Is Amazon As Smooth As Silk?

Amazon announced that it's getting into the web browser game this week with the launch of Silk which will be featured on the new Kindle Fire. I personally didn't expect Amazon to ever make this move, but given its push to cloud computing and Silk's split browser construct, it actually does make a lot of sense. The real win here for Amazon deals with the advent of super data collecting above and beyond what the retailer already knows thanks to purchase behavior. With an overlay of browsing behavior, Amazon can build even more robust customer profiling, which at the end of the day can generate more sales. The kicker for the consumer is that Silk uses predictive technology to pre-cache the next potential move for the customer based on usual behavior. Definitely an interesting move. I'll be interested to see how successful Silk proves in the long run.

www.mashable.com/2011/10/01/silk-smooth-amazon

10 reasons to hate iPad or why no one should ever buy it...

It’s been said a lot recently about iPad and one common thing observed in all reviews is that people tend to split into those who realize all disadvantages of this gadget and those who simply overlook them trying to convince themselves that this device is well worth the money they wasted on it. Well, I’m a very rational person and simply knowing all disadvantages of iPad I can’t even think of buying it. So here is the list of what makes me skeptical about it:

1) No Multi-Tasking. Yeah, this one bothers me the most. 5-years old symbian-enabled Nokia phone can do it, so why the device that Steve Jobs calls a "magical and revolutionary " can not? Why can’t someone listen to music while browsing the web? Twitting while reading? What the heck? For a device that intended to be a substitution for laptops/netbooks and costs as much as the iPad does, the inability to multitask is unforgiving.

2) No Camera. Yeah, the same old Nokia has camera, 2 actually. I can’t say what is worse: not to have a front-facing camera for video-chats or not-having a back camera which should be natural for a such mobile device. Camera now is commodity. Very cheap commodity. And I see no reason not to include it. Even iPhone which I don’t like either has 2-3mp camera.

3) No USB. Since its inception in 2001 miniUSB became a standard for mobile devices. Then it was followed by microUSB. But Apple always has its own way. And usually this way is quite awkward (recall how long Apple was torturing its users with PowerPCs). Only Apple with its hunger for $ that could be earned on proprietary adapters (adapter for USB for god’s sake) could do it.

4) No Flash. End of last month Steve Jobs published very unusual letter that ended up with very thoughtful claim: “Flash is no longer necessary”. Yes, Steve, perhaps for you. But I’d still prefer to be able to browse many web-sites, play games and watch videos. Perhaps this guy believe in HTML5 – but Apple took no action in its development and it will be another 2-3 years before it takes off.

5) No VoIP. Sounds weird? But that’s true. As Dan Neary, Skype VP, stated this week: “I think the iPad is an exciting product but it is clearly not the same communications device in its current form that the iPhone is. So we’re looking forward to further advancements in the iPad and where that can go in the future.” Politically correctly, indeed. But the point is clear: I think he said the same earlier this year when Skype discontinued its Windows Mobile support.

6) Small storage. 16-64Gb – what is it? Are you kidding? My external hard drive is 1500Gb. My 500$ laptop is 320Gb. My tiny USB stick is 16Gb. It’s not a Nook, nor a Kindle that are supposed to store mainly books. This is a multimedia device and memory is crucial. And we all know that Apple never gives us a chance to increase memory in its devices.

7) Lack of widescreen. New iMac is 16:9. iPhone is 3:2. iPad is 4:3. The past is back. Welcome and enjoy almost forgotten old-TV experience.

8) No GPS on pure-WiFi versions. Many called iPad a giant iPhone. It’s not quite true. iPad is worse in all aspects except it’s bigger. And GPS is not exception: iPad for $699 doesn’t have it.

9) Poor reading experience. Unique combination of a heavy weight and the glare on the screen makes using iPad for a long periods “a battle for comfort”. Unlike with Kindle one can’t read well in direct sunlight with iPad. Moreover you can’t download books you bought from Apple bookstore for your iPad to your Mac or iPhone.

10) Price. I kept it for a last but it’s a very important aspect for many. $699 for 64GB for pure-WiFi and $829 for 64 GB for WiFi/3G model – come on, Lenovo’s IdeaPad S10-3t does it all for less than $500 and boasts much better specs than any generation of iPad is likely to have. Modern netbooks start from $250 and by $499, which is starting price for 16Gb iPad, you have a big choice of very good devices. Add to it quite expensive apps and it’s hard to believe in Job’s intention “to put this (device) in the hands of lots of people”.

You are not yet convinced with these 10? Then consider some “bonus”: no SD slot, no HDMI out, closed apps (i.e. you don’t have a choice for pre-installed programs like browser), use of microSIMs (the whole purpose of it was to fit into devices otherwise too small for a mini-SIM – and it’s not iPad for sure), poor reviews on keyboard experience and quality of WiFi receiver.

And yes, I do realize that some of these drawbacks were made by Apple intentionally as a part of their strategy of introducing more advanced models a year or so later after the first release. I think about it as a unique way of Apple to minimize its R&D costs – there are so many simple things missing in iPad that you can add them in the new models another 2-3 years. And while it may be a good strategy from marketing standpoint, it completely undermines my view of iPad as an innovative product.

So my suggestion: wait for HP Slate and MS Courier later this year just to see the differences yourselves or buy a good netbook from Acer or Lenovo already now.

Apple = future. Kindle and Nook, nice try.

There has been a lot of discussion about the iPad and the Kindle, but not much mention of the Nook. Since I'm an owner of both eReaders (long story), I thought I'd provide my two cents on all three devises and why I think the iPad IS a revolutionary devise.

The Kindle did a great job of turning paper into text. The Nook tried to do the same thing, but did a poor job of differentiating itself from every other eReader. The problem: both devises suck.

They both are so poorly designed that they're actually painful to use! Buying restricted content from either Amazon or B&N doesn't really bother me (I used to buy paper books all the time), but what does bother me is that these devises are actually limited by their own design.

iPad has no limitations. It is basically the entry into a worm hole that allows me to consume any format of digital content I want... with joy and happiness. It warms my soul just thinking about it.

Imagine throwing away your stupid Dell and carrying a slim iPad that has your entire life and everything you need... all tied to your own personal cloud that you can sink and access from anywhere. Most people weren't excited about the idea of a "bigger iPhone" because most of the 140,000 "apps" were stupid and a waste of binary code.

However, iPad apps actually have the potential to be useful. I think Apple will either install Snow Leopard or design a whole new operating system that throws out the "windows" experience all together. Also, finger browsing is soooo much faster than using a mouse and has so much more potential to revolutionize the way we interact with a computer.

Apple = future. Kindle and Nook, nice try.

The Promise of Electronic Paper

Thanks to the success of E-Paper enabled products such as the Amazon Kindle and the Sony Reader, E-Paper pioneer E-Ink was acquired for the grand sum of $215M.

http://bit.ly/e_ink

Incidentally, I worked for E-Ink in a Sales and Biz Dev role which I found extremely interesting.

What makes Electronic Paper relevant in a world that is increasing consuming content on bright, video-enabled LCDs whether it be on iPhones, notebook PCs, or flat screen TVs?

1. Electronic Paper is the ultimate digital reading experience. Yes, you can view entire books on your 3 screens, but you are basically staring at a light bulb that refreshes 60-120 times a second. E Paper requires no refresh, does not emit light (but rather organically reflects ambient light), and emits no radiation while displaying content. It truly looks and feels just like paper.

2. Electronic Paper is the worlds only ZERO power screen. Whereas you need to juice up your iPhone daily, recharge your notebook PC every 4 hours, and plug your LCD TV into a wall socket, E-Paper devices can display over 50 books worth of content between charges, providing weeks of reading.

3. Electronic Paper is the world's first commercial producible flexible digital screen technology. Why be limited by shatter prone, thick, rectangular glass displays? Imagine a screen that rolls out of an electronic device like a phone providing a viewing area bigger than the device itself:
















http://bit.ly/readius

Electronic Paper will be the 4th screen that allows you to access digital content in a form as warm and welcoming as your favorite paper novel.

-Greg

Kindle's New Competitor

Google plans to enter the digital book market and directly compete with Amazon's Kindle. Google will allow its partner publishers to make their books available for purchase from any web-enabled device (PC, smartphone, etc), in contrast to Amazon's Kindle Store, which sells e-books that can only be read by the Kindle reader, the iPhone, or the iPod Touch.

Amazon's Kindle has been given many titles - from the iPod of reading to the savior of the newspaper. It is a wireless e-book reader that is linked to Amazon's Digital Text Platform. Although not the first of its kind, the Kindle is made unique by the Digital Text Platform, which enables authors to self-publish directly to the Kindle. Publishers have accepted the Kindle for many reasons, such as the attractive cost structure compared to old methods of printing and distribution and the restrictions on sharing (any purchased book is locked onto the Kindle - no printing or sharing it). Newspapers are also pleased with Kindle's effect on their business (newspaper subscriptions are the Kindle's top sellers), although they are wary of the eminent transition from ad-based revenue to fee-based revenue. The Kindle's business model is also unique in that the first few chapters of any book are free - so the customers can make a purchase decision after they started the book

Google's entry into the market may be troublesome for Amazon. The new Kindle Dx (now available in multiple sizes) is offered at a steep price of $489. If the Kindle network suffers from competition with Google, customers could potentially face a tremendous loss. This, in combination with Google's compatibility with virtually any device may significantly reduce demand for the Kindle.

Before Google's announcement the Kindle's outlook was extremely positive. Barclays Capital predicted Kindle devices would produce $840 million in profit on $3.7 billion in sales in 2012. Citigroup predicted total sales at 500,000 units. It is possible these forecasts will diminish in the near future.

Given the Kindle's high price and sharing restrictions, Amazon appears to have little choice but to promote the physical advantages of the Kindle device and compete fiercely over exclusive distribution rights with publishers. This may also prove to be difficult, because publishers will have little incentive to distribute exclusively to Google or Amazon. It is no secret the record labels agreed to extremely low margins at the onset of the iPod. Any smart publisher would want avoid such a mistake.

http://www.ecommercetimes.com/rsstory/67213.html