Amazon snubs Apple with “Kindle for Mac” just before iPad launch
Amazon is all too aware of the upcoming Apple iPad launch, and with rumors pointing toward iPad pre-orders in the hundreds of thousands, it behooves Amazon to generate some of its own buzz. What better way to draw some attention than building an outpost on the competitor’s doorstep. The aptly named Kindle for Mac makes reading books on the computer a snap and may help a niche of customers who don’t always carry their Kindle 2.
Of course, the centerpiece of the Kindle 2 experience – it’s E Paper screen – is missing with Kindle for Mac but the new software could potentially expand Amazon’s audience and hedge its losses slightly when the iPad launches.
Not all of the features on the Kindle 2 are available with Kindle for Mac (free download), but some pretty important pieces are there:
- Get the best reading experience available on your Mac. No Kindle required
- Access your Kindle books even if you don't have your Kindle with you
- Automatically synchronizes your last page read and annotations between devices with Whispersync
- Create bookmarks and view the annotations you created on your Kindle
Amazon plans to add new features soon, including “. . . full-text search and the ability to create and edit notes and highlights,” according to InformationWeek. That should address the lion’s share of activities a user would be looking to do, especially because typing on a full-sized keyboard is more efficient.
Books and Amazon go back to the company’s foundation and now that media is moving more and more toward digital distribution, it’s positioning itself to sell lots of books and video while reducing shipping and warehousing costs at the same time. The Kindle 2 is a part of that strategy, and Apple with it’s closed off iTunes ecosystem is a threat because it replaces one of Amazon’s core competencies – selling books.
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Comments
Sorry, but I think this article's a bit off-base. First of all, in the press announcement for Kindle for the Mac, Amazon specifically stated their intention to support the iPad. Secondly, Amazon's core business is *books* (or, really, whatever you want to buy.... Which might eventually even include iPads), not Kindles, a device Bezos himself admitted was introduced specifically to promote eBooks (regardless of the reader).
As the other comment states, Amazon specifically has said they will support the iPad. You need to revise this story!
Thanks for the comments. While Amazon does plan on supporting the iPad, its launch will also change the way Amazon does business and has the potential to eat away at the control it holds over where people buy eBooks. The Kindle 2 provides a closed ecosystem whereas the iPad would be open to other sources.
With the amount of excitement present about the iPad Amazon certainly must react and has chosen to support the device but it can't be excited about the iPad's launch because it puts parts of their initiatives at risk.
The article mentions "Books and Amazon go back to the company’s foundation . . . " as well.
At the same time Apple sells digital media in a big way and probably isn't terribly excited that Amazon has developed an app that makes its own platform another viable gateway for a major competitor.
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