January 4, 2008

In a scathing (yet hilarious) review of the Kindle, Robert Scoble - a former technical evangelist at Microsoft - states the following:

1. I want to meet the guy who designed the thing, and I want to beat the crap out of him.
2. It’s obvious they did not think about how the device was going to be used.
3. Amazon is a “cheap-ass company”.
4. In conclusion, “It really sucks.”

I take it he doesn’t like the Kindle device, fundamentally I think he is wrong, Kindle can be a success and whilst the Kindle does have its flaws, it certainly is not going to be a failure. Here are the 6 major criticisms of the Kindle Scoble cites;

1. No ability to buy paper goods from Amazon through Kindle.
2. Usability sucks. They didn’t think about how people would hold this device.
3. UI sucks. Menus? Did they hire some out-of-work Microsoft employees?
4. No ability to send electronic goods to anyone else. I know Mike Arrington has one. I wanted to send him a gift through this of Alan Greenspan’s new book. I couldn’t. That’s lame.
5. No social network. Why don’t I have a list of all my friends who also have Kindles and let them see what I’m reading?
6. No touch screen. The iPhone has taught everyone that I’ve shown this to that screens are meant to be touched. Yet we’re stuck with a silly navigation system because the screen isn’t touchable.

Now as far as I can tell, Scoble has 3 problems with the Kindle - Social Networking, eCommerce, and Usability. The usability seems fine to me on the Kindle, it takes about 30 seconds to figure out how to use the device and then it becomes second nature and most reviews have had a similar experience. In my opinion social networking has no place in a eBook device so that’s a moot point, however the ability to share your profile for thing like a book club might be something worth looking into. And finally eCommerce, the Kindle is a eBooks reader, not a supermarket! who wants to buy a toaster or mountain bike through a Kindle? I certainly don’t want to, I want to buy books and read on my Kindle. If I want to buy anything else, I will log into Amazon.com and purchase my goods that way. However, Scoble does have some valid points so the review is watching even if it it just to watch Scoble lose it.

You can check out the Videos here:

Amazon Kindle video #1. Unboxing.
Amazon Kindle video #2. Kindle first use.
Amazon Kindle video #3. Walking around with Kindle.
Amazon Kindle video #4. Mike Arrington on Kindle.
Amazon Kindle video #5. Books vs. Kindle
Amazon Kindle video #6. Me being a total jerk to Amazon.
Amazon Kindle video #7 (Interview at SF State University).

Source: Scobleizer

Amazon has just added two more newspapers to the selection of available newspapers, they are: Les Echos and The Philadelphia Inquirer.

This brings the total number of newspapers on offer to 13 (unlucky for some, apparently not to Amazon!), the 13 newspapers are;

1. The New York Times
2. The Wall Street Journal
3. The Washington Post
4. Investor’s Business Daily
5. San Francisco Chronicle
6. San Jose Mercury News
7. The Seattle Times
8. The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
9. Le Monde
10. The Irish Times
11. Frankfurter Allgemeine
12. Les Echos
13. The Philadelphia Inquirer

I would personally like to see The Finiancial Times and The Los Angeles Times on the list. I really do hope that newspapers jump onto the Kindle, as traditional newspapers continue to lose circulation, Kindle might solve a few problems. Be sure to check out the links and sign up for your 14 days free trail. Which newspapers would you like to see on your Kindle?

Les Echos (Kindle Edition)

Les Echos is France’s preeminent financial daily, and covers all subjects relating to the economy and the business world at large. Available in the French language and organized into two sections of macro and micro economics, Les Echos also features property market developments, industry & technology, financial analysis and share tips, personal finance information, and lifestyle news.

The Philadelphia Inquirer (Kindle Edition)

Whether it’s local headlines, sports scores, arts, business, or travel and leisure information, read The Philadelphia Inquirer to find out what’s happening in the City of Brotherly Love. In addition to local fare, the major world news stories of the day are also featured.

The Kindle Edition of The Philadelphia Inquirer contains most articles found in the print edition, but will not include all images and tables. Also, some features such as the crossword puzzle, box scores and classifieds are not currently available. For your convenience, issues are automatically delivered wirelessly to your Kindle so you can read them each morning.

Thanks to Kindle Reader for the heads up.

Source: Amazon Kindle Newspapers, Kindle Reader