We are seeing the beginnings of a Kindle Vs Apple Reader battle – the pipes and tubes of the Internet are abuzz with rumors that Apple has been approaching book publishers and promising a 70% cut.
Apple seem to have set their sights firmly on the Kindle and the associated revenue streams.
Amazon Kindle Vs Apple Reader – Is it going to be 2010′s main storyline?
Why would we think Kindle Vs Apple Reader even before the launch of Apple’s JesusTablet?
Because of two huge developments that might be linked -
Harper Collins, Hachette, Simon & Schuster start delaying eBook releases
First, we had Simon & Schuster talk about delaying some eBook releases by 3-4 months. Then Hachette jumped in.
Now, Crain’s New York reports that Harper Collins have jumped in too -
HarperCollins, which has already delayed the e-book of its No. 1 best seller Going Rogue, by Sarah Palin, will start to “window” e-book editions this winter, starting with five to 10 titles per month, a spokeswoman said.
HarperCollins also talk about releasing enhanced eBook editions that would be published at the same time as Hardcovers and priced the same i.e. hardcover prices.
Initially this seems to be all about Publishers trying to find ways to kill eReaders. However, consider the other big news this week.
Rumors of a $1,000 Apple Reader Tablet that gives Book Publishers 70%
This time it’s an analyst, Oppenheimer’s Yair Reiner, and he’s not shy about making big predictions -
- Apple is offering a 70% share to Publishers. Reiner goes as far as to say that Apple has been approaching US book publishers.
- Reiner thinks the Apple Reader Tablet will become Apple’s flagship product and will save the newspaper industry.
- Price point around $1,000.
- 10.1 inch touch screen - Low Temperature Polycrystalline Silicon LCD (like the iPhone).
- Apple will hit mass market production by February.
- A March or April release is possible.
- Reiner thinks Apple will be manufacturing 1 million Apple tablets a month.
One interesting tidbit is that Amazon offers publishers 50% and bumps it up to 70% if they give Amazon exclusivity.
All this is from Fortune via ZDNet.
Are the eBook delays and the Apple Reader release date linked?
Probably.
If Publishers feel they can promote the Apple’s Reader (aka JesusTablet) instead of the Kindle and get a 70% cut instead of a mere 50% cut, then their recent madness would make sense -
- Delay eBook releases and reduce the lead Amazon gets.
- Hold off on lots of eBook releases and bring them all out with the Apple Reader.
- Force Amazon to offer a 70% cut too.
Amazon is in trouble if this happens – they have to pay Publishers a cut and also have to pay for bandwidth. Apple, thanks to the data plans that customers sign up for with their 2 year contracts, don’t have any bandwidth costs.
What do you think - Could we be in for a big battle between Amazon’s Kindle and Apple’s iWhatever?
Is 2010 going to be all about Amazon Kindle Vs Apple Reader and Publishers?
While Kindle Vs Nook is the flavor of the month there is a very high chance that everything changes with the arrival of an Apple Reader.
Here are the competing storylines for 2010, the Year of the eReader,
- The Kindle being dominant.
- Kindle Vs Apple Reader.
- Kindle Vs Nook.
- Kindle Vs Apple Reader Vs Nook Vs Sony.
My money’s on it being all about Kindle Vs Apple Reader (with Publishers on Apple’s side).
- Nook is a solid entry – However, it has a lot of fixes and updates to do.
- Sony seem to have lost their way completely.
- The other new entrants don’t have enough trust with customers.
- That only leaves the Apple Reader and Publishers desperate to fight Amazon.
The delay in ebook prices and Apple’s imminent Reader Tablet make sense together.
2010 is going to be the year of the eReader – whoever wins the Kindle Vs Apple Reader battle is going to win the war.
Filed under: apple ibook reader Tagged: | kindle vs apple, kindle vs apple reader
I don’t get it. Is the AppleTablet going to be eInk or an equivalent? If not, I’m not interested in it for reading. The publishing companies waited too long to try these tactics, and I think there’s going to be backlash. Changing the release schedule _after_ getting the snowball that is eBook readers rolling is too late. People have already spent significant investments, and will expect to get new books in the same way.
I don’t want a physical book at all, I have too many shelves in my home as it is. Anytime I move, the books are the biggest hassle as I own literally hundreds of them. I won’t buy the hardbacks regardless. All the publishing companies are going to do is make me angry.
The Apple Tablet is rumored to use the same screen as the iPhone. It’s not eInk.
Apple wants to cater to other markets besides books.
Publishers want to get more of a cut and will try to talk away the reading difference between eInk and LCD.
It’ll be interesting to see whether people are going to buy the argument that LCD is as good for reading as eInk – Steve Jobs’ reality distortion field Vs people who read books.
Yea, I think this is another case of the “multi-purpose” device that will solve everything. I love my iPhone, but I only read on it when I get trapped in a line or something and I was not expecting to need my Kindle. Heck, the Kindle App was the reason I bought the thing (like you I now love it for a huge variety of reasons). That doesn’t mean I want to read on it for more than 15-20 minutes or so at a time.
I guess this is still readers versus casual readers. Unfortunately, I’m afraid that the publishing companies will cater to the wrong group.
I want everyone to get paid…it’s in my best interests as a voracious reader. I want my favorite writers to keep writing, and I want to find new favorite writers. Heck, I’m planning on replacing at least 50% of my physical books with eBooks. That’s new money. However, now I feel as if I should wait and make sure that the market shakes out properly. I thought I’d already waited long enough to do that (I just got my Kindle in July).
Yes, I agree. I still don’t understand all the fuss with the Apple Tablet. I actually thought the Apple Tablet was competing with the netbook (laptop) market rather than eReaders. Why would anyone want to read a book for hours on end on a LCD screen? And why would any consumer with an Apple iPhone want an Apple Tablet as well – yet another data plan? I agree with Andrew – LCD for reading? Forget it.
I think the much more important issue is why on earth is Apple calling their supposed reader a TABLET?
What on earth is up with that name. That is my biggest pet peeve with it. (so far)
[...] 9, 2009 by switch11 There are a lot of exciting eReader developments this December (beyond Kindle Vs Apple Reader). In fact, December has seen eReader and eBook developments at a much faster rate than ever [...]
Wonder how many people are like me, holding off on buying ANY eReader until we see what kind of hat Apple tosses into the ring. As someone with over-40-year-old eyes, I gotta have eInk and an adjustable font with a glare-free display. Once it is known for certain that Apple won’t provide that, the only thing I’m waiting for is to see Kindle’s response to the Nook and Sony touch features and format variety (assuming it has already solved the PDF issue).
Mike, it is a good point. We don’t know if Apple are going to do a Pixel Qi and have both eInk (or eInk style reading) and LCD modes or whether it’ll be an iphone screen.
The Kindle is going to keep improving – the Nook and the favoritism to the Nook by the Press (until it came out and they had to admit it wasn’t the JesusReader) has scared Amazon.
Even little changes like adding ability to add kindle books to wishlists and adding permanent delete are a sign that Amazon are working really hard on the Kindle.
If you’re waiting to see the New Apple Reader Tablet you might have Kindle 3 to consider by the time the Tablet comes out.
[...] via Kindle Vs Apple Reader « Kindle Review – Kindle 2 Review, Books. [...]
I love the nook. who cares about the other ereaders. the kindle doesen’t even compare to the color screen. they also just came out with an update to fix the glitches. get the nook!!!
I agree about the e-ink. If apple had e-ink maybe i’d consider it, but Im all set trying to read a book on lcd…try that in direct sunlight or even better, try to read for an hour on an lcd vs an hour looking at e-ink.
Well I an getting sick and tired of hearing Apple this and Apple that. It’s like the name walmart.I hate walmart for what it’s done to the mom and pop store owners. Is apple wanting to do the same thing ?