Friday, November 28, 2008

Amazon eBook Rentals?!

Amazon to Sell Online Mobile Rentals??
Has the Kindle 2 release been delayed for commercial, technical or strategic reasons? Why would Amazon miss out on the Christmas season sales?

Perhaps the answer is down to a change in strategy. Perhaps the explosion of smartphone applications has fired a shot across their bow and woken them up to the fact that maybe; just maybe, the kindle isn’t and never will be sexy or cover all the bases. No matter how many Ophra endorsements are given it’s still a clunky device which will find it hard justify the consumer investment. Maybe Amazon has realized that if there is a significant mobile swing and the world goes online as opposed to offline they are in a better position than anybody to take that market, or at least go head to head with the potentially biggest ebook retailer – Google.

Let’s step back and look at potential Amazonian moves. These may be far from the reality of what happens but they could happen:

Amazon introduces a Kindle mobile application for the major mobile platforms.

Amazon promotes an online book service based on their mobi format.

Amazon smartens up the Kindle reader and make it interoperable with the online service.

Amazon offers online rentals for both kindle and mobiles.

He's not the first to wonder about a Kindle reading app for cellphones. But he's speculated several puzzle pieces others haven't.

A move like this would be positively ... Microsoftian.

Suddenly, the Sony Reader -- and all others -- would be stranded.

Words that strike fear into everyone's hearts: Kindle eBook Reader for iPhone!

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