Amazon Kindle has been so successful that it has made a few companies change their mind about the potential of the e-book industry as a whole. When Amazon entered the market, Sony Reader was dominating the market but it was not making any headway. The Sony device was sold, but it was not exactly earth shattering and mainstream. Amazon came in and changed the perception that was out there about e-book readers. Unlike most of its rivals, Kindle is easy to use and decent on the eye. And it saves you money (even though we still complain about high e-book prices). It’s safe to say that Kindle is doing better than most people expected it to.

What Kindle has done is open the eyes of companies such as Apple and Microsoft. Both companies are planning to introduce their own tablets in the very near future. That would mean the device will have two mighty new competitors to contend with. So here is an interesting question: with all the information available on iTablet and Microsoft Courier, which one in your opinion has the best chance of dethroning Kindle?

With that in mind, what new features do you expect Amazon to work on as far as the next generation Kindle is concerned:
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Don’t forget to add other suggests in the comment section.

People may be staying in lines to get their hands on iPhone 3G S, but that doesn’t make iPhone 3G S the top gadget to own these days. iPhone 3G S is a very capable device that comes with many new features. It has gotten a big boost from iPhone 3.0 OS as well, but one can argue that you can still manage with your old iPhone 3G. That hasn’t stopped people from talking about iPhone 3G S non-stop in the fast few weeks. In reality, Kindle DX is still the gadget to own for father’s day. Kindle DX gets the nod over iPhone 3G S as it helps you read more often (something a lot of us don’t don enough). Besides, you don’t have to deal with wireless plans and upgrade issues. With that in mind, here is my question for you:

While these two gadgets are significantly different from each other and target different audiences, there are going to be folks who’ll have to choose one over the other. I personally believe that if you don’t own a Kindle, getting Kindle DX over the new iPhone is a no brainer. But things get a bit complicated if you have a previous generation Kindle and iPhone at your disposal. So here is my question for you: which gadget which you go with were you to choose between iPhone 4G or Kindle DX?
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Amazon has one of the hottest gadget families on the market. Kindle 2.0 and Kindle DX are both very popular and are selling like hot cakes. But you could argue that Amazon has had it easy with its customers. You don’t have to look too far back to realize what happens when a company releases 2 upgrades in 2 months. Customers get disgruntled. Some ask for their money back. Others start writing hate posts on forums. That’s what Amazon has done with Kindle 2.0 and DX. Apple did have a similar challenge a while back when they dropped their iPhone prices, but at least that was expected. You could easily argue that the majority of Kindle 2.0 buyers had no idea Kindle DX was in the works a few months ago. Fast forward a couple of months and Kindle 2.0 is not the top dog in Amazon Kindle family.

Amazon is running a business, and it had to introduce Kindle DX ahead of time for college students to take advantage of it. However, it could have offered a discount or some form of compensation to those of us who are feeling remorse over our Kindle 2.0 purchase. Kindle 2.0 is  great gadget but paying an extra $130 to get a bigger, better Kindle is a no brainer for most Kindle fans. Amazon has been great in expanding the e-book market for itself. What it hasn’t done is realize the customers’ sense of entitlement to getting the best value from Amazon. The company has not properly addressed the issue of Kindle repairs either. That’s the easiest way to gain a few more disgruntled customers.

Your take: should Amazon offer a partial refund to Kindle 2.0 owners? Maybe a few free e-books to compensate them for their troubles? Do you feel Amazon should have done a better job informing its customers about releasing two Kindles in a span of 2 month?

If you have been following the rumors in the tech industry, you probably know we are getting closer to the release date of iPhone 3.0. Even iPod Touch is expected to get a decent upgrade over its previous generation. And let’s not forget that we hear something about Apple’s so-called MediaPad every day. Amazon does have a head start over Apple with Kindle DX though the device is not shipping till summer.

Many people that I have talked to have told me about being torn between investing in a Kindle DX or an iPhone 3.0. And some argue that they may hold off to see what the MediaPad is all about. I don’t believe there is really much of a dilemma when it comes to deciding whether to buy a Kindle DX or an iPhone. Both devices are powerful, and they offer something different to consumers. The MediaPad is the only wild card here. We hear all these stories about Apple implementing E-Ink technology and a touch-screen on this mystery device. If Apple decides to make an e-book reader out of its MediaPad, we may see a worthy challenger to Kindle. But since Steve Jobs has repeatedly denied stories about Apple getting in the e-book business, we need to take these rumors with a grain of salt.

Ultimately, more than anything, Kindle and iPhone compliment each other. So the buying decision is not an either/or here. If you need a large, cool reading device, Kindle DX is for you. If you need a killer mobile phone, you may want to go with iPhone 3.0. And you can always simplify the process by buying all three gadgets.

Your take: which gadget are you excited about the most?
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I had a very interesting discussion with a colleague of mine about the difference between experiencing a real book versus reading one on Kindle. Now, he is a late adopter. He bought his Kindle before it went out of stock. But he brought up a very interesting point. He told me that he uses Kindle for technical books but for novels he prefers to read the real thing. Now, I am not going into the details behind his reasoning but there is a good argument to be made here. A lot of people still connect better with a real book than an eBook. If you ask these folks, they talk about how they have more fun reading a paper book than a Kindle book.

I don’t necessarily agree with the above argument but here is my question for you. If  there was only one book that you wanted read, would you rather read it on a Kindle or would you prefer the real thing?

I have been guilty of being greedy when it comes to my Kindle. I want more features, more accessories, and cheaper books. But you don’t truly realize what you have until you see what others don’t have. I was always aware that Whispernet had its limitations, but I wasn’t aware that folks were actually buying the Kindle in areas that are not covered by Sprint. That was until I read this:

So I’m from alaska. From what I read so far, Whispernet is not offered in this state. However, I’d still love to use a Kindel just as a book. I noticed that a USB connector comes with the Kindel. So I’m guessing I could download kindel e-books to my PC, then upload them to my kindel from there.

You can read the whole story here, but think about the inconvenience of having to download Kindle books manually to put them on your Kindle? I am used to buying Kindle books and seeing them appear out of nowhere in my Kindle library, so in that sense I kind of feel spoiled.

Now here is my question for you guys. Would you buy Kindle knowing that your home city is not covered by Whispernet? How much would you be willing to pay for it?

I don’t know about you, but the end is near for 2008, and I have decided to have a bit of fun on this blog. Can you tell me the most dreaded job interview question? How about the most important question a Venture Capitalist could ask an entrepreneur? If you agree what research has shown, “tell me a bit about yourself” and “tell me a bit about your idea” are the most dreaded questions that you can face in the above situations. These questions are not tough but most folks don’t know how to answer them properly. Most people can’t market themselves or their ideas properly, and that’s why answering the above question can turn into a car wreck.

Now, here is my question for you. Let’s say you are meeting someone who has no idea about the Kindle, and you are trying to explain in less than 50 words why they should get Kindle, what makes Kindle the best reader on the market, and what they can get out of it. What would you say? Simple question, isn’t it?