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Mitch Ratcliffe
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Kindle books come to the PC -- a Nook counterpunch

By | October 22, 2009, 12:50pm PDT

Summary: Platform expansion is the logical counter to new competition at the device level. Amazon, facing the introduction of BN.com’s Nook and other e-readers this week, has announced it will support reading of Kindle books on Windows 7, Vista and XP Service Pack 2 PCs in November. The application offers a few enhancements compared to the Kindle [...]

kindle-for-pc-tcg-coming-soon._V229480704_Platform expansion is the logical counter to new competition at the device level. Amazon, facing the introduction of BN.com’s Nook and other e-readers this week, has announced it will support reading of Kindle books on Windows 7, Vista and XP Service Pack 2 PCs in November.

The application offers a few enhancements compared to the Kindle device, including a larger number of font sizes and the ability to adjust the number of words per line and zoom capabilities on Windows 7 PCs, as well as supporting cross-device synchronization of last page read, bookmarks, notes and highlights.

Customers can sign up for an email alert that the software has been released at the Kindle for PC page. I’ve been predicting this for a while, and am not at all surprised to see it come two days after the Nook announcement. It will not be surprising, either, when Kindle books are available on the Mac.

It’s all about making the customer library accessible across devices, so that Amazon—and BN.com, etc.—can keep a customer over the long term.

All in a week’s brutal competition.

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Topics

PC, Amazon.com Inc., Barnes & Noble Inc., Platform Expansion, Microsoft Windows 7, Desktops, Microsoft Windows, Hardware, Operating Systems, Software, Mitch Ratcliffe

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Mitch Ratcliffe

http://blogs.zdnet.com/Ratcliffe/?page_id=287

Biography

Mitch Ratcliffe

Mitch Ratcliffe is a veteran journalist, media executive and entrepreneur. He was editor of the ground-breaking Digital Media newsletter in the 1990s and a frequent contributor to ZDNet over the years. He led development of the first Web audio/video news network at ON24, sat on the board of Electric Classifieds Inc. and Match.com, and worked as an investment banker. A dedicated "portfolio career" worker, Mitch is co-founder and Chief Scientist of BuzzLogic LLC, a social network analytics and marketing communications platform developer, and works with Audible Inc. on its podcasting service, among other projects detailed here.

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Agreed
TroutHound 3rd Nov 2009
I was on a camping trip recently and saw someone use a Kindle. I asked
this person to show me the device. I was very impressed with the
display: easy on the eyes, the characters were crisp and well formed, the
pictures were beautiful, though not in color.

The Kindle is also easy to carry--not as bulky as a laptop or a desktop (
happy ). I think one has to see this gadget in person to fully appreciate it.

So when I'm ready to buy such a gadget, I'll probably get this one. By
then competition will make this thing even better.
View in thread
0 Votes
+ -
Short-term "score" until Nook has it too. (nt)
Bruce Lang 22nd Oct 2009
(nt)
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Kindle books come to the PC -- a Nook counterpunch
Mitch Ratcliffe 22nd Oct 2009
Nook arrives with it--B&N has PC and Mac clients.

It's not at all about score-keeping, but how the strategies
are playing out. It's not a horse race, nor a football game.

This article doesn't suggest Amazon somehow leapt ahead
today. Anyone who thinks this market is about selling the
most e-reader devices is missing the core goal for every
book retailer with an e-reader: creating customer lock-in
through their digital libraries.
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Kindle books come to the PC -- a Nook counterpunch
T-Rexx 22nd Oct 2009
My Sony ereader software already does all this.
0 Votes
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RE: Kindle books come to the PC -- a Nook counterpunch
Jeff Tyler 23rd Oct 2009
I'll wait until they migrate the capability over to Windows Mobile devices and then I'll take off reading Amazon books. Once Amazon supports the reading of its ebooks on handhelds, they'll capture a large market share. There are a lot of us out there waiting for something to replace Mobipockets and Fictionwise. happy
0 Votes
+ -
RE: Kindle books come to the PC -- a Nook counterpunch
holgatefam 31st Oct 2009
I think people who equate ebooks on a PC with a Kindle
haven't seen a Kindle in person. Reading the backlit display
of a PC is much harder on the eyes than the digital ink pages
of the dedicated reader.
0 Votes
+ -
Agreed
TroutHound 3rd Nov 2009
I was on a camping trip recently and saw someone use a Kindle. I asked
this person to show me the device. I was very impressed with the
display: easy on the eyes, the characters were crisp and well formed, the
pictures were beautiful, though not in color.

The Kindle is also easy to carry--not as bulky as a laptop or a desktop (
happy ). I think one has to see this gadget in person to fully appreciate it.

So when I'm ready to buy such a gadget, I'll probably get this one. By
then competition will make this thing even better.

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