The Potentially Profound Implications of Kindle
Filed under: Current Affairs, Innovation, Product Management, Social Satire
Amazon’s remarkable second version of their Kindle book reader has some profound implications for all of us. Here’s a “glowing” review and some speculative thoughts on what this device might just mean for a number of industries.
First things first. I love the Kindle2 and the entire experience that it provides. Over the past month, it has become an increasingly indispensible part of my existence, and in many respects its presence has compelled me to read more and write less. Perhaps a few you of are saying “thank goodness” on the write-less part.
And for those of you who love the feel, smell and experience of a book and cannot imagine reading one on a device, I’m right there with you. Or at least I was. True to the promo copy, the Kindle device literally disappears as you become engrossed in reading a good book or an interesting newspaper article.
And speaking of newspapers, the true test for me was whether this could hold up to one of my other true passions, reading the Wall Street Journal. I signed up for the free 14-day trial expecting fully to bail out after seeing how clunky the experience would be when trying to replace the venerable print format.
I’ve cancelled my print subscription.
I’m actually spending more time with my eyeballs on the Journal as I move serially through certain sections or as I navigate between sections to my favorite features. I didn’t expect to love this as much. I backed up my own informal experiment by giving it to my Dad who became so enamored with the device and engrossed in reading with it, that I kept my eyes on him as he was leaving my house, just to make certain the device hadn’t accidentally remained in his hands.
Oh, and the ease and speed of browsing, sampling and buying books is scary powerful. I may have to call Amazon and place a house limit on my Kindle book account. Samples in seconds and books in under a minute direct to the device. Wow!
Great marketing…a cool device, total portability for my library, an outstanding user experience and a remarkable variety of content immediately at my fingertips, without being tethered to a computer.
A Few Speculative Thoughts: Implications and Opportunities of the Kindle
The combination of Kindle and Amazon is not dissimilar to the iPod-iTunes strategy (device: platform) that Apple used to rewrite the rules for the music industry. Perhaps based on the music industry experience and the well-established Amazon model, the publishing industry has a game-plan to leverage this technology and its distribution platform and still make money. If not, watch out.
If you are a Bricks and Mortar bookstore, beware. If you are in the book printing industry, beware as well.
Is Kindle the lifeline for the newspaper industry? I’ve got news for you doubters out there, if my sixty-nine year old father can learn to use and like reading the WSJ on this device in under 4 minutes, it’s real.
In a fascinating post in the Silicon Valley Insider, Nicholas Carson offers up some math that suggests that the NY Times could give every reader a Kindle for the price of printing and delivering the paper for a year. After year one, it’s pure savings. And while there’s that little detail about ad revenues and making money, this is a real scenario.
The newspapers of the future might just not include any newsprint. If I’m in this business, I’m looking long and hard at how to make money without having the huge costs and infrastructure needed to print and deliver.
Magazine publishers, see also the material above.
Others:
Amazon, what’s your open source model for allowing authors to publish directly to Kindle? The ultimate disruptive self-publishing model? Take it a step further… I wonder what an App store for Kindle might generate? Hmmm.
Implications for libraries? Schools? Students? Another hmmm.
The Bottom-Line for Now:
So many times the allure of new, cool devices wears off and they offer no sustainable value beyond the initial infatuation with bells and whistles. The Kindle seems different. It offers access, portability, a quality reading experience and yeah, a bit of novelty. My crystal ball is as foggy as everyone else’s, but if you are in a business that is around the core being impacted by Kindle, you need a good strategy. Otherwise, that noise you are about to hear might just be your paradigm shifting along with your profit model.
One last comment. The name Kindle is brilliant. The New Oxford dictionary on the Kindle device offers up: v: light or set on fire, special usage: arouse or inspire an emotion or feeling.
This just might be the spark that transforms whole industries and a good part of our daily lives.
What’s the Kindle equivalent for your industry?
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