The leader in digital delivery of the spoken word is taking its show on the road, literally, now that Audible
The service will be tested first through Palm's
This is an important move for Audible. Even though just a small minority of its user base owns smartphones, the company needs to keep evolving to ward off any entrants that see spoken word as fertile ground for competition.
Companies like Apple Computer
Yet by erecting technological barriers, like AudibleAir, the company forces potential competitors to rethink their commitment to entering the arena. A rival to Netflix
That's why, even if the beta tests produce few interested subscribers, it's a path worth pursuing. It gives everyone else one more chapter to read in the Toppler's Manual.
Many were introduced to Audible in the October 2003 issue of Motley Fool Hidden Gems , when Tom Gardner placed the company on his Watch List as a promising $70 million company. Nice call: Audible is a $287 million company today.
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Longtime Fool contributor Rick Munarriz did not make a vocal recording of this article. He also owns shares in Netflix. The Fool has a disclosure policy. Rick is also part of the Rule Breakers newsletter research team, seeking out tomorrow's ultimate growth stocks a day early.