Jeff Bezos: iPad different from Kindle

It is no secret that die-hard Kindle fans have not accepted the iPad as a real e-book reader. Amazon’s forums are full of Kindle fans who bash the iPad for various reason. The iPad may not take advantage of E-ink technology, but it’s tough to argue with the fact that it has given the e-book industry a major boost. It’s also forced Amazon and other players in the e-reader market to drop their prices.

Jeff Bezos is not sold on the iPad either. In fact, he does not even consider the iPad to be in the same product category as Kindle:

I think there are going to be a bunch of tablet-like devices. It’s really a different product category. The Kindle is for readers…

But one has to look deeper at Mr. Bezos’ words to see what he hopes Kindle to be:

The Kindle will compete with these LCD devices like the iPad by being a very focused product… Serious readers are going to want a purpose-built device, because it’s an important activity for them.

Jeff Bezos is a very smart man, and he has to be credited for getting Kindle to where it is today. But it’s tough to believe that a one trick pony device can compete effectively with iPad and other LCD tablets. Considering that more people are multi-tasking these days, reading is not going to be the only thing people want to do with their handheld device.

Let’s not forget that standalone GPS makers claimed similar things before losing the majority of their business to multi-purpose GPS devices and smart-phones. Many die-hard Kindle fans praise the device for the “experience” that it provides them with and not for its one-dimensionality. It’s tough to believe Jeff Bezos means what he says. If Kindle is a “very focused” device, why is Amazon planning to bring games to it (with KDK)?