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RE: (Gallery: Amazon releases Kindle 2.0)

abartlett2009 9th Feb 2009

Glad to see Amazon is prooving out the form factor for Apple. Most folks predict they (Apple) will release a larger format iPod Touch (say about the size of a paperback book) and I'd be willing to bet it will be this size (sans keyboard and bulky nav elements of course). It'll be bye-bye Kindle from there because the display tech of the touch is soooo much better than this and when you add all the other iPod Touch apps, storage and capabilities we are left wondering what need the Kindle was actually fulfilling (in fact I am already left wondering that).

I am fresh from a publishing technology company and there was little to no interest in supporting this technology in any meaningful way. Its all about PDF and the more dynamic formats (e.g. HTML, Flash, et al.) than any of the e-book formats.

Don't get me wrong. I wish Amazon all the best here and I am a big beliver in this kind of research project, but c'mon... this thing seems very 1995ish and is already displaced by a wide variety of devices. Take on the iPod from this direction (add all the multimedia functionality of the iPod, capacity, touchscreen with intuative nav) and you might have something viable at this price... but as a single function device, unless its under $100, its a non-starter. Sorry.