is the clear winner when it comes to playing games – the Kindle’s screen, whilst ideal as an e-book reader, is not suitable for anything which requires a fast refresh rate.
So it should be no surprise that the types of games being made available for the Kindle are mainly number games and word puzzles. Currently, the most popular Kindle game is the classic Scrabble. Other choices include crosswords, Sudoku, solitaire and general word puzzles. We’re not talking about Grand Theft Auto or Halo Reach here – but, without wanting to stereotype, it makes perfect sense that someone who reads a lot might also enjoy doing crosswords and solving word puzzles.
Currently, Scrabble for the Kindle is available for $ 4.99 and is the top selling Kindle game. There are other games available in the price range of $ 0.99 to $ 4.99. There are even some free games being released, a trend which – if Kindle games follow the same pattern as Kindle books – will probably increase in the near future.
Learn more about the Amazon Kindle reader for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
The Ever Increasing Influence Of Amazon In The Digital Publishing Market
September 25, 2010
Amazon unveiled its upgraded third generation Kindle reader at the end of July. It’s been selling like hot cakes ever since and Amazon has, for what seems like the umpteenth time, run out of stocks again. It hardly matches the post iPad launch predictions which anticipated the demise of the Kindle.
There’s little doubt that the iPad has the Kindle well beaten in a number of different areas. Colour screen, touch screen, better web browsing, ability to play video, ability to play games – the list is long, and it goes on. Which is not all that surprising when you consider that the price of even the entry level iPad is more than three times that of the Kindle base model.
Nevertheless, the Kindle reader gets the better of the iPad in most of the areas that anyone whose main interest is reading books would consider to be important. The e-ink technology display may be black and white, and it may not handle video, but it does allow the Kindle to last for as much as four weeks between charges. Whilst the iPad’s colour screen may be a thing of beauty, it is power hungry and you’ll be lucky to last for more than ten hours between charges. The Kindle is smaller and lighter than the iPad and, as Amazon has pointed out in recent television adverts, it has a screen which is much more readable – even in bright sunlight. As already mentioned, the entry level Kindle price of $ 139 is well below the base iPad price of $489 – and with no monthly fees to pay either.
However, even all that does not fully explain the advantages enjoyed by the Kindle. Considering the hardware in isolation, whilst quite a natural thing to do, is to miss the point when considering e-book readers – and the e-books which they will be used to read. You could argue that Sony’s PRS reader, which was released in 2006, was somewhat superior to the original Amazon Kindle which was released in November of 2007. However, the Kindle fairly quickly established itself as the market leader simply because it was much easier to buy Kindle books for it than it was to get books for the Sony reader. It wasn’t just that Amazon had a huge range of Kindle books on their website for customers to choose from, but buying them and getting them delivered was a very quick and easy process.
As the market matures, the sale of e-books will become much more important than the sale of the e-book reader hardware. Amazon is perfectly positioned to reap the benefits of ongoing e-book sales. They could even choose to use these to subsidise the cost of their reader hardware if they wanted to.
Amazon has given a strong signal as to how they see the market developing in future by releasing a number of free apps which allow Kindle books to be read on a wide variety of other devices – including the PC, the Mac, the Blackberry smart phone, any device running Android and even the iPhone and the iPad. Whilst this may seem like they are pulling the rug from under their own top selling product, each of these apps is effectively an additional retail outlet for Kindle books – where the big money will be made in future.
It seems to be a winning strategy. Today, Kindle books account for somewhere between 60 and 80 percent of the US e-book market. As the market develops and matures, it seems likely that Amazon’s share of it will reduce a little – but it looks like they will continue to be one of the biggest influences in this market for the foreseeable future
Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
Are E-Books About To Take The Place Of Printed Books?
September 18, 2010
The popularity of e-book readers has been increasing for some time now. It’s probably not unreasonable to say that the Amazon Kindle reader has been a key factor in the growth of the market for e-book readers. Whilst the Kindle wasn’t first to market when it originally launched in November of 2007, it was a significant improvement on other readers available on the market.
Amazon made excellent use of customer feedback and firmly established its dominant market position with the release of the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009. In the summer of the same year, Amazon followed up with the Kindle DX and August 2010 saw Amazon unveil its third generation Kindle reader.
The Kindle is Amazon’s top selling product. Amazon recently advised that they are selling more Kindle books than hardback books – 180 Kindle books for every 100 hardcovers. It can only be a matter of time before Kindle books start outselling paperbacks – and they will eventually outsell both paperbacks and hardbacks combined.
There can’t be much doubt that e-book readers and e-books are now a permanent feature of the publishing world. The future of reading appears to be digital. A lot of book lovers will, quite understandably, have an attachment to physical books. Many wonder whether or not an e-book reader is right for them. Some worry that they may miss the feel, and even the smell, of a “real” book. Others wonder if they will enjoy reading on an e-ink display, or if the page turns will spoil their enjoyment.
Making a judgement can be difficult. It may soon be available in selected retails stores but, for the moment, the main outlet for the Amazon Kindle is online, so – unless you know someone who owns one – it can be hard to see it working in order to form an opinion. You can find any number of reviews on the internet – but many of these seem to be chiefly concerned with the technical aspects rather than the user experience. Most first time buyers will be more interested to know how an e-book reader compares to reading a traditional book than how it compares to other available e-book readers.
So, if you’re wondering whether or not an e-book reader would be right for you, here are a few points to consider
1. The Kindle’s e-ink display is a lot better to read on than a back-lit computer screen. It really is just like reading printed paper text – albeit the background is light grey instead of white.
2. The e-ink technology display is very much better to read on than a back-lit computer screen. It’s just like reading text printed on paper – but with a light grey background as opposed to white.
3. The Amazon Kindle store has over 670,000 titles on offer for you to choose from. There are also over 1.8 million out of copyright Kindle books available for free. If you read one book each week. you could recover the cost of your reader in just a few months.
4. During page turns, there is a slight flicker. The screen goes blank for an instant. However, this really is very fast and – after you’ve been using your reader for a couple of hours – you won’t even notice this.
5. E-books cost less than printed books – due to the fact that they use no paper, ink or bindings. They also don’t need to be delivered by road transport.
6. Amazon’s Kindle store has in excess of 670,000 titles available for you to select from. There are also more than 1.8 million out of copyright Kindle books available for free download. If you read a book a week. your reader could finance itself in no more than a few months.
7. A battery life of three to four weeks is achievable – with the Wi-Fi turned off.
8. Downloading Kindle books is fast and simple. It really does take less than a minute. What’s more, as long as you are in an area with coverage (most of the civilized world these days) you can buy a new book any time, day or night. You’ll never be stuck without something to read again.
9. You will be able to take a small library of books with you wherever you go. It’s ideal if you travel frequently.
10. You can carry your own personal library with you wherever you go. It’s great if you travel a lot.
A survey of e-book readers in the USA found that 80% of them preferred reading e-books to reading conventional books. Considering the list of benefits above, it’s no great surprise. If you are a book lover, then the Amazon Kindle reader may be the ideal device for you.
Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
Amazon’s New And Improved Kindle 3 Proves To Be A Massive Success
September 16, 2010
Since it was first released way back in November of 2007, the Amazon Kindle reader has consistently been the best e-book reader on the market. That’s why it has enjoyed such a high level of success to date. At the end of 2009, it seemed as if every personal electronics manufacturer was trying to secure a share of the nascent e-book reader market – and any new reader was immediately christened the “Kindle Killer”. The simple reason for this is that the Kindle was, and still is, the industry benchmark.
The recent launch of the enhanced third generation Kindle reader has widened the gap between Amazon’s reader and the following pack even more. It’s worth noting that the latest, and quite possibly most credible, Kindle killer isn’t another e-book reader but the Apple iPad. This is a totally different type of device, which sells for considerably more than the Kindle and – looked at as a pure e-book reader (an unfair comparison) – doesn’t measure up to the Kindle in certain areas.
The improvements in the third generation Kindle include a higher contrast screen, extended battery life, twice as much memory, faster page turns and an enhanced PDF reader. The device retains the same 6″ display, but in a smaller, lighter case – which now comes in either white or graphite. Amazon has also released an entry level Wi-Fi only model Kindle for customers who do not have need of a 3G connection. This is on sale at just $ 139 – very close to the $ 99 value commonly held to be impulse buy territory for personal electronics. The 3G plus Wi-Fi model is priced at $ 189.
Over and above all these good improvements, which only serve to underline the Kindle’s position as the best of the bunch in the e-book reader market, Amazon opened an independent UK Kindle store. UK customers will no longer require to have an “international” Kindle shipped from the USA. Admittedly, this generally took no more than a few days but, coupled with buying in a foreign currency, it may have been enough of a mental barrier to deter some potential customers. Amazon has just launched a major TV advertising campaign in the United Kingdom and it may be that this, in conjunction with the “local” UK Kindle store could lead to a lot of sales for them. Should this prove to be a successful strategy for Amazon, they will probably open other Kindle stores for countries such as France and Germany who also have their own local Amazon Web stores.
Following the release of the Kindle 3, Amazon has sold out of Kindles yet again. Customers are pre-ordering Kindles for delivery in three to four weeks time, with the readers being shipped on a first come first served basis. Looking at the present levels of sales, there’s no evidence that demand for the Kindle is falling.
Up until now, reports of the death of the Kindle have always been premature, and that still seems to be very much the case. The Kindle and the iPad are such different devices that comparing them is a futile exercise. The Kindle is by far the best e-book reader on the market right now. That’s why it will continue to thrive – and why Amazon’s influence in the future of digital publishing will continue to grow. some people who prefer to keep reading conventional printed books – both hardback and paperback editions. Some people will transfer to an e-book reader, in which case the Amazon Kindle will be the first choice (as will Kindle books). Others will be more interested in surfing the net on the go, maybe reading the occasional e-book – and they will probably go for an iPad. You will be able to get your reading material from Amazon, whatever your personal preference is.
Find out more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
The Third Generation Kindle Reader Is As Popular As Ever
September 11, 2010
Amazon recently announced that, in the four weeks following the release of their newly upgraded Kindle 3, consumers bought more Kindle readers than during the same time period following any earlier Kindle launch. The new Kindle is, not simply in demand, it is the fastest selling Kindle to date. As usual, Amazon did not reveal the exact number of Kindles which were sold, but they did advise that, since the release of the new version of the Kindle, customers have bought more Kindles on Amazon.com and the newly opened Kindle store at Amazon.co.uk combined than any other product.
At the end of July, Amazon announced their new Kindle 3. The latest version packs the same 6″ display into a new slimmed down design which is 21% smaller and 15% lighter. Page turn speed is 20% faster and memory size has been boosted from 2GB to 4GB – sufficient to store 3,500 books. With the Wi-Fi turned off, the battery will now last for a month – even with the Wi-Fi on, a 10 day life is achievable – and the e-ink technology screen has had its contrast improved.
An entry level Wi-Fi only Kindle has been introduced, aimed at customers who don’t see the need for 3G. This is on sale for just $ 139, the 3G plus Wi-Fi model sells for $ 189. Those prices represent huge reductions in comparison with the earlier $ 359 Kindle price tag. It’s a clear sign of how the e-book reader market is developing and maturing.
During the first half of 2010, Amazon sold 3 times as many Kindle books as they did during the same period of 2009. There are now in excess of 670,000 titles available on the Kindle store – not including the 1.8 million free out of copyright books available.
The Kindle continues to be the number one selling product on Amazon’s site. It is also the most gifted and most wished for item on Amazon’s website.com and Amazon.co.uk. With the strong sales figures of the Kindle and the latest technical improvements, it would be easy to overlook the importance of the launch of the UK Kindle store at Amazon.co.uk. The UK store has opened with 400,000 titles available and could increase international Kindle sales. If it is a success – and why wouldn’t it be – it seems reasonable to assume that Amazon might open Kindle stores in Germany, France, Japan – and any other country with its own “local” Amazon website.
Whilst Amazon still faces competition from the Apple iPad this doesn’t seem to concern them too much. For the moment at least, the price differential between the Kindle and the iPad is large enough to make the Kindle the natural choice for most customers who are primarily interested in reading books. As the e-book market matures, much more emphasis will be given to the sale of e-books as opposed to e-book readers. The fact that Kindle book sales are outstripping the sales of Apple’s iBooks by a factor of sixty to one must be very encouraging for Amazon.
Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
Will Amazon Be Giving Away Free Kindle Readers Soon?
September 6, 2010
When Amazon launched the original Kindle e-book reader back in November of 2007, there must have been a lot of discussion as to what the correct price point was. The Kindle wasn’t the first e-book reader on the market (not by a long way), but neither was the market mature enough to suggest a clear price point. They also had a variety of different pricing plans that could have worked.
They could have chosen some kind of cell phone type of payment scheme where the hardware price was subsidised by regular monthly payments over a fixed contract length. Some sort of halfway house where there was a charge to download books or access the net would also have been a possibility. Amazon chose to charge the full price for the Kindle reader and to have no monthly fee – 3G connectivity was included in the $ 359 selling price. Neither was there any fee for downloading Kindle books, it was very much an all inclusive package.
The Kindle was pretty well received – Oprah Winfrey declared it to be her “new favourite gadget” – but it didn’t exactly change the world. It was considered to be something of a work in progress – which is exactly what it was. It wasn’t until the launch of the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 that the e-book market really exploded. The Kindle 2.0 was also sold for $ 359 and the large display Kindle DX was released in the summer of 2009 with a price tag of $ 489.
The e-book reader market started to grow exponentially and it seemed that every electronic manufacturer had their own e-book reader in development. Companies such as Plastic Logic, Sony, Barnes and Noble, Bookeen and iRex fought to secure their share of the new and fast developing e-book market. The Kindle had a reported 60% share of the e-book reader market and was the standard to which other e-book reader manufacturers needed to aspire. It seemed that any reader which displayed the slightest potential was instantly christened the “Kindle killer” – but, in reality, the Kindle had no real credible competition.
However, the launch of Apple’s iPad changed the scene and, not for the first time, the death of the Kindle was widely predicted. However, and also not for the first time, rumours of the Kindle’s impending demise proved to be premature. The third generation Kindle was released in August of 2010 and sold like hot cakes. Shortly after the Kindle 3 launched Amazon were sold out of the new readers and prospective customers were faced with a four or five week wait before their new readers would ship.
As well as all the usual technical upgrades – faster page turns, smaller, lighter body, better contrast display, increased memory etc. – Amazon introduced a new entry level Wi-Fi only Kindle priced at just $ 139. The price of the 3G plus Wi-Fi model was set at $ 189 – a big drop compared to the $ 359 price. More importantly perhaps, the new Kindles are considerably cheaper than even the entry level iPad – and there’s no monthly connection fee to pay.
Based on the evidence to date, it looks like the Kindle and the iPad can co-exist. Whether the same can be said for other e-book readers must be highly debatable. The big advantage that Amazon enjoys over some other e-book reader manufacturers is the fact that, being a book seller, it will be able to profit from the ongoing sale of e-books. If it wished, it could choose to support the cost of the hardware from e-book sales.
The e-book market is developing very quickly. It seems clear that hardware prices have further to fall, quite possibly in the not too distant future. Is it out of the question that Amazon, and possibly Barnes and Noble, might consider giving away free e-book readers in order to guarantee sales of e-books in the future? Is it ludicrous to suggest that customers who sign up for membership of Amazon’s Prime premium delivery service or who take out the Amazon credit card might find themselves in receipt of a free, or discounted, Kindle reader in the near future? We’ll find out sooner rather than later.
Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
Why The Kindle And The IPad Can Co-Exist In The Market
September 6, 2010
In the second half of 2009, the e-book reader market was just starting to take off and competition was really heating up. Following the huge success which Amazon had achieved with its Kindle reader – first with the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 and then with the larger DX model in the summer of the same year – numerous electronics manufacturers were either developing, releasing or updating their own e-book readers so as to secure a share of the newly emerging market.
Sony and Barnes and Noble were bursting a gut to get their new readers launched before the 2009 festive season and Samsung, Plastic Logic, Asus and a host of others were rushing to get their readers on the market as fast as they could. The Computer Electronics Show (CES), held in Las Vegas in early 2010, had a dedicated e-book reader section for the first time ever. E-book readers were a hot developing market.
Today, just a few short months later, the scene is somewhat different. The price of e-book readers has tumbled. The latest third generation Kindle now has a Wi-Fi only entry level model available for only $ 139 – less than 40% of the $ 359 price which the Kindle 2.0 launched. Barnes and Noble have also dropped the price of the Nook reader to S 149 – and this will probably be cut again before the festive season.
Several new e-book readers which were going through the development process – including Plastic Logic’s Que – have been cancelled. The market seems to be entering a new stage in its development – and whether there is any place in it for pure electronics manufacturers or not is highly debatable. Amazon’s business model is very well suited to selling lower priced readers and making a profit on the follow up sales of Kindle books. A similar strategy would be available to Barnes and Noble of course, but it’s debatable as to whether or not they can benefit from the same types of economies of scale as Amazon.
Clearly the release of Apple’s iPad tablet computer has been an important influence in this. E-book reader prices were always going to fall – but the appearance of the iPad definitely seems to have jollied things along quite a bit faster. However, bearing in mind the fact that the new third generation Kindles sold out shortly after they were released, the iPad doesn’t look like the Kindle Killer that it was expected to be.
Even putting the debate about e-ink displays being easier to read on than back-lit screens to one side, there is – at this time – enough of a gap between the price of the Kindle and the price of the entry level iPad to ensure that the Kindle will continue to be the more attractive option for anyone who just wants to read books. The fact that the iPad has a monthly download/connection fee will not please everyone.
It does look like there is sufficient room in the market for both the Amazon Kindle and the iPad to rub along – for the short term future at least. Other e-book reader manufacturers, including Sony and Barnes and Noble, seem destined to struggle as hardware prices will continue to fall.
Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
The E-Book Reader Market Is Entering A New Phase
August 28, 2010
E-books and e-book readers have been hot gadgets for quite some time now. In 2009, the e-book reader market really took off, and one of the major influences in this was the launch of Amazon’s Kindle.0 in February of that year. Amazon followed up with the large format Kindle DX in the summer of 2009 and, in the second half of the year, it seemed that electronics manufacturers were queuing up to launch their own e-book readers and get a share of the hot new market. The fact that practically every new reader which displayed any potential was immediately christened the “Kindle Killer” should give some idea of just how influential Amazon was to the market’s development. The Kindle reader was, very definitely, the industry standard that required to be matched and then beaten.
However, there was nothing to suggest that any new reader which would offer serious competition to the Kindle was anywhere in sight. It wasn’t until the launch of the Apple iPad – a very different device – that there was any serious threat to the Kindle’s dominance. Even then, the death of the Kindle as a result of consumers turning to the iPad just doesn’t seem to have materialised. Shortly after the release of the upgraded third generation Kindle in August 2010 Amazon, for the umpteenth time it seems, had sold out of the devices and prospective customers faced a wait of several weeks before their new readers could be shipped.
Certainly, the high sales figures of the upgraded Kindles were driven, to a certain extent, by a price cut. Amazon introduced a new Wi-Fi only Kindle for just $ 139 for customers who didn’t have any need for 3G connectivity. If you remember that the Kindle 2.0 was selling for $ 359 at its February 2009 launch, that’s a very significant price reduction. It moves the Kindle – and e-book readers in general – much closer to the sub $ 100 impulse buying zone for personal electronic devices. It’s debatable whether or not the iPad’s release prompted this. The price reduction would have happened anyway, but there is still a lot of scope for further price cuts – and probably in the not too distant future.
Amazon and Apple may be enjoying a good deal of success, but the same cannot be said for other e-book reader manufacturers. A number of planned e-book readers have either been delayed or completely cancelled. The Plastic Logic Que reader, for example, is pretty well dead in the water. The Dutch company Irex, an apparently well established business, went bankrupt after US sales of their Irex reader failed to meet expectations. Sprint and Hearst’s planned Skiff has been cancelled.
Are we heading towards a polarised market with Amazon dominating the low cost “pure” e-book reader sector and Apple cleaning up in the more expensive tablet computer that sometimes serves as an e-book reader market? There’s a large gap in the prices of the Kindle and the iPad. Is there sufficient space between the two devices, in terms of both specification and price levels, to allow new players to enter the market?
Recently Amazon confirmed that sales of Kindle books are outstripping the sales of hard cover books. It seems highly probable that e-book sales will catch up with and eventually overtake paperback sales – and probably in the not too distant future. It seems certain that e-books are going to be an important part in the future of reading, but just what type of device will you use to read them on?
Learn more about the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
An Introduction For Electronic Books & Their Main Advantages
August 22, 2010
Ebook readers like the Amazon Kindle and Barnes and Noble Nook, are big business. This is because of a number of reasons which we will look at here.
Advantages of an electronic ebook over a traditional paper book are numerous. Firstly you can download thousands of books onto the single device from a choice of millions.
Ebook readers are also useful as they are small and compact. They weigh less than a paperback and are thinner than a pencil. The screen uses special technology to replicate the look of a real page by using ‘e ink’ displays. The contrast ensures the text is more clear as well.
With the pre-installed memory, about 3500 books can be stored on one device. Upgraded memory means you can store a lot more. This is all from a choice of either the millions of paid ebooks or the 1.8 million free ebooks with expired copyrights.
Nowadays there are many choices for ereaders. From the Amazon Kindle to the Sony eReader, Barnes and Noble’s Nook or the Kobo; there is a type and budget of ebook reader for everyone. They have varying features and prices so it is best to have a hands-on demo of them all to see which is best suited to you.
Have a good think about what you want your ebook reader to do. Is it just for viewing and reading books? Do you want more from it like viewing photos or watching films and playing games? If so the Apple iPad is probably a better solution. Just want to read books? Get the Kindle at a fraction of the price.
As with most things in life, it can often pay to ‘shop around’ for the best prices whether online or offline. Try different websites and local stores to save the most you can, you may find the prices vary greatly. Also if you are happy with a second-hand ebook reader, why not look at classified sites or papers or even ebay to save even further?
Which Ebook Reader The Nook has a color touch screen display and is a good alternative to Kindle. Make sure your ebook reader has built in Wifi and 3G technology. Kindle and Nook are now lower in price.
Might The Success Of The Kindle Tempt Amazon To Develop More Gadgets?
August 19, 2010
Amazon is enjoying great success with its latest third generation Kindle reader right now. An upgrade – which includes a new display with 50% better contrast, a new smaller and lighter body, quicker page turns and a doubling of memory capacity from 2GB to 4GB – accompanied by a price cut and the introduction of an entry level Wi-Fi only model, has seen demand for the Kindle reader really take off.
At the moment, the third generation Kindles are sold out and potential customers face a wait of three to four weeks before any new ones start shipping. Kindle books are also outselling traditional hardback editions on a regular basis. It seems to be just a matter of time before e-book sales will higher than even paperback sales.
Amazon has also launched a dedicated UK Kindle store so that UK customers no longer need to have their Kindles shipped across the Atlantic and can pay for their Kindle purchases in their local currency. It seems reasonable to assume that similar “local” Kindle stores will be opened for other Amazon international websites such as France, Japan, Germany etc. in the relatively near future.
Currently, everything in the garden is rosy for Amazon. Suggestions that the launch of the Apple iPad would spell the death of the Kindle seem to be, for the moment at least, unfounded. The Amazon policy of releasing free “apps” which allow Kindle books to be read on a wide variety of different devices seems to be paying dividends. So, considering what a massive success they have enjoyed with their first manufactured product, it’s hardly surprising that Amazon is rumored to be considering developing prototypes for personal tech gadgets other than the Kindle in their Lab 126 research facility.
Whilst Amazon has remained silent on the subject, speculation that they may be thinking about music/movie players and possibly some kind of mobile phone is rife. However, industry watchers suggest that, if Amazon wanted to enter the market with another gadget, then they would need to ensure that they add value rather than simply releasing another piece of personal electronic tech onto the market.
A great deal of the success of the Kindle reader must be attributed to Amazon’s strong association with books and reading in general. The massive choice of Kindle books on offer – more than 630,000 and increasing every day – and the fact that these can be read on so many other devices has been a real feather in Amazon’s cap. Any new gadget that Amazon decided to launch would probably need some similar type of support in order to achieve anything approaching the level of success enjoyed by the Kindle.
Check out the Amazon Kindle for yourself and view the wide range of Kindle accessories available to help you personalise your reader.
Looking to get help with SEO for your Book related site? We help you rank! SEO Company is known the world over for exceptional Search Engine Optimization Services.