Kindle Review – Kindle Fire Review, Kindle 4 Review

Keep running into Apps that turn the iPhone into an entirely different device and just add a ton to its value proposition. It’s finally made me realize - 

eReader Apps are going to be big and they are going to destroy companies that don’t have apps.

Don’t know how eReader companies fail to see the huge benefits apps provide. 

Why eReader Apps will be powerful

Once a company has set context and put in rules you’re left with a blank canvas.

1. Developers and Creators in general can come in and address any problem they see. 
2. They can focus on any use case. 
3. You suddenly have tens of thousands of people working to add value to your device.  
4. You get lots of different perspectives.

Basically, you get tens of thousands of developers who only get paid if they’re successful, you don’t pay them, and you can cut off their work anytime if it’s terrible or dangerous.

An eReader company allowing apps gets to still define vision and boundaries – they just get 100 times the developers and creators and artists to work with.

eReader Apps create killer features

Here are a few examples of Apps that aren’t that hard to create -

1. An app that uses the Nook’s LCD screen to turn the cover flow feature into a folder feature.
2. An app that uses the Kindle DX’s accelerometer to create a Sleep Cycle like app that wakes up you at the best possible time each morning.
3. Using the Entourage Edge’s LCD screen as a game screen and the eInk screen for a level map which updates periodically.
4. An app that measures how much time you spend on various features and recommends tips and shortcuts specific to your usage.
5. A RescueTime like tracker that lets you know what percentage of your reading time goes into what type of book.
6. An app that automatically sorts all your purchases and books into bookshelves that you can edit and share.

With eReaders we are now getting a lot of features – writable screens, touchscreens, dual screens, wireless connectivity, accelerometers, and more.

If you let developers utilize these features to create apps they’ll definitely come up with features that become killer features - it’ll make your eReader irresistable to readers.

eReader Apps can negate Killer Features

Consider a few killer features that are easily implementable as apps -

1. Kindle’s Text to Speech.
2. Alex’s ‘Grab on LCD and Read on eInk’ WebGrabs feature.
3. Nook’s Cover Flow (for eReaders that have LCD screens).
4. AutoScrolling.
5. Speed Reading.
6. Library Finder Feature.
7. Support for a particular format.

You could have developers come in and nullify two of your competitors by coding in those competitors’ main killer features.

Users don’t care who did it or even if they have to pay $5 for it.

What are some potential Killer Apps?

There are infinite Killer Apps.

There might be a feature that is a killer feature for 5,000 people. An eReader company might never be able to prioritize and implement such a feature. 

However, an App Developer definitely can – and will.

Here are some examples -

1. Instapaper – Capture articles to read later on your eReader.
2. Comic Reader – Something that takes a bunch of images, scales them automatically and scrolls through them. 
3. Exercise Journal. 
4. Photo Rotator - When your eReader is plugged in and in sleep mode it circles through your photos.
5. Alarm Clock and Reminder – Everyone can use one.
6. Grocery List App.
7. Create Your Own Newspaper – Readers pay the eReader company and the eReader company pieces out payments to newspapers.
8. Virtual Pets – Please don’t make it recurring payment based.  
9. Aquarium App, Zen Garden, and apps that help people relax.
10. Education Apps.
11. Music Sheets that scroll to the side at an appropriate pace.
12. Dog/Cat Owner App – Keep your photos, a journal, health records, training tips, shopping lists.
13. An app that converts any book into a read-along book i.e. adds photos and images and increases the font and has 1-2 lines per page.
14. Horoscope App.
15. Quotes and Voacbulary Apps – Give you a new quote and a new word either every day or with each book.  
16. Health Apps – Virtually unlimited apps here including apps for remembering to take medicines, apps to track vitamins, apps to keep health records, and more.
17. Music Companion App – Figures out and plays the right music based on words of the book you’re reading, its genre etc. Next level up would to be gauge mood in each section of the book and play appropriate music.
18. Flight Tracker and Flight Booker – App that helps you get travel deals, flight status and more.
19. Password App – Keep all your passwords in one easy to reference app.
20. Language Apps – Dictionaries, Phrase-books, Spoken Word Tutorials, and more.
21. WiFi Finder – Finds the strongest connections, finds open connections, and more.

It’s a never-ending list and it keeps adding to the value of the eReader.

When will we see eReader Apps?

It’s hard to say as eReader companies have either shunned Apps or are ambivalent about them.

Where do eReader companies stand on Apps for eReaders?

Various companies have various stances -

1. Amazon haven’t shown their hand.
2. Txtr have said they’ll add Apps.
3. B&N have stated that they’re open to adding Apps.
4. All the Android based eReaders (Alex, Entourage Edge, Nook) probably will get a shared eReader App store.
5. Sony have been non-committal.

They might all get a big surprise at Apple’s January 27th announcement. At that point they won’t have a choice – they’ll need Apps to compete.

Perhaps their biggest advantage – Only Apps can beat Apps

Take two eReaders.

1. The first one allows Apps. The second doesn’t.
2. In 6 months there are 50 additional features, including 4 that are bona-fide killer features.

At that point the second eReader is in big trouble -

1. To develop that many features they’d need to increase their development team ten-fold.  
2. If they do start on Apps they still have 6 months of catching up to do.
3. More and more developers keep joining the first eReader’s App Store.
4. The second eReader has to compete for developers’ attention. 

Only Apps can beat Apps and the first company to start with Apps usually gets an insurmountable advantage. In both social networks and cellphones we’ve seen this.

eReader Companies need to roll the dice soon

The first big eReader company to open up their eReader to apps (whether it’s Kindle or Nook or Sony Reader) might end up being one of the two big players.

The other will be Apple as it’s already got hundreds of thousands of developers working for it.

1. In the end it comes down to the value proposition an eReader offers.
2. Books are a big part of it – However, lots of stores sell books at reasonable prices.
3. An eReader company that allows Apps will add so much to its value proposition that even if its eBooks are $2 more it’ll still win.
4. Plus it doesn’t have to put its eBooks at $2 more since it’s making money off of Apps too.

Apple and the first of the big three to allow Apps – those are your two likely winners of the eReader wars.

eReader Apps are the new 60 second wireless downloads - Companies won’t realize they’re a big deal until they’ve already lost.

Filed under: extensions Tagged: | amazon kindle apps, ereader apps