Amazon.com's
The early incorporations are encouraging. A travel guide now has walking-tour clips. A cookbook has recipe videos. A birdsong primer offers actual audio examples of birdcalls.
There's a catch, of course. This update isn't part of Amazon's actual Kindle e-reader. It's an upgrade to the Kindle's Apple
What did you expect? Richly detailed videos through the Kindle's graphically challenged grayscale screen? Audio enhancements are certainly possible, but video? Not a chance, my little e-bibliophile.
Now that Amazon's Kindle app is officially available through smartphones powered by Google's
But will that support come at the expense of the Kindle itself?
When Amazon was selling its Kindle at $399, $359, $299, and even $259, it made perfect sense for Amazon to take a hit on $9.99 digital books in order to move more readers. However, since last week's price war -- when Barnes & Noble
The price war must have taken Amazon by surprise. I had to chuckle at Target's
Will Amazon really spend the next few years slugging it out with Barnes & Noble, Sony
How long will Amazon continue to make the Kindle? Right now, it's selling 13 enhanced books to Apple customers at the same prices for the regular versions that it's peddling to Kindle owners. If Amazon can gain a technological advantage in electronic books -- a big if, since it seemed that this would be just another commoditized media free-for-all until Amazon raised the stakes this week -- the e-tailer could ditch its hardware commitment and never look back
Now that Amazon's putting out a better product for the non-Kindle owning crowd, its proprietary reader's days have to be numbered.
Will your next gadget purchase be a Nook, a Kindle, or an iPad? Share your thoughts in the comment box below.