I like my Kindle. It makes it very easy to get access to books via the Amazon store. It is easy to use, convenient, good form factor, and easy on the eyes. It also is a great conversation starter on the commuter train (“ Is that a Kindle? How do you like it?) But despite all those positives, I find myself not using it much these days. Why not? It is a matter of policy, not technology.
As an avid reader I can spend a lot on book purchases. But it an effort to be more cost-sensitive I’ve lately made it a point to utilize local library resources to support my book habit. Inter-library loan is terrific. Through the service I’ve been able to find almost any book and have it delivered directly to my local library. But how inefficient – wouldn’t it make more sense to deliver that book to my eReader? Well with the tangled web of digital right management the short answer is no.
i recently saw a reference to The Craftsman, a book published by my universitys’ press. Our library has several copies, but all are currently checked out by faculty, with return dates sometime in the fall. But there is an online edition, delivered by netLibrary. I am eager to read the book ( and it is fantastic – look for a future post!) so I decided to give it a spin. In short the netLibrary user experience is AWFUL. First, I can’t download the book, so no reading it on the commuter train (where I do much of my reading.) Second I can’t print out more than 10 pages at a time, so again no reading out-of-network range. Third the user interface is really clunky. Nowhere near as nice as the Kindle, where I’d rather be reading this.
Look, book publishers. If you make it hard for your customers to access your product you are hurting your business, not protecting it. The greatest threat to your books is obscurity, not piracy. Stop pissing off your best customers!
Good news, Android owners! One of the iPhone and iPad’s best mobile applications, the Amazon Kindle app, is coming soon to phones running the Google Android mobile operating system. Like all Kindle products, the Android app will include Amazon’s Whispersync technology, which synchronizes reading progress, notes and bookmarks across devices including Kindle brand e-readers, desktop software and mobile applications.
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Randall Rode's online home for thoughts, notes, and experiments with a wide range of technology topics. Visit the about page for info on my recent projects and professional background. I welcome your comments!
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