The Kindle, like all eReaders, is seen by many as a radical departure from traditional reading. The main reason why you aren’t surrounded by Kindles whenever you step into a coffee shop is simple: a lot of people like the look and feel of a book. They are wary of any gadget that claims to replace it with a digital imitation.
It’s from this point of view that Jane Isay, a former editor and lover of physical books, writes a humorous confession to loving the Kindle. The post demonstrates a simple truth that Kindle owners already know: if you love to read you’ll love to use the Kindle. Even if you are a print die-hard, reading on the Kindle still gives you the chance to enjoy the act of reading, with the added convenience of Whispernet and instant downloads.
Isay’s post does make one good point however: how will devices like the Kindle affect independent retailers? Isay alternates between buying eBooks from Amazon and buying physical books from small, independent bookstores. Eventually, people are going to be wary about the digital book industry being monopolized by a select few corporations. This is another reason why I think Amazon will eventually need to open their device to other formats. A move to many independent digital stores is probably inevitable, where all they have in common is a shared format.
Opening the Kindle to other e-book formats would be huge. Having all the e-readers follow suit would be even bigger. Then it comes down to which reader has the best combination of features at the right price. It eliminates the which titles are in which catalog, at least.