In Run-Up To Kindle Lending Program, Libraries Beef Up E-Book Offerings

http://paidcontent.org/article/419-in-run-up-to-kindle-lending-program-libraries-beef-up-e-book-offerings/

Good read.

Chromebooks

Chromebooks are very cool.  What do I like best?  I think it's the pricing.  The lease idea is very innovative as it the bundling with Verizon data.

$429 wifi, $499 with 3g.  The 3g version comes with 100Mb/mo of verizon wireless data — FOREVER!  No contract, no extra charge.

The leased versions are $20 to $28/mo and the EDU pricing includes google apps for my school.

Seems like a very hot ticket to me…

Apple vs Dell vs HP web pages

http://mrgan.tumblr.com/post/867437854/fish-in-a-barrel

I don’t want to be to much of a fanboy, but I have bias’s like everyone else.  Still putting bias’s away could anyone see anything good about the HP or Dell pages.

Kindle for PC

I got an e-mail about Kindle for PC.  I have the Kindle app on my iPhone and so I thought they would be taking advantage of the PC platform and doing something to really extend the range of the Kindle.

Fail.

I don't know why they even bothered.  It's just lame.  Basically 1/2 as much as a PDF reader.

It shows you a display just like on the Kindle resized to the PC screen size.  You get a NEXT, BACK and Table of Contents button AND THAT'S IT!  You don't even get the dictionary or Text To Speech functionality in the real Kindle.  It's adds nothing to the kindle experience except a low-fidelity clone of the actual device.

While it's true this was released before the iPad, but good grief -- didn't you consider: a two page view, touch support, dictionary support or (gasp!) a find feature.

A complete let down. 0.5 of 5 stars (it did not crash).

Dan

Kindle Milestone: Amazon Sold More Kindle Books Than Physical Books On Xmas

http://www.businessinsider.com/henry-blodget-kindle-milestone-amazon-sold-more-ebooks-than-physical-books-on-xmas-2009-12?mobile=1

Liars can figure and figures can lie.

The headline is all over the web, but does it mean anything?  I don't think many people are buying physical books on Christmas day (it might be one of the slowest days of the year), but a lot of people powered up their new Kindle...

The more interesting thing in this article is:

The Kindle's economics are still lousy for Amazon: The company loses money on new releases and makes only a modest amount on older titles, thus losing an estimated $1 per Kindle book.

No idea if this is true.  Sad if it is.  The link in above is to:http://www.tbiresearch.com/e-readers-should-drive-profits-for-both-distributors-and-book-publishers-2009-11

Dan