Hamish Hayward asked:




As well as being a phenomenally successful product for Amazon, the Amazon Kindle e-book reader has played a hugely important role in putting both e-books and e-book readers on the map. However, it didn’t achieve its success as a result of being the first to market. Franklin launched the eBookman reader in 1999 – more than ten years ago – and the Sony PRS reader was launched in 2006, well in advance of the original Kindle launch date of November 2007.

It was the release of the Kindle 2.0 in February of 2009 that really saw the market begin to grow rapidly. The Kindle rapidly became the top selling item on the Amazon site and, with a U.S. market share of 60%, was the clear market leader. The fact that virtually any new e-book reader which demonstrates any potential is instantly christened the “Kindle Killer” simply serves to underline the fact that the Kindle is not only the market leader, but the standard against which all other e-book readers will be judged.

The newest contender for The Kindle crown is Apple’s iPad – and it may well be the most credible contender to date. Is it the future of mobile computing or is it just a bigger version of the iPod Touch? In the end, it probably doesn’t make a great deal of difference – it will almost certainly sell well for Apple.

Amazon responded to the announcement of the iPad by releasing an “app” which would let iPad users read Kindle books on their trendy new device. Based on that evidence, you would have to guess that Amazon aren’t overly concerned by the release of this latest, and possibly most credible to date, Kindle Killer.

As a matter of fact, when you consider the number of apps that have now been released to allow Kindle books to be enjoyed without the need for a Kindle – there’s one available for the Mac, the PC, the Blackberry, the iPod – and now the iPad – you might be forgiven for thinking that, despite the huge success of the Kindle to date, Amazon may well be a somewhat reluctant manufacturer.

Based upon their actions to date, you might suppose that Amazon have more interest in selling Kindle books than the Kindle readers to read them on. You may also suspect that Amazon have a good idea about exactly how the real money will be made in the future e-book market. Perhaps this strategy is similar to selling cut price razors so as to cash in on the sales of razor blades? Only time will tell but, as far as books are concerned – be they hardback, paperback or electronic – you may reasonably expect Amazon to continue to be a market leader as opposed to a follower.

Glen

Travis Van Slooten asked:




In today’s modern world where handheld gadgets like ebook readers and tablet PCs are fast becoming mainstream consumer devices, online retailer giant Amazon and tech conglomerate Apple are continually being pitted against each other. And with good reason too.

The Job

The latest development in this saga? Amazon’s search for a Software Engineer to join its ereader division Lab126. This is evidenced by the company’s job listing that called for someone who can create and implement new browser features and support current browser applications. With such job requirements, it’s easy to foresee some drastic upgrades to the Kindle.

Kindle vs iPad Anew

Bloggers and tech reporters are again all over the Amazon vs. Apple battle. Why? Well, it is obvious from the job post that Amazon is seeking an engineer that can improve on the web browser for the Kindle. This could mean they are creating a new product to directly compete with the iPad. Which means that Steve Jobs better be shaking in his boots. Sarcasm aside, we still aren’t looking at the fact that the Kindle and iPad are different markets.

The Consumer Marketing Director of Freescale Semiconductor, Glen Burchers argues that both the Kindle and iPad can co-exist without “killing” each other. By the way, Freescale Semiconductor manufactures chips for ereaders, so the marketing director does know a thing or two about this niche.

Specifically, the iPad is a multi-tasking gadget that does offer ereading, but its focus is on web browsing, emails and media playing. It is marketed towards younger users like students who spend a lot of time online, and on their phone. The Kindle is bought by an older crowd who simply want to read the newly released novel.

A New Generation Kindle in the Works?

There’s no doubt that Amazon is on the road to creating the next generation Kindle. In addition to the job posting, they also acquired Touchco recently. Touchco is a multi-touch technology. We may see a Kindle with an expanded feature set. Who knows, Amazon hasn’t said, nor have they commented on the job posting.

It’s alright everyone, some consumers simply want to read their ebooks without app interruptions, and aren’t interested in purchasing an iPad. Amazon is just doing its job by creating the next generation Kindle (so we think). It is so interesting how we automatically see it as the next chapter in the Kindle/Apple drama.

Carla

Reshma Rangaswamy asked:




Apple unveiled their much awaited tablet called the iPad that will be available in March. The question on everyone’s mind is to preorder the iPad or not to Preorder the iPad. For all the hype and buzz that it has created, we really should delve into what the iPad has to offer that our current breed of mini computers don’t.

What is all the fuss about?

According to Apple, the iPad is a touch-screen tablet that’s created to fill the void between the iPhone and the MacBook. With a 9.7-inch screen, it looks like a large iPod Touch with an accelerometer that allows it to switch from landscape and portrait modes. Early rumors suggested that the screen would be OLED but the final unit comes with LCD. It has In-Plane Switching or IPS to improve on the color reproduction and viewing angle.

A portable device isn’t complete if it can’t connect to the internet. The iPad comes with 82.11n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth for interconnectivity. There are models equipped with 3G data as well. The Wi-Fi only versions will be available starting March while the units with 3G will be available in April. But you will be able to preorder your iPad much before that. More on that later…

The Apple iPad comes with built-in apps, such as the Safari Browser, email client, a music player, iTunes Store, maps, Youtube client, address book, calendar, and a QWERTY keyboard that would take up half the screen when used. It has a photo viewer with map view to see geo-tagged pictures with a slideshow mode.

iPad Apps

iPhone users are happy to find out that their favorite apps can also run on the iPad with any modifications. The apps will run in a small box in the middle of the touch screen or it can be maximized by clicking on the 2x icon. Existing apps for the iPod Touch or iPhone can by synced to the iPad for free.

There will also be exclusive iPad apps being developed. At present a few already exist, such as the New York Times newspaper reader, a painting app, demo version of Need for Speed game for the iPad, and an MLB.com app for baseball fanatics.

People are saying that the iPad is Apple’s answer to the Kindle and this might be true because Apple launched its e-book app called iBooks, which supports the ePub format. The iBook store features titles from Penguin, Simon & Schuster, Harper Collins, and Macmillan and Hachette.

There’s a new iWork suite made for the iPad but instead of buying the whole thing, you can purchase individual iWork app individually for $9.99 each. Keynote lets the user create and view presentations. The tablet can be connected to a projector for group presentations. With Pages, the user can create and edit text documents. Lastly, Numbers is an app where the user can edit and create spreadsheets.

Should you Preorder the iPad?

As is the case, so very often, should you preorder the iPad? You may not be able to preorder it just yet, but when the time comes, I would say Yes! You usually get the best one-time offers during your preorder and how cool would it be to get your hands on the first copies of the iPad. But you would heed to do some research before you pre order the iPad. With every retailer on the planet getting ready to sell it, there are bound to be scams galore. Just make sure you find the best deal in the market before you invest in these bad boys.

Rosemary

Cory Alman asked:




Everyone has heard about the new Apple iPad. It is causing quite the buzz and everyone wants to get their hands on one. What everyone does not know is that you can get your iPad completely free directly from Apple just by sharing your opinion of it.

Apple is seeking consumer testers for a limited number of iPads during their initial launch. Many large corporations look to consumers to obtain feedback and assist with improving future releases. Apple is no different in this regard.

All you have to do is give your opinions, test out the iPad and Apple says thank you by allowing you to keep the iPad free of charge. That is a $500 thank you! Can you afford to pass this offer up? There are only a limited amount of consumer testers required. You need to act fast if you want to be one of them.

Don’t be fooled by scam sites that claim they have free iPads to give and then charge you. These are not legitimate sites as Apple would never charge you to become a consumer tester. Keep this in mind and you can save yourself a lot of money and disappointment.

Don’t miss out on getting your free Apple iPad! Time is running out as the initial launch is already in progress. As of this writing, Apple does still have free iPads available for testing, but that could change quickly! Don’t procrastinate yourself out of this incredible chance! Act now and be the proud owner a free iPad tomorrow!

Vicki

Elise M. asked:




One of the first things people do with their new Apple iPad is load it up with Apple iBooks and Amazon Kindle applications. Many people have been using ebook readers for years, whether it’s been with a Palm Pilot or Pocket PC device. The iPad’s most widely recognized feature is obviously its ebook reader capabilities and for downloading ebooks. iPad users therefore have the ability store digital forms of their favorite books. The future is grand, isn’t it?

Since the launch of the Apple iPad, Apple has also rolled out their brand new “iBooks” client to be used in conjunction with the iPad for purchasing and downloading ebooks. iPad users generally browse and choose the specific iBooks that they want and pay an individual fee for each one, similar to the app store for Apple iPhone applications.

Visually, Apple’s client is one of the best out there in terms of an ebook reader, modeling the physical book with a wooden bookshelf background, actual page dimensions shown on the edges of the screen for a sense of depth, a two-pate landscape viewing option like a real book, and a page-turning animator. Apple’s amazing capabilities make the iPad attractive for anyone interested in downloading ebooks. iPad owners essentially get the full experience of reading a real book with a futuristic touch to it.

While many skeptics aren’t quite sure that the Apple iPad will kill all eBook sales, some think that a lot of gadget enthusiasts will find it completely acceptable and as eBook reader adoption still remains relatively low the iPad could actually encourage eBook reading the same way the iPhone encouraged mobile applications and mobile internet browsing. With the iPad costing about $500 (U.S.), purchasing each individual media book can seem expensive, especially at the cost of $12 to $14 separately for downloading ebooks. iPad owners have already forked over enough money for their gadget, isn’t there a simpler solution for downloading ebooks for the iPad?

Considering the fact that the Apple iPad is still extremely new to the worldwide electronic gadget market, there are currently not many alternatives for downloading ebooks. iPad users will probably find themselves mainly browsing the Apple iBookstore for their media choices.

Despite the Apple iPad’s newness to the market, there are some companies jumping on the ebook reader bandwagon and taking advantage of Apple’s innovative new gadget for downloading ebooks. iPad users can become members of a fantastic multimedia service that specializes in eBooks, novels, newspapers, comic books, and other types of media made especially for the Apple iPad. The best part about it is that it requires no monthly fees nor individual payments for eBooks like the Apple iBookstore requires. iPad owners can literally download an unlimited hundreds and hundreds of ebooks and media.

Interested? This is one heck of a great service for downloading eBooks. iPad users can get more information by visiting www.iPadMediaDownloads.com.

Manuel