Jeff Bezos talks about possible Tablet and concerns over adKindles

CONSUMER REPORTS TALKS WITH JEFF BEZOS

"Asked today about the possibility of Amazon launching a multipurpose tablet device, the company's president and CEO Jeff Bezos said to “stay tuned” on the company’s plans.  In an interview at Consumer Reports' offices, Bezos also signaled that any such device, should it come, is more likely to supplement than to supplant the Kindle, which he calls Amazon’s “purpose-built e-reading device.”

I'd prefer the words "would supplement" to "more likely" ... but he's likely being cagy with the "should it come" that Consumer Reports' Editor, Paul Reynolds, reports.

Bezos added, "We will always be very mindful that we will want a dedicated reading device,” he said. “In terms of any other product introductions, I shouldn’t answer."

There's a video of another talk with CR yesterday.   Pressing 'play' on it may not work.  If not, just move the pointer forward a bit.  I haven't listened to it yet.  Kindle-Blog edition readers won't be able to use this video link on a Kindle and will need to view it on a computer, smartphone with data plan, or tablet.
  It's a pretty lively conversation, from what I can see.

  Re the new ad-subsidized Kindle With Special Offers and ads of course, CR reports that Bezos said it shouldn’t be interpreted as a stepping stone to a future Kindle that’s more multipurpose or that allows e-commerce to intrude on the reading experience.

  Re Library Lending, Bezos didn't feel he could say more than “sometime this year” for when library lending would be available on the Kindle.  "But he did say that users should expect a lineup of titles that’s at least comparable to those available for competing devices that support library e-books."

 In Len Edgerly's conversation with Jay Marine the other day, it seemed that "by the end of the year" was brought up.  The last time I heard that phrase used (and it was for Kindle book loans between Kindle owners), it was finally announced as ready on Dec. 31, so I wouldn't count on it being any sooner.  It'd be nice to be surprised though.

  CR reports that Bezos said again that Color E Ink “is not ready for prime time…the colors are very pale.” And Reynolds notes that 'he added that “it continues to be improved” and “it makes a lot of sense for there to be a low-power, reflective color display.  I think that’s something you could build a fantastic product around.”

  Well, I don't think they can afford to wait for that before offering a color tablet.  Quite obviously they're working on one, and I'll be adding more on the possibilities soon.


Kindle 3's   (UK: Kindle 3's),   K3 Special, $114   DX Graphite

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Check often: Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers.
UK-Only: recently published non-classics, bestsellers, or £5 Max ones
    Also, UK customers should see the UK store's Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
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Wired: Amazon strikes back. Bezos interview with Charlie Rose.

SEE THE MAIN NEW KINDLE INFO SECTION for details.

WIRED STORY AND IMAGE
Steven Levy of Wired's Gadget Lab writes that "Jeff Bezos has survived the iPad" and then some.

His opener is that the iPad has not, despite the many dire predictions, been a "Kindle Killer" for all the reasons we've seen and describes the new Kindle 3 models as "a canny evolution that enhances the device’s raison d’etre: reading."
...

  "The new size and lightness "makes Kindle lighter than a paperback, while the iPad is heavier than Infinite Jest.
...
  "What’s more, the revelation that Amazon sells more Kindle books than hardcovers is only the beginning of what now looks like an inevitable mass migration to e-books.

  " 'Our best estimate is that Kindle books will outsell paperbacks at Amazon sometime in the next nine to twelve months,' Bezos says. 'And then at some point after that they’ll overtake the combination.' "

LINK TO MELISSA PERENSON'S HANDS-ON REPORT FOR WASHINGTON POST/PCWORLD
I neglected to include that link in last night's blog article on this detailed hands-on lookover, so here it is.

CHARLIE ROSE INTERVIEW WITH JEFF BEZOS
I watched this in a repeat last night and the first thing I noticed is they both interrupt each other a lot.  Jeff Bezos relaxed into easier conversation when talking about Japan and non-Kindle-specific matters.

Viewable online at Charlie Rose.com.  (Another link given didn't work.)

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Check often:  Temporarily-free late-listed non-classics or recently published ones
  Guide to finding Free Kindle books and Sources.  Top 100 free bestsellers. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!

NYT: A talk w/ Jeff Bezos - and Sharing Kindle books

The New York Times interviews Jeff Bezos briefly, who is mum about the competition (when asked about his thoughts on the Nook) as usual.

 When Deborah Solomon, the interviewer, asks about Barnes and Noble's point that a Nook book can be lent, Bezos responds:

' The current thing being talked about is extremely limited. You can lend to one friend. One time. You can’t pick two friends, not even serially, so once you’ve loaned one book to one friend, that’s it.

  [Not mentioned is that the publisher must allow the feature and many publishers are said to be resisting.]

You have to pick just one person? What are you saying? It’s like “Sophie’s Choice”?

It is “Sophie’s Choice.” Very nicely done. ' [More on this below]

  On reading a Kindle in the bathtub, Bezos uses a one-gallon Ziploc bag, as do many Kindle owners, judging from water-protection-bag review boards and notes at the various Kindle forums.  Seems to work well for most.  You can move the buttons inside the bag.

  On Kindle book sales, he reiterates that "For every 100 copies of a physical book we sell, where we have the Kindle edition, we will sell 48 copies of the Kindle edition."

See the rest of the Q&A at the NYT site.

* Sharing Kindle books on an account
  A hot subject for a few months on the Amazon Kindle forums now has its own forum thread and describes how some Kindlers are sharing their books by using existing features and guidelines for their Kindle accounts.

  Essentially, while you can have as many Kindle devices (these include iPhones, iPods, PC with Kindle for PC, etc.) on your account as wanted, most books can be shared with only up to 5 other Kindle devices on your account simultaneously.

  You can register a friend's Kindle under your account (a good amount of trust is involved in this with the friend's ability to buy and download books using your account and having access to your entire library.

  There is no physical household restriction.   If friends buy books you don't want, they can use Paypal or something more traditional to cover it.  At any time, friends can choose to register their Kindles for themselves again; any downloaded shared books stay with them and each of those copies also will go against your licensed count for that book.

Read the thread for more details and answers to people's questions about that.  I'm not making a recommendation here but describing how people are using the guidelines to share books. Below are ways to Share this post if you'd like others to see it.
-- The Send to Kindle button works well only on Firefox currently.

Send to Kindle

(Older posts have older Kindle model info. For latest models, see CURRENT KINDLES page. )
If interested, you can also follow my add'l blog-related news at Facebook and Twitter
Questions & feedback are welcome in the Comment areas (tho' spam is deleted). Thanks!