Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

This Kindle Vs Skiff Review is more of a preview – it’s an early comparison of the strategies Amazon and Hearst are using.

Hearst’s Skiff Reader will not be released until sometime in 2010 and no one knows what it looks like or what feature set it will have. Hearst have, however, discussed their motivation to release the Skiff and a lot of their strategy which lets us compare the Skiff with the Kindle.

Kindle Vs Skiff – Key Focus and Aims

Skiff is focused on Newspapers and Magazines and dreamt up by Publishers for Publishers

Skiff’s focus is a function of the fact that it’s created by Hearst.

The Skiff is all about how to make magazines and newspapers look good and how to help Publishers maintain control over their pipeline. That means there are two components -

1. A storefront and channel that plugs-in to various other channels i.e. iPhone, netbooks, eReaders. This is Publishers being suppliers.  
2. Publishers’ own channel – the Skiff Reader. This gives Publishers a channel they control and also a bargaining chip.

It’s a relief to find out that Hearst have signed up with Nextel for wireless deliveries.

There’s also a back-end to the Skiff service that will attempt to make adding content easy for Publishers.

Kindle is for reading books and envisioned as a platform for all of Publishing

Mr. Bezos and Amazon have been very clear about the aim for the Kindle -

Every book ever published in any language on your Kindle in 60 seconds.

The Kindle is about reading and books and focused on long form reading – the downside is it is not optimized for newspapers and magazines.

Amazon have been focused on making the Kindle a compelling service and a platform for all of Publishing -

1. That means there is a lot of value in addition to the eReader.
2. The focus on building a platform and an ecosystem gives the Kindle advantages such as a more integrated user experience and disadvantages such as less openness.

The Kindle is basically rethinking Publishing while the Skiff is trying to use technology to strengthen the current status quo.

Kindle Vs Skiff - Skiff Advantages

This is a very initial assessment – a lot of this might change.

1. Skiff Reader will retail in Nextel stores.
2. Better for newspapers and magazines. Kindle is better for long-form reading like books.
3. Might get a lot of support from newspapers and magazines meaning much more range.  
4. If Hearst’s claims of Skiff being optimized for Publishers is right that might translate into some efficiencies.
5. The optimization and lack of other companies being involved might mean lower prices.

At this point we know little about the actual Skiff Reader itself -

1. Will Sprint offer free Internet?
2. What technology will the Skiff have?
3. Will the Skiff have a killer feature like InstaPaper integration or an app store?
4. How compelling will the subscription options be?

The answers to these questions will determine the Skiff Reader’s chances against the Kindle and Nook. The Skiff might even surprise us with some next generation feature like color eInk.

Kindle vs Skiff – Kindle Advantages

Again, this is all preliminary -

1. Kindle will almost certainly be better for books. Whether its a focus on reading or features like Free Wikipedia and Free Internet for reference, the Kindle makes reading books better.
2. Kindle ought to have a wider range of books although it might lose to Skiff in terms of range of periodicals.
3. Kindle is great for self-publishing and Skiff almost certainly will leave out the independents.
4. Kindle might do a better job on cutting prices and delivering value for money. With the Skiff you might end up subsidizing inefficient newsrooms and Sprint’s store staff.

At this point it’s hard to say what other advantages Kindle will have – there’s a chance Skiff doesn’t include free Internet access and features like WhisperSync. It’ll almost certainly not be an international release.

The biggest wild card is Kindle 3 - Will Amazon completely change the game with Kindle 3?

Excited about Kindle Vs Skiff

Have to admit am pretty excited about the competition between Skiff and the Kindle and Nook – Kindle Vs Nook led to a lot of great improvements for both sets of owners. Skiff will hopefully pioneer a few ground breaking features and force the Kindle and the Nook and Sony Reader to improve.

The Kindle and Sony Reader and Nook may also benefit a lot from the Skiff if a repeat of Kindle Vs Nook happens i.e. Hearst announce their strategy well in advance (which they sort of have) and reveal their product details and killer features well in advance.

Here’s to hoping Kindle Vs Skiff Vs Nook Vs Sony Reader turns into a huge step forward for eReaders and readers.

Filed under: eBook Reader Devices, kindle Tagged: | kindle vs skiff, skiff reader