Comments on: Kindle 2 announced – Whispersync is what everyone should be excited about http://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/ Everyone can understand technology; sometimes it just takes a little translating. Wed, 15 Feb 2012 02:34:00 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: Philippe Radleyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42185 Philippe Radley Tue, 10 Feb 2009 19:32:17 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42185 Wayne, Whispersync is to be used by Amazon as a monitoring device, to check on everything you are reading, including books downloaded elsewhere. Do you really want that? I don't. Wayne, Whispersync is to be used by Amazon as a monitoring device, to check on everything you are reading, including books downloaded elsewhere. Do you really want that? I don't.

]]> By: cgavulahttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42171 cgavula Tue, 10 Feb 2009 02:20:11 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42171 I'm not even sure if I care about Whispersync. To me the whole mess is another proprietary format (sort of ) and another proprietary mechanism for delivery. These proprietary answers are part of what's held ebooks, etc. back so far. It wasn't until there was a standards-based answer (MP3 / AAC) that online music took off and even then it took a while. There's no such answer for books and the market's lagged. There's no such answer for movies (but there are some runner-ups) and the market's lagged. As long as there is no industry-wide (or de facto) standard, the market will remain fractured and siloed and have a difficult time moving forward. Perhaps Amazon is big enough to be the one to pull it off - perhaps not. They haven't managed to wrest the music business away from Apple yet, after all. AS you mention, Wayne, it will still take some time for all this to pan out and for us to see where this will actually lead. But for now, I'm still not interested in the Kindle or it's technologies. I'm not even sure if I care about Whispersync. To me the whole mess is another proprietary format (sort of ) and another proprietary mechanism for delivery. These proprietary answers are part of what's held ebooks, etc. back so far.

It wasn't until there was a standards-based answer (MP3 / AAC) that online music took off and even then it took a while. There's no such answer for books and the market's lagged. There's no such answer for movies (but there are some runner-ups) and the market's lagged.

As long as there is no industry-wide (or de facto) standard, the market will remain fractured and siloed and have a difficult time moving forward. Perhaps Amazon is big enough to be the one to pull it off – perhaps not. They haven't managed to wrest the music business away from Apple yet, after all.

AS you mention, Wayne, it will still take some time for all this to pan out and for us to see where this will actually lead. But for now, I'm still not interested in the Kindle or it's technologies.

]]> By: gorkonhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42168 gorkon Mon, 09 Feb 2009 20:00:38 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42168 Whispersync.....I like the idea of using a GPS not just for location specific ads, but how about when your visiting a city? Let me explain.....say a bunch of newspapers make their content available on the kindle and you have ONE price and when your in say Phoenix, you get the local Phoenix News Paper. When your in Columbus, you get the Columbus Dispatch. That's where it would be useful. I always look at the local paper if the hotel I am at gives me one. It's interesting reading the local content. Whispersync…..I like the idea of using a GPS not just for location specific ads, but how about when your visiting a city? Let me explain…..say a bunch of newspapers make their content available on the kindle and you have ONE price and when your in say Phoenix, you get the local Phoenix News Paper. When your in Columbus, you get the Columbus Dispatch. That's where it would be useful. I always look at the local paper if the hotel I am at gives me one. It's interesting reading the local content.

]]> By: Wayne Schulzhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42167 Wayne Schulz Mon, 09 Feb 2009 18:33:01 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42167 Once the reviews are in I think people will: 1 Ridicule this for the huge bezel - that wide border has got to be a joke, right? .... anyone yet pointing out that this beast doesn't have a touch screen to flip pages 2. Price .... $359 is too much money - hey Amazon did you notice that the price of every other consumer device is headed in one decided direction 3. Not different enough from v1 Kindle .... I mean the design is just, so , Kindle-y 4. Lack of ability (still) to render images for newspapers/magazines ... I'm not sure on this one until I see more reviews -- but it seems like we just get more shades of (Y-A-W-N) gray... Once the reviews are in I think people will:

1 Ridicule this for the huge bezel – that wide border has got to be a joke, right?

…. anyone yet pointing out that this beast doesn't have a touch screen to flip pages

2. Price

…. $359 is too much money – hey Amazon did you notice that the price of every other consumer device is headed in one decided direction

3. Not different enough from v1 Kindle

…. I mean the design is just, so , Kindle-y

4. Lack of ability (still) to render images for newspapers/magazines

… I'm not sure on this one until I see more reviews — but it seems like we just get more shades of (Y-A-W-N) gray…

]]> By: peterfirthhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-69484 peterfirth Mon, 09 Feb 2009 17:30:32 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-69484 <span class="topsy_trackback_comment"><span class="topsy_twitter_username"><span class="topsy_trackback_content">If the Kindle WhisperSync does allow seamless sync between Kindle and mobile ... awesome http://snurl.com/bl11c</span></span> If the Kindle WhisperSync does allow seamless sync between Kindle and mobile … awesome http://snurl.com/bl11c

]]> By: Philippe Radleyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42165 Philippe Radley Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:43:34 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42165 I have used a Kindle for over a year, and I do read a lot. I find it convenient. Reading on an illuminated LCD screen is too much like looking at color slides and also uses much too much battery. My wife ordered a Kindle a few weeks ago, so she will get the new one. Whispernet is intriguing. My daughter already has a Kindle and all three will be on the same Amazon account so that we all have access to the same material. I like that the Kindle2 is thinner, but that's not enough to get me to switch. And I have a rule, which is that I keep any expensive electronic device for at least 2 years. I have used a Kindle for over a year, and I do read a lot. I find it convenient. Reading on an illuminated LCD screen is too much like looking at color slides and also uses much too much battery. My wife ordered a Kindle a few weeks ago, so she will get the new one. Whispernet is intriguing. My daughter already has a Kindle and all three will be on the same Amazon account so that we all have access to the same material. I like that the Kindle2 is thinner, but that's not enough to get me to switch. And I have a rule, which is that I keep any expensive electronic device for at least 2 years.

]]> By: Carlyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42163 Carly Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:32:19 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42163 Here's the thing: I think it's a poor argument to compare a Kindle to a netbook. Hell, I think it is a stretch to compare it to an iPod touch or a PDA. It exists to aggregate all your reading material into one place. The screen is designed for long reading without glare...I can and have read for hours on my Kindle. Agreed on not getting the "gotta upgrade" urge...my original Kindle works great. But I could definitely see the better design attracting people who might not have otherwise bought one...my girlfriend comes to mind as someone who would absolutely buy a nicer looking kindle (especially if she could get it in pink.) Greatest part about my Kindle: I've gone from a precarious pile of books on my nightstand to a tiny pile...for cost and convenience I always look for the Kindle version of a book first. Saving anywhere from $2.00-->$10.00 makes a HUGE difference in my budget and the number of books I can buy in a given month, plus I don't end up climbing over stacks to get to bed. Here's the thing: I think it's a poor argument to compare a Kindle to a netbook. Hell, I think it is a stretch to compare it to an iPod touch or a PDA. It exists to aggregate all your reading material into one place. The screen is designed for long reading without glare…I can and have read for hours on my Kindle.

Agreed on not getting the "gotta upgrade" urge…my original Kindle works great. But I could definitely see the better design attracting people who might not have otherwise bought one…my girlfriend comes to mind as someone who would absolutely buy a nicer looking kindle (especially if she could get it in pink.)

Greatest part about my Kindle: I've gone from a precarious pile of books on my nightstand to a tiny pile…for cost and convenience I always look for the Kindle version of a book first. Saving anywhere from $2.00–>$10.00 makes a HUGE difference in my budget and the number of books I can buy in a given month, plus I don't end up climbing over stacks to get to bed.

]]> By: Wayne Schulzhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42162 Wayne Schulz Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:21:04 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42162 I agree - in this economy the market for $359 eReaders is going to be limited to early adopters. We were just talking that there's still no color and it remains to be seen if the rendering of magazines will be any better. I have a Kindle 1 and am not getting that "gotta upgrade" urge. The pages on my Kindle 1 turn plenty fast. I am not sensing that I'd ever use the text to speech. Better battery life and screen contrast would probably be my key motivators if I'm to upgrade at all. Now you know me -- and that urge may come by the end of the day. However as I watched Engadget's live coverage -- I just didn't see anything (save for the long term potential of Whispersync) that was different enough that I felt I had to upgrade. And I'm a little curious how Whispersync initially is going to work. Surely they're not going to allow people to gift their old Kindle 1 to a relative who would then still be able to read the old content synchronized by Whispersync. I agree – in this economy the market for $359 eReaders is going to be limited to early adopters. We were just talking that there's still no color and it remains to be seen if the rendering of magazines will be any better.

I have a Kindle 1 and am not getting that "gotta upgrade" urge. The pages on my Kindle 1 turn plenty fast. I am not sensing that I'd ever use the text to speech. Better battery life and screen contrast would probably be my key motivators if I'm to upgrade at all.

Now you know me — and that urge may come by the end of the day. However as I watched Engadget's live coverage — I just didn't see anything (save for the long term potential of Whispersync) that was different enough that I felt I had to upgrade.

And I'm a little curious how Whispersync initially is going to work. Surely they're not going to allow people to gift their old Kindle 1 to a relative who would then still be able to read the old content synchronized by Whispersync.

]]> By: mchinskyhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42161 mchinsky Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:14:49 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42161 At $359/user this thing is a rip. You can get a full blown netbook for $300. That has a full color display and alot more. Apple could bang out a bigger version of the touch for that price or less. This thing does just one thing. I don't get it. Maybe I just don't read enough. At $359/user this thing is a rip. You can get a full blown netbook for $300. That has a full color display and alot more. Apple could bang out a bigger version of the touch for that price or less.

This thing does just one thing.

I don't get it. Maybe I just don't read enough.

]]> By: Wayne Schulzhttp://www.geardiary.com/2009/02/09/kindle-2-announced-whispersync-is-what-everyone-should-be-excited-about/#comment-42160 Wayne Schulz Mon, 09 Feb 2009 16:05:45 +0000 http://www.geardiary.com/?p=20909#comment-42160 Think about the market for sync for schools? How about if Amazon worked out a way to get dumb (read cheap) terminals to sync so that kids no longer had to carry 20 pounds of paper back and forth to school each day. This is still probably a year or two away but all the writing is on the wall that makes the environment ripe for this type of feature. Many newspapers are shutting or eliminating home delivery,. What better way to publish than an electronic delivery that cuts out enormous overhead costs of paper, delivery labor, etc... Will be interested to see if Whispersync develops farther than just a sync between Kindles. Think about the market for sync for schools? How about if Amazon worked out a way to get dumb (read cheap) terminals to sync so that kids no longer had to carry 20 pounds of paper back and forth to school each day.

This is still probably a year or two away but all the writing is on the wall that makes the environment ripe for this type of feature.

Many newspapers are shutting or eliminating home delivery,.

What better way to publish than an electronic delivery that cuts out enormous overhead costs of paper, delivery labor, etc…

Will be interested to see if Whispersync develops farther than just a sync between Kindles.

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