I’m actually a bit relieved Amazon did not release a Kindle 3 today. Because I would have blown a juicy scoop. Over the weekend, Twitter follower A. Scott Falk wondered why Amazon is running a “Kindle 3” Google Adwords campaign against various Kindle searches. And we didn’t know if it heralded a new device, or was merely compelling ad copy. Given the news today and measured against Apple’s imminent announcement of something, it’s safe to say a Kindle 3 isn’t in the cards this month.
However, Amazon’s app store announcement is noteworthy… and probably inevitable. Next month, a Kindle Development Kit will be made available (in beta) allowing folks to start cranking out Kindle Store applications. Unlike iPhone app, Kindle developers and owners will obviously be constrained by a black & white screen of distracting, blinky page refreshes. More significant, and a major differentiation against say the iPhone, is that developers will be footing the bill for wireless delivery. So we’ll probably see fewer networked apps, and of greater expense.
Wielding a smartphone (or two), I have no interest in a Kindle Zagat guide. (I’m loving the new iPhone Yelp check-ins.) And I’m no fan of Kindle’s blog subscriptions. Instead of $2 a pop, how about I pay $7.99/month for an Amazon-provided RSS reader that I populate how I please? As a publisher, instead of making very little money on Kindle subscriptions, let me pick up the tab and give ZNF away to anyone interested. Hm, maybe that’ll be my personal app project.
