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News March 5, 2009
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Amazon’s Kindle App for iPhone and Kindle Books support Color

Gear Diary Amazons Kindle App for iPhone and Kindle Books support Color photo

I’ve been playing with the new Kindle app for iPhone. For the record, I do NOT own a Kindle and don’t plan to buy one until they offer a color screen. When I read about the app availability earlier today, I took a look at it’s description on the app store. I realized there was no Kindle ownership requirement listed. So I went to the Kindle bookstore on Amazon – same thing – no indication of any ownership requirements – okay, now I was getting interested.

I downloaded the app, gave it my Amazon login info, and went back to the store and bought a technical book. Starting up the app on the iPhone, it went and resynced and picked up the book I just bought – very cool!

I’m paging through the book and I suddenly realize that some of the images are in color! It seems the Kindle books support color and display in color on the iPhone even though the Kindle itself is incapable of displaying color. I guess the folk at Amazon are planning ahead here!

Although there are some serious limitations in the iPhone version of the app, it is an interesting way for Amazon to increase acceptance of the format and serve as a lead in to a possible future Kindle purchase, but remember, just like MP3 players – the real money is in selling content, not devices. Amazon appears to agree!

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About Christopher Gavula

View all posts by Christopher Gavula
Chris has been a COBOL programmer, a desktop support technician, network engineer, telecommunications manager, and even a professional musician. Currently, he is focused on deploying Voice over IP technologies in a large, corporate setting. He started working full-time at the tender age of 14, even before there were PCs, and will probably be working and trying to finish “just one more project” as he’s lowered into the grave.
  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Judie Judie Lipsett

    Soooo…I see this as one more nail in eReader's coffin. If Amazon makes the Kindle software available for Windows Mobile and Palm, then I suspect that eReader's days will be numbered – unless they (finally) make their prices more competitive.

    Note to self: back up eReader library and make sure that I have readers for every platform downloaded…just in case.

  • carly

    Well eReader is now owned by B&N, so they have a little more time before they die…

    And the Kindle will have a color screen when it won't cost $900 for a color e-ink screen. The technology isn't quite there yet in terms of being cost-effective.

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/cgavula cgavula

    I agree with you, Judie.

    I think the big thing for Amazon is going to be to improve their catalog depth in a wide variety of categories. When eReader (Peanut Press) became part of the Fictionwise family, they broadened their range of titles significantly. Amazon has a huge base to work from, but I also have to wonder how the Barnes and Noble acquisition of Fictionwise will affect their catalog.

    If nothing else, Amazons push into this arena should help bring the prices of titles down. eReader/Fictionwise and others have had horrible pricing over the past few years, but that may have more to do with pricing from the publishing house rather than the e-tailers themselves. Hopefully Amazon has the clout to push back on this and keep the prices lower. They seem to be doing that somewhat so far.

    SO the big question – does all this mean the eBooks might be starting to come into their own?

  • http://intensedebate.com/people/Judie Judie Lipsett

    True – the B&N angle gives them a little bit of breathing room, but I really think that without lowering their prices, their days are numbered.

    Colored e-Ink technology has been out there since at least 2005, so hopefully cost effectiveness is coming. If Amazon can get it on a 4th or 5th generation Kindle, it would be amazing!

    http://www.inkinmotion.com/press/releases/pr86.ht…