There Is No “Kindle Killer”
It seems with every new generation of technology, there’s a standout product – the iPod, for example – that other companies attempt to recreate. Each of these recreations may be called the “killer” of this new product. We’ve been hearing “iPhone killer” and “iPod killer” for a while now.
Ever since the launch of the Kindle, analysts and tech writers have been spouting off about the next “Kindle killer.” Funny thing is, Kindle wasn’t the first or necessarily the best e-reader. It was just the first to provide content delivery in a manner in which consumers wanted. It’s hard to kill something that’s not necessarily the market leader.
A new article on Bloomberg.com written by Scott Anthony talks about the myth of the so-called Kindle killer. It discusses the missteps Sony has made with their e-readers (and other gadgets) over the years and applauds Amazon’s business model for the Kindle. Amazon got one spectacular thing right – being able to buy books from the device and have them download in seconds was the “killer app” of the e-reader industry.
Sony will finally release an e-reader with wireless download capability later this year. Of course, the cries of “Kindle killer” have already started, but Anthony says it’s not necessarily so:
Will it “kill the Kindle?” Who cares. Remember, the e-reader category is still in its infancy. Analysts estimate that only three million devices will have been sold by the end of 2009. Other companies like Plastic Logic have plans to introduce devices; everyone expects that Apple will jump into the market as well. Amazon surely has more innovations up its sleeve.
It’s possible that an overwhelming winner will emerge over time, but it’s equally possible that the category will be big enough to support a number of players.
This is a sentiment I’ve felt ever since first hearing the term Kindle killer. While other companies can release similar products and one may be superior to the Kindle, that doesn’t mean all the current Kindle owners are going to drop theirs and rush to the new company. Nor does it mean that consumers will stop buying the Kindle. Amazon’s brand loyalty must carry some weight, at least.
What would it take for you to switch from your Kindle to a different e-reader?
Other Posts of Interest:
- Amazon Releases Kindle Source Code
- Sony To Release E-reader of Sorts for PSP
- Kindle DX Has Release Date
- Asus to Release Dual-Screen E-Reader Under $200
- Sony E-Reader Being Sold at Target
2 Responses to “There Is No “Kindle Killer””
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I think the Kindle (Kindle 2, or even the DX) is still version 1.0 of what an electronic reader can be. What would it take to switch?
1. Importing/access to already purchased Kindle material (don’t want to have to carry around 2 devices, or worse, repurchase material).
2. Significantly “more”. Not sure more memory is important, but faster screen refresh, improved readibility, lighting, increased battery life, better browser…
I think that, like any other electronic device, my Kindle 2 won’t be the last electronic reader I buy. I certainly would be more predisposed to staying with Kindle if the devices they come up with are along the lines of the items above.
Thanks for your comment, LEJ.
I wanted to address your first point – you actually can import previous purchases to a new device. See previous post on how to do so. You can also sync content between Kindles so you always have your place saved. For instance, if you have a DX for reading newspapers and a Kindle 2 for reading books, plus the iPhone App, you can share a book across all three and always start where you left off.