Amazon is a fascinating company. They clearly strive to be the market leader wherever they can, but they do so by convincing customers to vote with their wallets. Amazon.com isn’t the flashiest e-commerce site out there and the Kindle isn’t winning any beauty pageants, but what makes them popular are prices and service. It has made Amazon some enemies, but offer up the right experience and the customers come running.
One of the ways Amazon has pushed this is through their wide-reaching ecosystem, from mobile Amazon.com applications to Kindle apps on every major smartphone platform. Of course, just a few weeks ago Apple cut the Kindle app off at the knees (along with all the other ebookstores) by removing all store links and references to the parent stores. No one’s quite sure what to make of that move, and what it means for the future of ebook readers in iOS, but Amazon isn’t waiting to find out!
True to their “impress the customer, own the world” strategy, Amazon has already found a way around the iOS limitations. They’ve rolled out Amazon Kindle “Cloud Reader”, an HTML5 version of Kindle that can be read in web browsers and…the iPad. You can enable offline viewing, browse your library, and yes, shop in the Kindle store. All without interference from Apple, Google, or anyone who holds the reins to a mobile operating system. It’s a brilliant end-run, not only around Apple’s rules but also the competition. Kobo has said they’re working on a similar concept for their library, and Google Books is already very cloud-dependent. But Amazon landed first, with a big splash and an innocent purpose. After all, it’s just Kindle for web browsers…that just so happens to cut Apple out of the equation entirely.
More importantly, though, how does it work? I don’t have an iPad, but I did test it on my CR-48 Chromebook. While I haven’t had a lot of time with it, overall the execution seems excellent. Book covers are showcased in library view, everything moved very quickly, and opening and browsing through a book downloaded it for offline access seamlessly. Personally, I feel that I won’t use this often on my CR-48. I’m just not a big fan of reading books on a computer. However, on a tablet, assuming this looks the same, it’s almost exactly like a regular app. I think the average person won’t be able to tell the difference, and that’s what makes this such a powerful tool for Amazon.
Check out Amazon’s full press release below, and let us know in the comments if you’ve had the chance to play around with Cloud Reader!
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| Introducing Kindle Cloud Reader |
SEATTLE, Aug 10, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) — (NASDAQ: AMZN) – For over two years, Amazon has been offering a wide selection of free Kindle reading apps that enable customers to “Buy Once, Read Everywhere.” Customers can already read Kindle books on the largest number of the most popular devices and platforms, including Kindles, iPads, iPhones, iPod touches, PCs, Macs, Android phones and tablets, and BlackBerrys. Today, Amazon.com announced Kindle Cloud Reader, its latest Kindle reading application that leverages HTML5 and enables customers to read Kindle books instantly using only their web browser – online or offline – with no downloading or installation required. As with all Kindle apps, Kindle Cloud Reader automatically synchronizes your Kindle library, as well as your last page read, bookmarks, notes, and highlights for all of your Kindle books, no matter how you choose to read them. Kindle Cloud Reader with its integrated touch optimized Kindle Store is available starting today for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome at http://www.amazon.com/cloudreader.”We are excited to take this leap forward in our ‘Buy Once, Read Everywhere’ mission and help customers access their library instantly from anywhere,” said Dorothy Nicholls, Director, Amazon Kindle. “We have written the application from the ground up in HTML5, so that customers can also access their content offline directly from their browser. The flexibility of HTML5 allows us to build one application that automatically adapts to the platform you’re using – from Chrome to iOS. To make it easy and seamless to discover new books, we’ve added an integrated, touch optimized store directly into Cloud Reader, allowing customers one click access to a vast selection of books.” Features of Kindle Cloud Reader include:
Kindle Cloud Reader is available for Safari on iPad, Safari on desktop and Chrome starting today. Kindle Cloud Reader on the iPad is optimized for the size and unique touch interface of iPad. Without even leaving the app, customers can start shopping in the Kindle Store and will find a unique and immersive shopping experience built specifically for iPad’s Safari browser. Kindle Cloud Reader will be available on additional web browsers, including Internet Explorer, Firefox, the BlackBerry PlayBook browser, and other mobile browsers, in the coming months. Amazon.com customers can start reading their Kindle books immediately using Kindle Cloud Reader athttp://www.amazon.com/cloudreader. About Amazon.com Amazon.com, Inc. (NASDAQ: AMZN), a Fortune 500 company based in Seattle, opened on the World Wide Web in July 1995 and today offers Earth’s Biggest Selection. Amazon.com, Inc. seeks to be Earth’s most customer-centric company, where customers can find and discover anything they might want to buy online, and endeavors to offer its customers the lowest possible prices. Amazon.com and other sellers offer millions of unique new, refurbished and used items in categories such as Books; Movies, Music & Games; Digital Downloads; Electronics & Computers; Home & Garden; Toys, Kids & Baby; Grocery; Apparel, Shoes & Jewelry; Health & Beauty; Sports & Outdoors; and Tools, Auto & Industrial. Amazon Web Services provides Amazon’s developer customers with access to in-the-cloud infrastructure services based on Amazon’s own back-end technology platform, which developers can use to enable virtually any type of business. Kindle, Kindle 3G, Kindle with Special Offers, Kindle 3G with Special Offers and Kindle DX are the revolutionary portable readers that wirelessly download books, magazines, newspapers, blogs and personal documents to a crisp, high-resolution electronic ink display that looks and reads like real paper. Kindle 3G, Kindle 3G with Special Offers and Kindle DX utilize the same 3G wireless technology as advanced cell phones, so users never need to hunt for a Wi-Fi hotspot. Kindle is the #1 bestselling product across the millions of items sold on Amazon. Amazon and its affiliates operate websites, including http://www.amazon.com, http://www.amazon.co.uk,http://www.amazon.de, http://www.amazon.co.jp, http://www.amazon.fr, http://www.amazon.ca,http://www.amazon.cn, and http://www.amazon.it. As used herein, “Amazon.com,” “we,” “our” and similar terms include Amazon.com, Inc., and its subsidiaries, unless the context indicates otherwise. Forward-Looking Statements This announcement contains forward-looking statements within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933 and Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934. Actual results may differ significantly from management’s expectations. These forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties that include, among others, risks related to competition, management of growth, new products, services and technologies, potential fluctuations in operating results, international expansion, outcomes of legal proceedings and claims, fulfillment center optimization, seasonality, commercial agreements, acquisitions and strategic transactions, foreign exchange rates, system interruption, inventory, government regulation and taxation, payments and fraud. More information about factors that potentially could affect Amazon.com’s financial results is included in Amazon.com’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including its most recent Annual Report on Form 10-K and subsequent filings. SOURCE: Amazon.com, Inc. |
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