Kindle anyone?

[HighTechRedneck]

Several of my friends have Kindles and really like them.  Then I saw an article recently that suggested Kindles and similar devices may render book stores obsolete one day.  Got me to thinking about adding it as a distribution method for BCM, so as usual I wanted to do a market check here first.

Please answer the poll above and if you have any personal experiences with Kindles please share them in a reply.

For those saying to themselves "What in the world is a Kindle?":
http://www.amazon.com/Kindle-Wireless-Reader-Wifi-Graphite/dp/B002Y27P3M

Thanks,
Mike

[usbusin]

Mike,

We just received our second Kindle today.  Now my wife and I each have one.  We like them very much and are reading the old classics. Kindle has thousands of the classics for free!  I also use mine for Bible study with the ESV Bible version I bought from Crossway.org.

 

[Jeremy]

Unless you are specifically wanting to distribute BCM through the Amazon website (and pay them for the privilege) then a non-proprietary ebook format would probably make a lot more sense.

But then why are you looking at ebook formats at all? Magazines have a lot of colour for a start, so a platform-independent digital magazine format is likely to be much more appropriate than restricting yourself to (for instance) the Kindle, which can only display in black-and-white. And then there's all sorts of other features available using a digital magazine (rather than ebook) format - such as the ability to have video and sound embedded into the pages, plus all sorts of interactive functionality (surveys, forums, competitions etc etc). Plus interactive display adverts of course - up to and including full ecommerce functionality right from the advert. Great opportunities for selling more ad space.

There are lots of companies offering free or low-cost digital publishing services now - just start with the basic Flash page-flippers (created from PDFs you will already have), and add sophistication if and when you want it.

Jeremy

[HighTechRedneck]

Jeremy,  Kindles and Nook's are a specific device that people are buying, for books and now periodical's too. The screen is easy to read even in bright sunlight.  They are very light weight (about 8oz I think) and can go a month or longer between battery charging depending on use of wifi or 3G wireless.  The concept is that it is a very mobile reader that they can take virtually anywhere and have access to all their reading materials.

The issue of color content is a strong one.  Kindle's are currently only black & white.  Our content includes many photos and although the Kindle would deliver them sharp and clear, it would not be in color.

We are also looking at options to publish it in formats for iPad and other tablet devices.  This initiative isn't about replacing other formats in existing media, but rather introducing new formats for popular new media devices that people are starting to use.

Strictly for reading on their desktop or laptop computer, I think most folks are pretty content with our existing PDF approach.

[Jeremy]

If the Kindle idea is just one of various digital versions you will offer, then that makes perfect sense. If it was to be the only digital version, or the only version for mobile devices, then it probably wouldn't be the best choice.

Regarding the PDFs - dead easy to distribute and completely platform independent, so ideal for digital magazines at first sight. Unfortunately there's no form of PDF security which isn't laughably easy to break, so there's nothing to stop all your nice paid-for content being copied and re-distributed for free.

Jeremy

[AC MC9]

Hello Everyone,

Now I do not have a Kindle, but do have a Kobo and love using it. Now I know the display is only in black and white and BCM has lots of colour (which I do like), however, for me it would be great to be able to read the BCM while on a plane even in black and white. I do get the electronic version of the magazine and enjoy reading it on my lap top, but after using the Kobo I really enjoy the compact nature of the ebook readers. I for one would like to get the option to read BCM on an ebook reader (Kindle, Kobo, Sony, etc.) as well as on the computer.

Just my thoughts on this subject.

Arsenio

[luvrbus]

Ok guys educate me here my wife does the Ebook and Kindle thing on her I Pad and I see color on it 

good luck

[HighTechRedneck]

Clifford,  the iPad is much more of a "computer" and it has a backlit very high quality color screen.  The Kindle is basically just for reading books, periodicals, newsletters and blogs that are downloaded into it.  It has black and white environmentally lit screen. 

The difference in lighting methods is what makes the Kindle fully readable in bright light.  iPads and all tablet PC's that I know of, as well as iPhones and all other "smart phones" use a back light and become harder to read in bright room or sun light.  The lack of a back light also contributes to its long battery run time.

There is a Kindle app that lets you read Kindle content on an iPad.  But a Kindle or similar is not able to run apps like iPad's and similar.

[Jeremy]

The display technology used in Kindles is fundamentally different to laptops & tablets etc; it's called Electronic Ink, and works by having tiny black particles suspended in a liquid, which either move up to the surface to be seen, or sink down into the liquid to disappear. Because the system uses physical particles the effect is more 'real' (closer to actual paper), but unfortunately is restricted to being just black-and-white. There are already versions of the technology which can incorporate full colour into the background (ie, the 'paper'), but the 'ink' itself is still black only.

Jeremy

[NEO/Russ]

I have a Kindle free download on my laptop.  I don't want another gadget to tote around, because the laptop does everything I need.  If you changed distribution would the result work on this software?  If it does then it would work on desktops, laptops and the other "kids toys" on the market. 

[HighTechRedneck]

If you changed distribution would the result work on this software?  If it does then it would work on desktops, laptops and the other "kids toys" on the market.  

If we do come out with this option, it would not be replacing the existing Online/Email Editions, it would simply be another option for readers to obtain it

... but unfortunately is restricted to being just black-and-white. There are already versions of the technology which can incorporate full colour into the background (ie, the 'paper'), but the 'ink' itself is still black only.

That is true for now.  But I would bet that technology will progress just like LCD did.  Remember, it started out only as black on gray.  At the time it was ok for watches, clocks, calculators, etc. but we never guessed it would lead to the brilliant color screens on computers and televisions that exist today.