Bezos: second Kindle is "not that near," Amazon to launch paid streaming VoD

At All Things D today Mossberg and Amazon's Jeff Bezos had a little discussion about digital media, which had a couple of decent nuggets. Check it out:

• On Kindle 2: "There will be a second version, a third version, a tenth version. ... but a second version is not that near."
• According to Bezos, on a title-by-title basis of the 125,000 titles available both in print and on Kindle, Kindle's sales represent 6% of total sales. We have no idea how significant that actually is (or what that means in dollars), but Bezos seemed to be fairly impressed with that number. Still, "Books won't go away just as horses won't go away -- they're still around."
• Talking about whether the Kindle was built to work on non-CDMA networks (read: networks other than Sprint). Bezo said: "we're gonna -- we need to be thinking globally about the device, which we are." He almost slipped there and said "We're gonna launch internationally," but caught himself.
• Bezos also announced a new, for-pay, streaming video-on-demand service for Amazon, which will be released in the next couple of weeks. The video should start playing "instantly," but we don't have any further details (like number of titles, library, price, etc.).

[Saad Rabia @ May 28th 2008 12:08PM]

They'll have to sell the couple hundred Kindles they have in the warehouse for 6 months before even thinking about lunching another weired design! What's next? A 6 by 4 inch button that says "Pay"?

[Steffen Jobbs @ May 28th 2008 12:31PM]

Can you imagine a tenth version Kindle? Does anyone even want a second version Kindle? I wonder if e-paper readers will ever catch on big-time. I really think they're going to have a lot of competition and I can't see the Kindle surviving for very long (a few years maybe). The Kindle seems to be such a small niche product. I think a tablet computer would be more versatile for reading different types of media.

Is the Kindle considered successful in terms of sales numbers?

[CarpeD1em500 @ May 28th 2008 12:35PM]

Uh..reading long books off an lcd screen = insta fail.

No thank you. Not saying the kindle is perfect, but I'd much rather the e-ink than an lcd...

[Plothole @ May 28th 2008 1:05PM]

The only way I would consider a tablet a viable ebook device is if it somehow managed to have the same battery life, the same high contrast in daylight, and the same weight as the current batch of dedicated devices.

[Michalisko @ Jul 21st 2008 2:15PM]

I agree that tablet computers are much better readers...
but how many 0.5kg tablets are sold with that much screen real estate?

Need screen area for reading...

[shaun @ May 28th 2008 12:43PM]

Does anyone else think that photo looks a lot like the video for Speed of Sound by coldplay?

[John B @ May 28th 2008 12:50PM]

I have a kindle v1 and love it. It is an investment. A good one too if you travel all the time as it is far lighter.

[Bookreader @ May 28th 2008 1:01PM]

I just got the Kindle. The worst part was the long wait. I had hoped to receive it in time for a trip overseas but it was back-ordered. A great tool for travelers.

The screen is not like reading off of a computer. The technology makes it appear paper-like..much easier on the eyes.

My last thought: In order for Kindle to be a success, Amazon must do a better job of marketing. Most people I know have never heard of the Kindle.

[Frank Furter @ May 28th 2008 1:08PM]

I don't travel much anymore, but when I did, I can't see how the Kindle would be advantageous to a nice light laptop. I guess if you don't want to check email/watch movies/surf the internet/dial in to work, then it's great! Me personally, I'd take the computer any day.

The Kindle is just a one-off device, it's here, nobody cares, it'll be gone in a year or two. Like the other commenter said - as soon as they sell the remaining 139 units sitting in a warehouse somewhere. Oops - I mean, "fill the backorders".

[PC @ May 28th 2008 1:35PM]

Frank - the Kindle can check e-mail, surf the web, & play mp3s. The browser still needs some work but it is usable. Internet service is free and at decent speeds as long as you are in a Sprint service area. The Kindle is definitely a niche device but could become more mainstream with some changes, primarily price & a larger screen. IMO it's not as ugly in real life as the pictures represent on the web but could use a better design. I have a few other quibbles with it but have no regrets in buying one.

[greg cowan @ Jul 20th 2008 8:39PM]

I also love the kindle despite a few design issues.Its great to travel with thiry books in one small device

[crow610 @ May 28th 2008 1:02PM]

I agree about getting rid of horses. I've got this friend, and all she does is talk about horses.

[Richard Williams @ May 28th 2008 1:31PM]

But when will technical books with monospace fonts or Safari-Online be available on the Kindle. When that happens, I'll have my money ready.

[Bondtastic @ May 28th 2008 1:50PM]

+1 about safari.

Maybe someone can report on how well it works with the browser, but with the PDF conversion not being the best in the world, being able to pull books from an online resource on a subscription basis would be a nice second.

[LordJohnWhorfin @ May 28th 2008 2:47PM]

The price just went down to $360.

[Buddy Ackerman @ May 28th 2008 6:04PM]

To those who keep saying they will read on their laptops: The primary purpose of this device is not to serve as an all-in-one web browser/e-mail client/porn surfer/daily planner. Its primary purpose is for reading. Instead of having a library shelf full of books at home, a Kindle owner can now have a computer full of electronic books that take up a lot less space and actually save money in the long run.

If you want an all-in-one device, you are likely not the type to grab a good book, go sit outside on a nice spring day, and read for a few hours. THAT is the audience the Kindle is targeting.

I have no doubt that future versions will have color screens, more standard capabilities and a larger audience. But those who own this device right now are those who would rather curl up with a good book than blog about it online.

[Cassini @ May 28th 2008 7:11PM]

"On Kindle 2: "There will be a second version, a third version, a tenth version. ... but a second version is not that near.""


Yeah, well, you better get a move-on, boy! Many people will continue to hold out and refuse to buy one until a better version arrives.

It's a good first try, but there are some obvious changes that need to be made, including a price drop ($400? WAY too much).

[mog @ May 28th 2008 7:16PM]

If they're selling, on average, 6% digital editions of the books available for Kindle, that's SUPER impressive. Outside the Kindle (or, should I say, before the Kindle), digital editions account for one tenth of one percent of the book market.

Grabbing six percent of readers in six months is huge in the slow-moving publishing world.

[Vincent @ Jul 21st 2008 3:16PM]

Even better:

It's not 6% of "readers", the article said that the Kindle represents 6% of Amazon's "total sales"; last time I checked, Amazon.com sold a lot more than books. So even if books account for half of Amazon's total sales, that would mean 12% Kindle penetration, probably more like 20% as I can't Imagine that books are even 25% of Amazon's total sales at this point.

It would seem that the Kindle is here to stay; I will definitely get one one soon, waiting for this next generation. Internet and e-mail is a bonus, but I would get one anyways just to save on shelf space, mailing costs, etc..

[Pleroma70 @ May 28th 2008 8:51PM]

This isn't a laptop. There is a small, powerful, and definitely underserved market for this device. They tend to read aggressively, often 5-6 books at a time. They know that doing so is like being a freeweight lifter in a world of Pilates: if "nobody reads," people who do will win. They are usually thought leaders (since the way to lead in thought is to know more about thought than the other guys), technologically savvy (in terms of inventing another Facebook or just being CIO of someplace important), and high up the food chain. They own too many books, need and want many more, and are currently crippled by carrying weight, lack of searchability and easy annotation in an otherwise outstanding paper interface, and storage space.
Instant gratification and pdf conversion? I'm THERE.
You might be amazed at how many of the People Who Really Matter are inveterate readers...not bestseller crap or book-club pablum like The Kite Runner, but MIT's spring list. It's an Information Economy, and people who read are the haves.

[ren @ May 28th 2008 9:42PM]

I have no use for the Kindle. My PalmTX handles books and it is smaller and more mobile.

[Tagbert @ May 29th 2008 12:53AM]

And I have no need of a Palm TX. My Blackberry is smaller and more mobile. And my Kindle is much better for reading. (Reading on an e-ink screen is nothing like an LCD)

We are past the point where a device has to serve everyone's needs but no one's needs well. We are too diverse for that. The markets have grown to the point that a device can specialize and do a good job for a part of the audience as long as that audience is above a critical number.

[Wormbolt @ May 29th 2008 10:10PM]

How many novels have you read on your palm pilot?

[Chris @ May 30th 2008 6:37PM]

I'm a financial software engineer, and I love small laptops and gadgets. I bought the kindle because I have hundreds of technical books, and they are constantly becoming obsolete, and I'm left with stacks of books. The kindle is awesome !!! I get the Wall St. Journal and the NY times delivered to it automatically everyday, and I read them on the subway on the way to work. I keep dozens of reference books on my kindle. They are always on hand. I wish the kindle were faster and higher resolution. Color would be nice too, but is there color e-Ink? Anyway, the kindle is a revolution. None of the other platforms have the titles that the kindle has. I have 3 brand new laptops, a Fujitsu u810, an HP 2133 and an Asus eee PC 900, and I don't carry them with me much. I carry the kindle with me though, everyday.

[Phil @ Jun 18th 2008 7:04PM]

I really like the Kindle, and was hoping to reduce my luggable bag of programming and technical books. Unfortunatly my technical book collections is all-but-useless until they put a stinking mono-spaced font (like courier) so that software code displays correctly.

Doesn't Amazon realize the early adopters, aka the ones who buy stuff like this are technical people - not people looking to replace paperback novels?

[Pam @ Jun 8th 2008 12:17AM]

I bought my Kindle 37 days before they dropped the price $40.00. Amazon wouldn't credit my account $40.00 or give me book credit. because I was 7 days over 30 days. We all remember the Iphone credit.

AMAZON SUCKS and they are RUDE too!

[dcharlespyle @ Jun 8th 2008 12:29PM]

If the Kindle could do ancient languages I would buy one in a heartbeat--well, if I had the money at the time, that is. But, if I did and it could do non-English languages like Hebrew or other Semitic languages, or even Accented Greek, that would be really cool! Will Kindle 2 be able to do that?

[Renee @ Jul 26th 2008 9:46PM]

I'm legallly blind. How large is the largest font the Kindle can be magmified to?