Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

Before we jump into reviewing vooks let’s quickly go over what a Vook is -

A Vook is basically a video-book that is 40% video, 40% book and 20% of social networking. There are 4 views -

1. Watch View is videos, approximately one per chapter, that go with the story. You can pull down a layer with the vook text and read while watching the video.
2. Mix View is videos in between the text, just as you would have on a webpage.  
3. Read View is just text.
4. The Social View is something else – there’s a Twitter Stream, ability to post comments, share on Facebook. There’s also information on the author, filmmaker, cast and weblinks.

There are also two good usability options -

1. Change the Font Size.
2. Full Screen Mode.

 It’s definitely different from a book.

Let’s quickly review the 4 vooks that have been released (review copies courtesy Maria at Vook.com).

Promises – A Romance Vook

The video-book integration works really well here.

1. The first video is interesting and the videos in general are well done.
2. The layout is well done and its easy switching between videos and text.  You can read while watching video too.
3. I thought the writing was ok – However, it’s my first romance novel so no idea what’s considered good.  

Would be cool if some romance novel readers chimed in with their feelings.

Score: 8 stars out of 10.

The 90 second fitness solution – Exercise Vook

The intro video is good. The target demographic is women too busy to exercise so it’s not exactly for me.

This perhaps isn’t the best example of a Vook – It’s more like an exercise manual with a few introduction videos and videos for the exercises.

Score: Incomplete.

Return to Beauty – Natural Beauty Vook

If you’re getting the feeling Vook are targeting women you’re not the only one.

1. The first video is cool - a really good introduction.  
2. The concept of the book is pretty cool and the Vook format is ideally suited to it.
3. Not sure why the fitness vook didn’t impress me and this one really does.
4. The videos could have been longer.
5. There are a ton of recipes and ones for each season.
6. This definitely feels like a product I’d pay $6.99 for – well if there was one tailored to men or to health remedies.
7. Do read the last chapter for a home made facial.

Score: 10 out of 10.

This definitely made me feel Vooks have a future.

Embassy – Thriller Vook

Was looking forward to this one and it was worth the time. Its the only one watched in its entirety and here are my thoughts –   

1. The first video is great – love the boots.
2. The hostage in the second video is the most unconvincing hostage ever – Am I going to be on a hostage video? Let me slip into my argyle sweater. It doesn’t help that she looks as if she just spent an hour doing make-up. 
3. It’s a bit confusing - in the flow of reading its difficult to remember to watch the videos.  
4. The plot was just a little too unbelievable – however it kept moving.
5. Definitely worth the time. Is it worth $7? perhaps.

Score: 7 out of 10. Perhaps an 8.

Overall – Vook Review

Movies work. Books work. Will Vooks work?

Based on these 4 Vooks it certainly seems like they might.

Factors working against Vooks -

1. You have to bring together a really good writer, a really good filmmaker and get them on the same page. It just makes things tougher by a factor of 10.
2. If the writing or the movie outshines the other it kills the balance – in the thriller vook the writing is better than the videos (for example, they re-use a police scene).
3. It really is a big, ambitious leap and pretty high risk. 
4. Seems like creating high quality vooks would be very expensive.
5. The Social part isn’t really well designed.

The factors working for Vooks are -

1. A lot of people are much more used to TV and movies and not really having to use their imagination and Vooks will appeal to them. 
2. You can trigger a lot more senses.
3. If used correctly the switches between film and text can be used to create a lot of impact and even to incorporate twists.
4. It allows creators a ton of freedom.
5. The social aspect, when it’s hammered out (perhaps by using something like Google Wave), could help create much stronger connections with readers/viewers.

Overall though, Vook are definitely onto something. Apple have also been pushing something similar to Vooks (basically there are some Apple designers helping out a Vook like project) and some writers have been trying out their own Vook like creations. 

Kudos to Vook for going all out and starting a company that does nothing except create Vooks. There’s a definite future here.

Filed under: content, evolution