Amazon.com Gears for Battle
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The Kindle devices offer a free 3G connection, and Squali said he believes
the line will see further price reductions to differentiate it from Apple's
offering. "An equivalent functionality on iPad requires users to pay an
additional $120 for a 3G modem and $30 per month subscription for unlimited 3G
access," he wrote, "a price point that may not be compelling to users
who want a dedicated, simple reading device."
In the weeks before Apple unveiled the iPad, Amazon.com seemed to be taking
steps to make the Kindle line more appealing to a broader audience of readers
and developers. On Jan. 15, the retailer announced that it would allow authors
and publishers to upload and sell books in English, German and French in the
Kindle Store via its self-service Kindle Digital Text Platform, an expansion of
a program previously limited to authors and publishers in the United
States.
Days previously, it announced that the widescreen Kindle DX would allow readers to download e-books and other content in over 100 countries.
But the surest sign that Amazon.com was positioning itself for a broader
competitive battle came on Jan. 21, when the company revealed an SDK
(software development kit) for the Kindle that would allow developers to
build active content that makes use of the device's 3G wireless delivery,
high-resolution electronic paper display and long battery life.
The Kindle Development Kit included sample code, documentation and a Kindle
Simulator, which helps developers build and test content by simulating a 6-inch
Kindle or 9.7-inch Kindle DX on Mac, PC and Linux desktops. At the time of the
announcement, EA Mobile announced that it would help bring games to the device.
Apple has also been encouraging developers to begin constructing iPad
applications with the new iPhone SDK 3.2 beta. That SDK includes an iPad
Programming Guide, iPad Human Interface Guidelines and iPad Sample Code. In
doing so, Apple seems to desire a repeat of what happened with the iPhone,
where throwing the App Store open to third-party developers led to an
exponential proliferation in the number of available programs.
As with the iPhone, it may take some time for the iPad's fate on the
marketplace to fully play out. Whether or not Apple's device-not to mention
other tablet PCs-eventually begins to affect the e-reader market, and Amazon.com's
share of it, in a substantial way, it certainly seems that Amazon.com is
anticipating that eventuality.
Days previously, it announced that the widescreen Kindle DX would allow readers to download e-books and other content in over 100 countries.
