It’s been a bit of up-and-down for the Kindle this week.
On the positive side, Amazon.com released Kindle for PC, a Windows-only application that allows you to consume books you’ve already purchased on your laptop. This has been a long time coming, especially given that competitors like Sony have had a desktop application available for quite some time. Now, if they would only release a Mac version…regardless, this move provides one more piece of the puzzle, potentially enabling third-party readers built on commodity netbook or tablet-based hardware to get into the e-reader business. Conspiracy theorists get extra bonus spy points for thinking that the new application hints at a forthcoming color device.
On the negative side, Syracuse University condemned the Kindle, citing inaccessibility to the blind as a reason for not using the device as a replacement for textbooks. This is yet another setback for Amazon.com’s efforts to entrench the Kindle in universities as an alternative to traditional textbooks – students at Princeton had previously expressed contempt for the Kindle DX and its lack of capabilities. Until Amazon addresses the concerns, it appears blind student will either have to stick with Braille textbooks, or spring for the new Intel Reader device (international students with only modest vision impairment might be able to make do with the rumoured screen contrast improvements).
Fellow Vancouverite Ian Bell has a short post on the reasons behind the omission of Canada from Amazon.com recent expansion of the Kindle into over 100 countries. The short version? The lack of telecommunications competition in Canada:
No, the politics involved in preventing the Kindle from reaching the grubby hands of Canadian consumers is probably the same old culprits we always pick on around here: Canada’s wireless carriers. This article reveals a bit of a crack in the story. While the Domestic US Kindle is using the SprintEVDO network, Amazon is not working with local wireless partners in each individual country for the International version… the company has done a single deal with AT&T Global Networks, which in turn has gone out and negotiated low-cost data roaming agreements with carrier partners all over the world.
To add insult to injury, Bezos joked about countries missing out on the international release in the original Reuters release:
“There is a big demand for English language books all over the world,” said Bezos, adding that it would be available in every continent except Antarctica.
“We apologize for that omission. We’ll work on that.”
Amazon has been quick to offer that it is working on a Canadian version, but has not yet specified when Canucks might see such a device.
Amazon must be feeling the heat as Sony, Barnes & Noble, and the numerous other players horn in on their territory – not only is it expanding into over 100 countries, it’s cutting the price of the US version of the Kindle 2 to $259, a $100 decrease from its price a year ago.
Amazon.com dystopian nightmare has come to a close. Today, the company settled the class action suit brought against it for deleting copies of “1984″ from users’ Kindles. The cost? A mere $150,000.
The real victory in this settlement is the stipulations Amazon made, stipulations which may go a long way to address users’ concerns over the company’s apparent ability to remotely delete books from Kindle devices. Specifically Amazon stipulated it will not remove books in the future, unless:
the consumer requests it or fails to pay;
it is required by a court or regulator to do so; or
it’s necessary to protect to Kindle or the network.
Even if Amazon were to promise not to do it again (as part of a settlement with Gawronski, say) it won’t be possible to un-ring that bell. Amazon now will undoubtedly face demands (and perhaps court orders) in future copyright disputes to use its powers to zap the offending files en masse, thus turning unwitting Kindle users into legal cannon fodder. The capability could also land Amazon in the middle of the brewing controversy over software “kill switches,” which may soon come complete with subpoenas from the Federal Trade Commission and “invitations” to testify before Congress.
Spotted by our friends at BoingBoing: a funny video illustrating one of the major disadvantages of the Amazon Kindle (or any e-reader for that matter) versus its analog predecessor:
You mean you can’t re-sell books you buy via the Kindle? Oh noes! Yes, it’s truly a publisher’s dream – charging again and again for the same bits. Makes me wonder: what’s the book equivalent of The Beatles’ “White Album”?
It appears that the PR fallout from Amazon’s deletion of copies of “1984″ from users’ Kindles isn’t over yet. Amazon.com is now being sued by a high-school student in Seattle who had annotated his copy of “1984″ as part of a summer homework assignment. When Amazon deleted the student’s copy of “1984″, it also rendered the student’s notes worthless – and now the student is launching a class-action lawsuit:
We appreciate Amazon.com’s newfound contrition, but words are not enough, explained Jay Edelson, the lead attorney for the class action. Amazon.com had no more right to hack into peoples Kindles than its customers have the right to hack into Amazons bank account to recover a mistaken overpayment.
Indeed, the ability to remotely delete items from users’ devices potentially has dire implications on a free society. This lawsuit may have far-reaching effects on any network-connected device, and result in a clearer definition of users’ rights over their devices and content.
In an attempt to quell the outcry over Amazon.com’s deletion of illegal copies of “1984″ from their Kindles, CEO Jeff Bezos has taken to the Kindle discussion forum to offer a brief, if heartfelt, apology:
This is an apology for the way we previously handled illegally sold copies of 1984 and other novels on Kindle. Our “solution” to the problem was stupid, thoughtless, and painfully out of line with our principles. It is wholly self-inflicted, and we deserve the criticism we’ve received. We will use the scar tissue from this painful mistake to help make better decisions going forward, ones that match our mission.
With deep apology to our customers,
Jeff Bezos
Founder & CEO
Amazon.com
A nice gesture to be sure, but it still leaves many unresolved issues for customers. How will Amazon handle this type of situation in the future? What about other situations? If an organization wanted to suppress distribution of a book, will Amazon buckle? As the leader in the market, it’s Amazon’s duty and responsibility to tread carefully and answer these questions to the satisfaction of readers, authors, and publishers.
Here’s a clever way to take a stale publishing business and revitalize it using new technology: Freehand Music is the first publisher to begin publication of piano sheet music for the Amazon Kindle (the large-screen Kindle DX version specifically).
While the scores may appear a bit pricey at between $1 and $4 each, the pricing appears to be on par with the typical discount seen thus far for electronic books. [via Wired]
CrunchGear is pointing its readers to an interesting new survey conducted by Catalyst Group. Bottom line: Sony better hurry up and dig the Amazon’s arrows out of its back before they become fatal. The key observations from the report note the Amazon Kindle device’s key strengths as:
Clearer navigation – Users found the Kindle easier to navigate despite mentioning that they would rather have a touch screen interface
Better shopping experience – Users found the Kindle’s shopping experience easier since it allowed them to download items directly onto the device without the need of a computer
More aesthetically pleasing – Users found the Kindle more “sophisticated” and “elegant” looking
Better tactile “feel” – Users commented that handling the Kindle felt more “natural” and “pleasing”
It’s been a bit of up-and-down for the Kindle this week.
Amazon must be feeling the heat as Sony, Barnes & Noble, and the 
