From scalding quarters that divulged secrets to the official release, Apple’s much-awaited device created pretty much ballyhoo across the globe. Ever since its debut, the debate has been raging about what it means for Amazon Kindle. Will it sway it? Will it not? Or do these devices just come from two different planets? No matter what the question is, there are always some analogy diggers who would want to add some fuel to the discussion.
Well, we aren’t categorizing Apple’s new innovation in anyway, just letting our thoughts run free whether this multi-tasking device is more of an e-reader.Steve Jobs may call it, ‘better than Kindle for reading’, but don’t you think that would put the ‘iPad’ somewhere in the same queue where Kindle stands. Mulling over the fact, we just sneaked peaked and tried to realize where does Apple’s new device stand? Or has it already made Kindle bite the dust?
You buy a Kindle and you get a ‘reader’, rather a nice one. Buy an iPad and you get a whole new companion that can perform several features. Games, movies, browsing, documents, and more, all in one, in fact, the new piece is just more than a reader. Or should we call it as a whole-life device? Digging slightly more, a 9.7-inch multimedia tablet opens a door of new possibilities and lets one browse the web, peruse eBooks, watch movies and listen to music via its multi-touch color display. And if you look at the simple yet adorable Kindle, it acts merely as a reader. Pretty easily, the ball goes in Apple’s court here.
But the question arises will Apple’s iPad make standalone e-readers like the Amazon Kindle, Sony Reader and Barnes & Noble Nook superseded. Hopefully no, but just as do-it-all smartphones that play an aesthetically pleasing music have nibbled away at the market for standalone MP3 players, you shouldn’t be surprised if the iPad trims down the e-reader market.
Then there’s Amazon. The Kindle product is simply amazing, its books are pocket-friendly, it’s lighter, it features better battery life and its e-ink display offers a reading experience that the iPad simply can’t stack up. But can the Kindle show Disney movies, high-resolution photos or hued videos? Could you surf the web, read and send email, view photos, play games, and read e-books? Can you play first-person shooters or even Peggle on it? The answers are, no.
Talking about the screen that both devices offer, the iPad features a color, multi-touchscreen, gestures and more. It’s quite pleasing to look at and we can rely on Steve Job’s aesthetics to know that it’s pleasurable to hold as well. On the contrary, Kindle still seems to be inspired by the 60’s. Alright, let’s not be mean and forget that it was Amazon who pioneered the ‘e-reader’ concept with Kindle but somewhere deep down in the tunnel its black and white screen may sound a bit old-fashioned when something peppy takes on today. Further, the iPad supports ePub, subduing publishers’ resistance to support a proprietary format such as of Kindle. Apple’s latest unit creates compatibility with books sold through a leading standard format through any channel. Apart from this, Penguin, Harper-Collins, Simon & Schuster, Macmillan and Hachette Book Group publishing houses have signed on to the iBookstore whereas Random House is notably absent. This means major titles may be missing from Apple’s e-book store, at least for now. But here we can give our ear to tittle-tattle quarters that Amazon will be making an announcement about ePub support real soon. So does this mean both competitors won’t have anything to step back and feel ‘smalltime’?
After the iPad launch, we asked a spokesperson at Amazon about the new rival to the Kindle, “Customers can read and sync their Kindle books on iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, and soon Blackberrys, Macs, and iPads. Kindle is purpose-built for reading. Weighing in at less than 0.64 pounds, Kindle fits comfortably in one hand for hours, has an e-ink display that is easy on the eyes even in bright daylight, two weeks of battery life, and 3G wireless with no monthly fees-all at a $259 price. Kindle editions of New York Times Bestsellers and most New Releases are only $11.99.”
Now talking about Apple iPad’s price tag, remember how Apple didn’t do much new when it introduced the fourth generation of the iPod with a heavy price tag and how it received harsh criticism when it waved hands first in year 2004? Not every music fiend was too-jovial with it. Many believed that fourth-generation iPod came with an expensive pricing structure and performed similar to the third-generation one. Pinching the arm and coming back to the reality, today almost every other person seems to own one or want one. So why does the iPad make us take a step back while shelling out $499 or more for it? The Amazon Kindle, by contrast, starts at $259 for a version with a 6-inch screen and full wireless connectivity included.
As an e-book reader, the Amazon Kindle has few rivals, but if you want an e-book reader and you can stretch your pocket for only one device, then you need to be a staid bibliophile to choose a Kindle over something that’s pretty good e-book reader, a glorious multimedia player, a digital map, a gaming console and a web-friendly computer. Though Apple’s new Global Wireless Program can do a ton of interesting things the Kindle can’t, like play games, access social networks, display photos and videos, but Amazon Kindle outshines with its gorgeous e-ink display, free 3G, huge book selection and ripping battery life for almost an entire week with wireless turned on and a fortnight with it turned off.
Just to remind you all, in the early days of invention, new inventions tend to parrot the old. The TV was really a small movie screen with radio quality audio. In fact, a lot of early televisions were really old radio shows repackaged with pictures such as Jack Benny and the Lone Ranger. Now, taking a circle, Kindle mirrors the book reading experience. It does it well, with a crisp display and an easy-to-use interface. Apple seems to want to take the experience beyond just echoing a book, to create a new experience.
Well, a famous quote says, ‘new things may be new but not always better than old ones’. Though Apple’s innovation buzzed the tech-world and configured almost everything in one sleek unit, our heart still looks for Kindle. Scribing our opinion, book aficionados may stick to the Amazon Kindle, but the rest fancied by much more may be tempted to snap up Apple’s latest innovation.
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