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Re-Kindling May Not Be Enough

Version 2.0 is coming, but a megahit may still elude Amazon

By Rob Quinn, Newser Staff

Posted Aug 26, 2008 9:46 AM CDT

(Newser) – Amazon plans to launch the next generation of its Kindle e-book player in the coming months, but an iPod-sized hit may still be out of the company's grasp, Peter Burrows writes in BusinessWeek. Much-needed improvements are on the way, but the real future for Kindle could be in using its player technology in other devices, Burrows suggests.

"I don’t see Kindles around in the real world, and I’ve never heard anyone express the desire to own one," Burrows notes. For Kindle to become as huge as CEO/cheerleader Jeff Bezos envisions, Burrows writes, the device needs a strong tie-in with the world of education, or a link-up with Amazon's own audio-book company.

[Images (4)]

[Quotes (2)]

Amazon.com chairman and CEO Jeff Bezos holds the Kindle, a portable reading device with the ability to wirelessly download books, blogs, magazines, and newspapers. (AP Photo/Damian Dovarganes)

Jeff Bezos, founder and CEO of Amazon.com, introduces the Kindle at a news conference in New York in this Nov. 19, 2007 file photo. (AP Photo/Mark Lennihan, File)

The Kindle device is shown in this photograph released by Amazon.com on Monday, Nov. 19, 2007. (AP Photo/Amazon.com)

The next generation of Amazon's Kindle e-book reader is due in the fall, and will have a number of improvements, sources tells BusinessWeek. (Getty Images)

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In a multi-media world, Amazon could provide an experience to let consumers purchase a book or other copyrighted work, along with the rights to consume it in multiple ways. - Peter Burrows

It needs a more intuitive, infectiously-cool interface. I’m told there’s been big progress here, as well, including changes to the oversized buttons that make it too easy to inadvertently move on to the next page. - Peter Burrows on the Kindle

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Re-Kindling May Not Be Enough